1944 in country music

"See also:"
1943 in country music,
1944 in music,
other events of 1944,
1945 in country 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

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

Top new album releases

Births

Deaths

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.