List Of Billboard Number-one Country Songs Of 1958
The number one song on the Best Sellers chart in the first issue of 1958 was "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and the song at the top of the Jockeys chart was "The Story of My Life" by Marty Robbins; both songs replaced "My Special Angel" by Bobby Helms, which had topped both charts the week before. Eight different singles topped the Best Sellers chart, including two each by Johnny Cash, Don Gibson and the Everly Brothers. The longest unbroken run in the top spot was eight weeks, achieved by both of Cash's chart-toppers, "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" / "Big River" and "Guess Things Happen That Way" / "Come In, Stranger"; in each case the B-side of the single was listed jointly at number one for some or all of its time in the top spot under the methodology in use at the time. The sixteen weeks which Cash spent at number one was the most for any act. Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" also spent eight weeks at number one, but in two separate runs. The song gave Gibson his first number-one country song and he would go on to achieve his second later in the year with "Blue Blue Day". He remained popular in the 1960s, but did not return to the top of the country singles chart until 1972.
Three singles which topped the Best Sellers chart did not reach number one on the Jockeys chart: "Great Balls of Fire" by Lewis, "Blue Blue Day" by Gibson, and "Bird Dog" / "Devoted to You" by the Everly Brothers. "Alone With You" by Faron Young had the longest unbroken run of the year on the airplay-based listing, spending 13 weeks in the top spot. Despite its popularity on the radio, the song was one of two Jockeys chart-toppers never to top the Best Sellers chart, the other being "Just Married" by Marty Robbins. The separate sales and airplay charts were published for the final time in the issue of Billboard dated October 13. The final Best Sellers number one was "Bird Dog" / "Devoted to You" and the last Jockeys chart-topper was "Alone With You". The following week the magazine launched the combined Hot C&W Sides chart, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. The first number one on the new chart was "City Lights" by Ray Price, which in the previous issue had been at number 2 on the Best Sellers chart and number 4 on the Jockeys chart. Price's song would remain at number one for the remainder of 1958.
Chart history
Best Sellers and Jockeys charts
During this period, Billboard sometimes listed both sides of a single jointly at number one on the Best Sellers chart, based on a methodology which combined the survey data for both songs if "significant action [was] reported on both sides of a record". This does not indicate that the single was officially released or promoted as a double A-side.
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a. ^ "Big River" not listed jointly at number one in the issues dated February 17, February 24 and April 7
b. ^ Both sides listed jointly at number one
Hot C&W Sides
| Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 20 | "City Lights" | Ray Price | |
| October 27 | |||
| November 3 | |||
| November 10 | |||
| November 17 | |||
| November 24 | |||
| December 1 | |||
| December 8 | |||
| December 15 | |||
| December 22 | |||
| December 29 |
See also
- 1958 in music
- 1958 in country music
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart