# 1938 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1938.

## Top Hillbilly-Folk (Country) Recordings 1938

The following songs were extracted from records included in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954, record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, they are only used as a frame of reference.
| Rank | Artist | Title | Label | Recorded | Released | Chart Positions |
| 1 | Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans | "Wabash Cannon Ball" | Vocalion 4466 | October 21, 1936 (1936-10-21) | November 1938 (1938-11) | US BB 1938 #223, US #12 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #1, 1,000,000 sales, National Recording Registry 2005 |
| 2 | Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers | "It Makes No Difference Now" | Decca 5604 | September 13, 1938 (1938-09-13) | September 30, 1938 (1938-09-30) | US Hillbilly 1938 #2 |
| 3 | Shelton Brothers | "Aura Lee" | Decca 5533 | February 17, 1937 (1937-02-17) | June 1938 (1938-06) | US Hillbilly 1938 #3 (this melody was used for Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender") |
| 4 | Hoosier Hot Shots | "The Man with the Whiskers" | Vocalion 4502 | October 28, 1938 (1938-10-28) | December 1938 (1938-12) | US BB 1938 #207, US #11 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #4 |
| 5 | Roy Acuff with The Crazy Tennesseans | "Great Speckled Bird" | Melotone 70159 | October 20, 1936 (1936-10-20) | January 1937 (1937-01) | US BB 1938 #236, US #13 for 1 week, 3 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #5 |
| 6 | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | "Steel Guitar Stomp" | Vocalion 3997 | June 7, 1937 (1937-06-07) | February 1938 (1938-02) | US Hillbilly 1938 #6 |
| 7 | Gene Autry | "Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle" | Vocalion 4172 | October 18, 1937 (1937-10-18) | June 1938 (1938-06) | US Hillbilly 1938 #7 |
| 8 | Claude Casey's Pinestate Playboys | "Pine State Honky Tonk" | Bluebird 7883 | September 27, 1938 (1938-09-27) | October 19, 1938 (1938-10-19) | US Hillbilly 1938 #8 |
| 9 | Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans | "Freight Train Blues" | Vocalion 4466 | October 21, 1936 (1936-10-21) | November 1938 (1938-11) | US Hillbilly 1938 #9 |
| 10 | Jimmie Rodgers with Lani McIntire's Hawaiians | "The One Rose That's Left in My Heart" | Bluebird B-7280 | July 7, 1930 (1930-07-07) | December 1, 1937 (1937-12-01) | US Hillbilly 1938 #10 |
| 11 | Roy Rogers | "Hi-Ho Silver" | Vocalion 4190 | June 15, 1938 (1938-06-15) | July 1938 (1938-07) | US BB 1938 #250, US #13 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #10 |
| 12 | Jimmie Davis w_Charles <Mitchell | "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland" | Decca 5616 | September 22, 1938 (1938-09-22) | November 1938 (1938-11) | US BB 1938 #253, US #13 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #11 |
| 13 | Light Crust Doughboys | "Beautiful Ohio" | Vocalion 4158 | May 14, 1938 (1938-05-14) | June 1938 (1938-06) | US BB 1938 #18, US #2 for 1 week, 8 total weeks |
| 14 | Hoosier Hot Shots | "Red Hot Fannie" | Vocalion 4289 | June 6, 1938 (1938-06-06) | August 1938 (1938-08) | US Hillbilly 1938 #13 |
| 15 | Girls of the Golden West | "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" | Vocalion 4292 | February 28, 1938 (1938-02-28) | August 1938 (1938-08) | US Hillbilly 1938 #14 |
| 16 | Jimmie Revard And His Oklahoma Playboys | "Tulsa Waltz" | Bluebird 7371 | February 26, 1937 (1937-02-26) | January 19, 1938 (1938-01-19) | US Hillbilly 1938 #15 |
| 17 | Joe Werner's Ramblers | "Running Around". | Bluebird 4994 | April 1, 1938 (1938-04-01) | April 20, 1938 (1938-04-20) | US Hillbilly 1938 #16 |
| 18 | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | "The Maiden's Prayer" | Vocalion 3924 | September 23, 1935 (1935-09-23) | February 1938 (1938-02) | US Hillbilly 1938 #17 |
| 19 | W Lee O'Daniel and His Hillbilly Boys | "Beautiful Texas" | Vocalion 4185 | May 15, 1938 (1938-05-15) | July 1938 (1938-07) | US Hillbilly 1938 #18 |
| 20 | Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers | "Girl Of My Dreams" | Decca 5560 | December 8, 1937 (1937-12-08) | July 1938 (1938-07) | US Hillbilly 1938 #19 |
| 21 | Gene Autry | "End of My Round-Up Days" | Vocalion 4146 | October 15, 1937 (1937-10-15) | May 1938 (1938-05) | US Hillbilly 1938 #20 |

## Births

* January 30 - Norma Jean, female singer of the 1960s and regular on The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961 to 1967.
* March 12 – Lew DeWitt, songwriter and former member of The Statler Brothers (he sang tenor) (died 1990).
* March 18 – Charley Pride, the most successful African-American country music performer, active since the mid-1960s (died 2020).
* April 4 – Norro Wilson, prominent songwriter and record producer (died 2017).
* August 18 – Allen Reynolds, prominent record producer, best known for his association with Garth Brooks.
* August 21 – Kenny Rogers, pop-styled country crooner who has enjoyed hits since the late 1960s (died 2020).