1944 in country music

See also: 1943 in country music, 1944 in music, other events of 1944, 1945 in country music, 1940s in music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

• January 8 — Billboard magazine publishes its first "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" chart, the first widespread method of tracking the nationwide popularity of current country music songs. The first No. 1 song is "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters. The new chart is the predecessor to today's Hot Country Songs chart.
• February 26 - Less than two months after the chart's inception, jazz and rhythm & blues performer Louis Jordan becomes the first African-American performer to top the Most Played Juke Box Folk chart (with "Ration Blues"). It is a big year for African-American performers: Jordan has a second No. 1 hit later in the year with "Is You Is or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)," while the Nat King Cole-led trio reach the top with "Straighten Up and Fly Right." Jordan and Cole are the only black performers to have a No. 1 hit until 1969, when Charley Pride breaks the streak.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

• January 8 - "Pistol Packin' Mama" - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
• February 5 - "Pistol Packin' Mama" - Al Dexter
• February 26 - "Ration Blues" - Louis Jordan
• March 11 - "Rosalita" - Al Dexter
• March 18 - "They Took the Stars Out of Heaven" - Floyd Tillman
• March 25 - "So Long Pal" - Al Dexter
• April 1 - "Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry" - Al Dexter
• June 10 - "Straighten Up and Fly Right" - The King Cole Trio
• July 29 - "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)" - Louis Jordan
• September 2 - "Soldier's Last Letter" - Ernest Tubb
• September 23 - "Smoke on the Water" - Red Foley
• December 23 - "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You" - Tex Ritter

Other major hits

No Letter Today Ted Daffan Born To Lose Ted Daffan New San Antonio Rose Bob Wills Try Me One More Time Ernest Tubb I'm Thinking Tonigfht Of My Blue Eyes Gene Autry The Prodigal Son Roy Acuff I Hang My Head And Cry Gene Autry If It's Wrong To Love You Charley Mitchell I'm Sending You Red Roses Jimmy Wakely Yesterday's Tears Ernest Tubb Look Who's Talkin' Ted Daffan\ She Broke My Heart In Three Pieces Hoosier Hot Shots Texas Blues Foy Willing Is It Too Late Now? Jimmie Davis We Might As Well Forget It Bob Wills You're From Texas Bob Wills There's A Chill On The Hill Jimmie Davis There's A Blue Star Shining Bright Red Foley When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Cindy Walker I'll Forgive You But I Can't Forget Roy Acuff There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder Tex Ritter Write Me Sweetheart Roy Acuff G.I. Blues Floyd Tillman—

Further reading

• Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947-1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
• Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
• Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.