# 1949 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1949.

## Events

* December 10 — Billboard begins a "Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys" chart – the first chart ever to track a song's popularity by radio airplay. The first No. 1 song on the new chart is "Mule Train" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. With the new chart, there are three charts gauging a song's popularity, with the sales and jukebox charts also being used.

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

(As certified by Billboard magazine)
| US | Single | Artist |
| January 22 | "I Love You So Much It Hurts" | Jimmy Wakely |
| March 5 | "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle" | Eddy Arnold |
| March 19 | "Tennessee Saturday Night" | Red Foley and the Cumberland Valley Boys |
| April 2 | "Candy Kisses" | George Morgan |
| May 7 | "Lovesick Blues" | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys |
| June 18 | "One Kiss Too Many" | Eddy Arnold |
| July 30 | "I'm Throwing Rice (At the Girl That I Love)" | Eddy Arnold |
| September 10 | "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me" | Wayne Raney |
| September 24 | "Slipping Around" | Ernest Tubb |
| October 8 | "Slipping Around" | Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely |
| December 10 | "Mule Train" | Tennessee Ernie Ford |
    Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played Juke Box Folk (later Country & Western) Records," "Best Selling Retail Folk (later Country & Western) Records) and – starting December 10 – "Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys" charts.

## Top country records of 1949

The following songs appeared in The Billboard's 'Best-Selling Retail Folk Records' and 'Most-Played Juke Box Folk Records' charts during 1949. Each week fifteen points were awarded to the number one record, then nine points for number two, eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. Additional information was obtained from the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, 'Cashbox', and other sources as noted.
| Rank | Artist | Title | Label | Recorded | Released | Chart Positions |
| 1 | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys | "Lovesick Blues" | MGM 10352 | December 22, 1948 (1948-12-22) | February 11, 1949 (1949-02-11) | US Billboard 1949 #253, US #24 for 1 weeks, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #1, USHB #1 for 16 weeks, 42 total weeks, 725 points, CashBox #3, Grammy Hall of Fame 2011, 1,000,000 sales |
| 2 | Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely | "Slippin' Around" | Capitol 40224 | September 5, 1949 (1949-09-05) | September 10, 1949 (1949-09-10) | US Billboard 1949 #10, US #1 for 3 weeks, 23 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #2, USHB #1 for 16 weeks, 32 total weeks, 633 points |
| 3 | Eddy Arnold, The Tennessee Plowboy and His Guitar | "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle" | RCA Victor 21-0002 | December 21, 1948 (1948-12-21) | January 21, 1949 (1949-01-21) | US Billboard 1949 #234, US #23 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #3, USHB #1 for 12 weeks, 31 total weeks, 454 points |
| 4 | Jimmy Wakely | "I Love You So Much It Hurts" | Capitol 15243 | August 3, 1949 (1949-08-03) | October 8, 1949 (1949-10-08) | US Billboard 1948 #170, US #21 for 1 week, 8 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #4, USHB #1 for 5 weeks, 26 total weeks, 402 points |
| 5 | Red Foley and The Cumberland Valley Boys | "Tennessee Saturday Night" | Decca 46136 | August 12, 1947 (1947-08-12) | September 14, 1948 (1948-09-14) | US Hillbilly 1949 #5, USHB #1 for 1 weeks, 40 total weeks, 343 points |
| 6 | Wayne Raney | "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me" | King 791 | April 5, 1949 (1949-04-05) | June 1949 (1949-06) | US Billboard 1949 #218, US #22 for 1 week, 4 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #6, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 21 total weeks, 318 points |
