# 1946 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1946.

## Top hits of the year
### Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)
| US | Single | Artist |
| January 5 | "You Will Have To Pay" | Tex Ritter |
| January 5 | "White Cross on Okinawa" | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys |
| February 2 | "Guitar Polka" | Al Dexter |
| May 18 | "New Spanish Two Step" | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys |
| Sept 14 | "Wine, Women and Song" | Al Dexter |
| October 12 | "Divorce Me C.O.D." | Merle Travis |

## Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings 1946

Billboard Most-Played Folk Records of 1946 is a year-end list compiled by The Billboard, printed in the January 4, 1947 issue. It includes rankings for the calendar year only, handicapping records at the beginning and end of the year such as "The Old Lamp-Lighter", which lost more than half of its points. For all year-end charts on these pages, records that enter the chart in December of the previous year, or remain on the chart after December of the current year, receive points for their full chart runs. Each week, a score of 15 points is assigned for the no. 1 record, 9 points for no. 2, 8 points for no. 3, and so on, and the total of all weeks determined the final rank. Additional information can also be found at List of Most Played Juke Box Folk Records number ones of 1946.
| Rank | Artist | Title | Label | Recorded | Released | Chart Positions |
| 1 | Al Dexter and His Troopers | "Guitar Polka" | Columbia 36898 | March 21, 1942 (1942-03-21) | January 1946 (1946-01) | US BB 1946 #158, US #12, US Hillbilly 1946 #1, USHB #1 for 16 weeks, 32 total weeks |
| 2 | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | "New Spanish Two Step" | Columbia 36966 | May 4, 1946 (1946-05-04) | May 18, 1946 (1946-05-18) | US BB 1946 #188, US #14, US Hillbilly 1946 #2, USHB #1 for 16 weeks, 26 total weeks |
| 3 | Merle Travis | "Divorce Me C.O.D." | Capitol 290 | July 9, 1946 (1946-07-09) | September 6, 1946 (1946-09-06) | US BB 1946 #161, US #12, US Hillbilly 1946 #3, USHB #1 for 14 weeks, 26 total weeks |
| 4 | Ernest Tubb | "Rainbow at Midnight" | Decca 46018 | September 17, 1946 (1946-09-17) | October 1946 (1946-10) | US Hillbilly 1946 #4, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks |
| 5 | Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys | "That's How Much I Love You" | RCA Victor 20-1948 | March 20, 1946 (1946-03-20) | September 1946 (1946-09) | US Hillbilly 1946 #5, USHB #2 for 4 weeks, 29 total weeks |
| 6 | Al Dexter and His Troopers | "Wine Women and Song" | Columbia 37062 | April 5, 1946 (1946-04-05) | July 29, 1946 (1946-07-29) | US Hillbilly 1946 #6, USHB #1 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks |
| 7 | Zeke Manners and His Band | "Sioux City Sue" | RCA Victor 20-1797 | January 1946 (1946-01) | February 1946 (1946-02) | US Hillbilly 1946 #7, USHB #2 for 9 weeks, 25 total weeks |
| 8 | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | "Roly Poly" | Columbia 36966 | January 24, 1945 (1945-01-24) | March 12, 1946 (1946-03-12) | US Hillbilly 1946 #8, USHB #3 for 8 weeks, 24 total weeks |
| 9 | Elton Britt | "Someday" | Bluebird 33-0521 | November 22, 1944 (1944-11-22) | January 29, 1945 (1945-01-29) | US Hillbilly 1946 #9, USHB #2 for 5 weeks, 30 total weeks |
| 10 | Hoosier Hot Shots and Two Ton Baker | "Sioux City Sue" | Decca 18745 | November 13, 1945 (1945-11-13) | January 1946 (1946-01) | US BB 1946 #178, US #26, US Hillbilly 1946 #10, USHB #2 for 1 week, 22 total weeks |
| 11 | Ernest Tubb | "Filipino Baby" | Decca 46019 | September 17, 1946 (1946-09-17) | October 9, 1946 (1946-10-09) | US Hillbilly 1946 #11, USHB #2 for 4 weeks, 21 total weeks |
| 12 | Tex Ritter and His Texans | "You Will Have To Pay" | Capitol 223 | September 27, 1944 (1944-09-27) | November 24, 1945 (1945-11-24) | US Hillbilly 1946 #12, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks |
| 13 | Merle Travis | "Cincinnati Lou" | Capitol 258 | March 18, 1946 (1946-03-18) | May 12, 1946 (1946-05-12) | US BB 1946 #226, US #16, US Hillbilly 1946 #13, USHB #2 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks |
| 14 | Gene Autry | "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" | Columbia 37079 | October 1, 1945 (1945-10-01) | September 2, 1946 (1946-09-02) | US Hillbilly 1946 #14, USHB #5 for 1 week, 14 total weeks |
| 15 | Spade Cooley and His Western Band | "Detour" | Columbia 36935 | January 3, 1946 (1946-01-03) | February 18, 1946 (1946-02-18) | US Hillbilly 1946 #15, USHB #2 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks |
| 16 | Tex Ritter | "When You Leave Don't Slam The Door" | Capitol 296 | July 31, 1946 (1946-07-31) | September 2, 1946 (1946-09-02) | US Hillbilly 1946 #16, USHB #3 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks |
| 17 | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | "Stay A Little Longer" | Columbia 37097 | January 24, 1946 (1946-01-24) | October 14, 1946 (1946-10-14) | US Hillbilly 1946 #17, USHB #2 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks |
| 18 | The Hoosier Hot Shots and Two Ton Baker | "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)" | Decca 18738 | November 13, 1945 (1945-11-13) | December 1945 (1945-12) | US BB 1946 #238, US #16, US Hillbilly 1946 #18, USHB #3 for 4 weeks, 21 total weeks |
| 19 | Merle Travis | "No Vacancy" | Capitol 258 | March 18, 1946 (1946-03-18) | May 12, 1946 (1946-05-12) | US BB 1946 #226, US #16, US Hillbilly 1946 #19, USHB #3 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks |
| 20 | Spade Cooley and His Western Band | "You Can't Break My Heart" | Columbia 36935 | July 24, 1945 (1945-07-24) | February 18, 1946 (1946-02-18) | US Hillbilly 1946 #20, USHB #3 for 1 weeks, 22 total weeks |

## Births

* January 11 — Naomi Judd, mother half of The Judds (died 2022).
* January 19 — Dolly Parton, major multi-faceted country star since the 1960s.
* March 20 — Ranger Doug, "The Idol of American Youth", member of Riders in the Sky.
* July 15 — Linda Ronstadt, singer-songwriter with strong influences in both country and rock music.
* August 11 — John Conlee, former mortician and disc jockey who became one of the most consistent performers of the late 1970s and 1980s.
* October 2 — Jo-El Sonnier, Singer-songwriter and accordionist who perform country music and Cajun music.
* November 2 — Howard Bellamy, of The Bellamy Brothers.
* November 5 — Gram Parsons, influential country rock and alt-country singer-songwriter-guitarist who was a member of such bands as The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as a solo act (died 1973).
* December 11 — Tony Brown, record producer.
* December 25 — Jimmy Buffett, singer best known for his "island escapism"-styled music (died 2023).

## Deaths

* July 13 – Riley Puckett, 52, vocalist with the Skillet Lickers (blood poisoning).