List of Top Country LP's number ones of 1970

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1970, 10 different albums topped the chart, which was at the time published under the title Top Country LP's, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.[1]

Singer Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard topped the chart with the live albums Okie from Muskogee, and The Fightin' Side of Me, each named for one of his best-known songs.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 3, Charley Pride was at number one with the compilation album The Best of Charley Pride, the record's third week in the top spot.[2] It remained the atop the chart for a further 10 weeks before being displaced by Okie from Muskogee by Merle Haggard. Pride would go on to achieve two further number ones during the year. In the issue of Billboard dated April 25, six weeks after his compilation album vacated the top spot, he returned to the peak position with the album Just Plain Charley, which spent nine non-consecutive weeks atop the listing. Just three weeks after that album fell from number one for the second time he was back atop the chart with Charley Pride's 10th Album. In total Pride spent 28 weeks at number one during the year, more than twice as many as any other act. The first African-American performer to become a major star in the country music field, Pride was at the peak of his success between 1969 and 1971, when he achieved a succession of number one singles as well as his chart-topping albums.[3]

In addition to Pride, Haggard and Johnny Cash each had more than one number one during the year. Haggard followed Okie from Muskogee, which spent five non-consecutive weeks at number one, with The Fightin' Side of Me, which had a seven-week run atop the listing in the fall. Both albums were live recordings hurriedly released to cash in the popularity of their respective title songs, both of which topped the country singles chart.[4][5] Cash topped the albums listing with Hello, I'm Johnny Cash in March and The Johnny Cash Show in December. The latter album, released to tie in with his TV series of the same title which ran from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971 on ABC,[6] was the year's final chart-topper. In the fall Conway Twitty achieved his first number-one album when Hello Darlin' topped the chart for a single week.[7] Having experienced success with rock and roll recordings in the 1950s, Twitty had switched to country music in the mid-1960s and would go on to become one of the genre's most successful singers of all time, topping the singles chart a record-breaking 40 times.[8][9]

Chart history edit

 
Three albums by Charley Pride spent time at number one in 1970.
 
Hello Darlin' was the first album by Conway Twitty to top the chart.
 
Tammy Wynette was the only female performer to top the chart in 1970.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 3 The Best of Charley Pride Charley Pride [2]
January 10 [10]
January 17 [11]
January 24 [12]
January 31 [13]
February 7 [14]
February 14 [15]
February 21 [16]
February 28 [17]
March 7 [18]
March 14 [19]
March 21 Okie from Muskogee Merle Haggard and the Strangers [20]
March 28 Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Johnny Cash [21]
April 4 [22]
April 11 [23]
April 18 [24]
April 25 Just Plain Charley Charley Pride [25]
May 2 [26]
May 9 Okie from Muskogee Merle Haggard [27]
May 16 [28]
May 23 [29]
May 30 [30]
June 6 Just Plain Charley Charley Pride [31]
June 13 [32]
June 20 [33]
June 27 [34]
July 4 [35]
July 11 [36]
July 18 [37]
July 25 Tammy's Touch Tammy Wynette [38]
August 1 [39]
August 8 Charley Pride's 10th Album Charley Pride [40]
August 15 [41]
August 22 [42]
August 29 [43]
September 5 [44]
September 12 [45]
September 19 [46]
September 26 [47]
October 3 Hello Darlin' Conway Twitty [48]
October 10 The Fightin' Side of Me Merle Haggard [49]
October 17 [50]
October 24 [51]
October 31 [52]
November 7 [53]
November 14 [54]
November 21 [55]
November 28 For the Good Times Ray Price [56]
December 5 [57]
December 12 [58]
December 19 The Johnny Cash Show Johnny Cash [59]
December 26 [60]

References edit

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. ^ a b "Country Albums chart for January 3, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  3. ^ Vinopal, David. "Charley Pride Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Fightin' Side of Me: Merle Haggard". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Merle Haggard Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  6. ^ Zaleski, Annie (June 7, 2019). "50 Years Ago: 'The Johnny Cash Show' Premieres". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 256. ISBN 9780898201734.
  8. ^ Freeman, Jon; Reed, James; Menconi, David; Betts, Stephen L.; Leahey, Andrew; Dunkerley, Beville (July 14, 2016). "21 Most Unexpected Rockers to Go Country". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  9. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Number 1's: Conway Twitty". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  10. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 10, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  11. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 17, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  12. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 24, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  13. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 31, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 7, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  15. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 14, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  16. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 21, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  17. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 28, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  18. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 7, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  19. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 14, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  20. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 21, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  21. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 28, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  22. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 4, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  23. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 11, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  24. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 18, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  25. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 25, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  26. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 2, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  27. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 9, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  28. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 16, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  29. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 23, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  30. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 30, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  31. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 6, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  32. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 13, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  33. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 20, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  34. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 27, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  35. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 4, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  36. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 11, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  37. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 18, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  38. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 25, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  39. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 1, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  40. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 8, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  41. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 15, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  42. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 22, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  43. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 29, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  44. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 5, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  45. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 12, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  46. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 19, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  47. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 26, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  48. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 3, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  49. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 10, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  50. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 17, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  51. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 24, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  52. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 31, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  53. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 7, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  54. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 14, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  55. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 21, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  56. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 28, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  57. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 5, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  58. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 12, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  59. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 19, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  60. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 26, 1970". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2020.