| 7 | Eddy Arnold, The Tennessee Plowboy and His Guitar | "I'm Throwing Rice (At The Girl That I Love)" | RCA Victor 21-0083 | April 5, 1949 (1949-04-05) | June 10, 1949 (1949-06-10) | US Billboard 1949 #178, US #19 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #7, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 21 total weeks, 314 points |
| 8 | The Delmore Brothers | "Blues Stay Away From Me" | King 803 | May 6, 1949 (1949-05-06) | August 31, 1949 (1949-08-31) | US Hillbilly 1949 #8, USHB #1 for 1 weeks, 23 total weeks, CashBox #10, 296 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2007 |
| 9 | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys | "Wedding Bells" | MGM 10401 | March 20, 1949 (1949-03-20) | April 23, 1949 (1949-04-23) | US Hillbilly 1949 #9, USHB #2 for 2 weeks, 29 total weeks, 294 points |
| 10 | George Morgan | "Candy Kisses" | Columbia 20547 | January 16, 1949 (1949-01-16) | February 1949 (1949-02) | US Billboard 1949 #157, US #17 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #10, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 21 total weeks, 253 points |
| 11 | Eddy Arnold, The Tennessee Plowboy and His Guitar | "One Kiss Too Many" | RCA Victor 21-0051 | December 22, 1948 (1948-12-22) | April 22, 1949 (1949-04-22) | US Billboard 1949 #238, US #23 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #11, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 22 total weeks, 226 points |
| 12 | Ernest Tubb | "Slipping Around" | Decca 46173 | June 12, 1949 (1949-06-12) | September 24, 1949 (1949-09-24) | US Billboard 1949 #157, US #17 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #12, USHB #1 for 1 weeks, 20 total weeks, 210 points |
| 13 | Eddy Arnold, The Tennessee Plowboy and His Guitar | "The Echo of Your Footsteps" | RCA Victor 21-0051 | December 20, 1948 (1948-12-20) | April 22, 1949 (1949-04-22) | US Hillbilly 1949 #13, USHB #2 for 3 weeks, 19 total weeks, 176 points |
| 14 | Tennessee Ernie | "Mule Train" | Capitol 40258 | October 18, 1949 (1949-10-18) | November 28, 1949 (1949-11-28) | US Billboard 1949 #84, US #9 for 1 week, 9 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #14, USHB #1 for 4 weeks, 10 total weeks, 160 points |
| 15 | Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely | "I'll Never Slip Around Again" | Capitol 40246 | September 5, 1949 (1949-09-05) | October 10, 1949 (1949-10-10) | US Billboard 1949 #69, US #8 for 3 weeks, 10 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #16, USHB #2 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks, 145 points |
| 16 | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys | "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" | MGM 10560 | December 22, 1948 (1948-12-22) | February 11, 1949 (1949-02-11) | US Billboard 1949 #, US #1 for 8 weeks, 24 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #17, USHB #2 for 1 weeks, 12 total weeks, 125 points |
| 17 | Red Foley | "Tennessee Border" | Decca 46151 | January 25, 1949 (1949-01-25) | February 13, 1949 (1949-02-13) | US Hillbilly 1949 #18, USHB #3 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, 124 points |
| 18 | Andrews Sisters and Ernest Tubb | "I'm Bitin' My Fingernails and Thinking of You" | Decca 24592 | February 15, 1949 (1949-02-15) | March 10, 1949 (1949-03-10) | US Billboard 1949 #304, US #29 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #19, USHB #2 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, 112 points |
| 19 | Tennessee Ernie | "Anticipation Blues" | Capitol 40258 | October 16, 1949 (1949-10-16) | November 28, 1949 (1949-11-28) | US Hillbilly 1949 #20, USHB #3 for 3 weeks, 11 total weeks, 101 points |
| 20 | George Morgan | "Please Don't Let Me Love You" | Columbia 20547 | January 16, 1949 (1949-01-16) | February 1949 (1949-02) | US Hillbilly 1949 #21, USHB #4 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 87 points |
| 21 | Red Foley | "Tennessee Polka" | Decca 46170 | April 28, 1949 (1949-04-28) | June 1949 (1949-06) | US Hillbilly 1949 #22, USHB #4 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks, 76 points |
| 22 | Ernest Tubb | "Blue Christmas" | Decca 46186 | August 26, 1949 (1949-08-26) | October 26, 1949 (1949-10-26) | US Billboard 1949 #263, US #27 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #23, USHB #1 for 1 weeks, 6 total weeks, 65 points |
| 23 | Eddy Arnold, The Tennessee Plowboy and His Guitar | "There's Not A Thing (I Wouldn't Do For You)" | RCA Victor 21-0002 | August 20, 1947 (1947-08-20) | January 21, 1949 (1949-01-21) | US Hillbilly 1949 #24, USHB #3 for 1 week, 10 total weeks, 57 points |
| 24 | Kenny Roberts | "I Never See Maggie Alone" | Coral 64012 | May 3, 1949 (1949-05-03) | July 1949 (1949-07) | US Hillbilly 1949 #25, USHB #4 for 1 weeks, 11 total weeks, 56 points |
| 25 | Gene Autry and the Pinafores | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | Columbia 38610 | June 27, 1949 (1949-06-27) | September 1, 1949 (1949-09-01) | US Billboard 1949 #17, US #1 for 1 weeks, 13 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #26, USHB #1 for 4 weeks, 5 total weeks, 55 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1985, 7,000,000 sold by 1969 |
| 30 | Ernest Tubb | "Have You Ever Been Lonely? (Have You Ever Been Blue)" | Decca 46144 | December 11, 1948 (1948-12-11) | February 19, 1949 (1949-02-19) | US Hillbilly 1949 #30, USHB #2 for 1 weeks, 10 total weeks, 44 points |
| 31 | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys | "Mind Your Own Business" | MGM 10461 | March 1, 1949 (1949-03-01) | July 9, 1949 (1949-07-09) | US Hillbilly 1949 #31, USHB #5 for 1 weeks, 11 total weeks, 36 points |
| 40 | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys | "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)" | MGM 10506 | March 1, 1949 (1949-03-01) | September 9, 1949 (1949-09-09) | US Hillbilly 1949 #40, USHB #4 for 1 weeks, 9 total weeks, 24 points |
| 43 | Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra | "Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)" | RCA Victor 20-3411 | March 14, 1949 (1949-03-14) | May 14, 1949 (1949-05-14) | US Billboard 1949 #1, US #1 for 12 weeks, 22 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #43, USHB #2 for 1 weeks, 3 total weeks, 15 points, CashBox #1, 1,000,000 sales |
| 55 | Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys | "Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door)" | MGM 10352 | December 11, 1946 (1946-12-11) | July 9, 1949 (1949-07-09) | US Hillbilly 1949 #55, USHB #6 for 1 weeks, 2 total weeks, 8 points |
| 61 | Gene Autry | "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" | Columbia 20377 | August 28, 1947 (1947-08-28) | November 7, 1949 (1949-11-07) | US Billboard 1949 #248, US #24 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1949 #61, USHB #8 for 1 week, 3 total weeks, 3 points, 1,000,000 sales |

## Births

* January 6 — Joey Miskulin, also known as "Joey the Cowpolka King", member of Riders in the Sky.
* January 22 - J.P. Pennington, member of the 1980s group Exile.
* May 26 — Hank Williams, Jr., son of country music pioneer Hank Williams, who became a star in his own right, fusing elements of honky tonk and blues with rock.
* June 17 - Russell Smith, American singer-songwriter (Amazing Rhythm Aces, died 2019).
* August 23 — Woody Paul, "King of the Cowboy Fiddlers" member of Riders in the Sky.
* August 25 – Henry Paul, lead singer of the 1990s country group BlackHawk.
* August 27 — Jeff Cook, member of Alabama (died 2022).
* October 23 – Nick Tosches, American journalist, music critic and writer (Country), (died 2019).
* December 13 — Randy Owen, member of Alabama.

## Deaths

* December 11 — Fiddlin' John Carson, 81, one of country music's first popular recording artist on a nationwide basis.