Top Country Song From Each Year of the '70s

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Top country song from each year of the '70s

Since its birth in the 1920s, country music has undergone major changes. The '60s and '70s saw the meteoric rise of some of the genre's most iconic stars, like Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, and Willie Nelson, many of whom would continue to make enduring hits throughout the following decades.

Recently, country music has surged in popularity once more, beating out hip-hop and R&B to become the second-most-listened-to music on today's charts. But fans wouldn't have 2025 tracks like Morgan Wallen's "What I Want" or Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" without the decades of songs that preceded them. For those who could use a little back then, right now, Stacker set out to find the top country songs of each year of the 1970s.

Using Billboard's Hot Country Songs charts, we identified the most popular song of each year by selecting those that held the top spot the longest. They were all included if more than one song fit the bill in a year. The charts take streaming and digital downloads into account as well. So fire up that mental time machine, and get ready to explore the top country songs every year from 1970 to 1979.

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1 / 10

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1970 (tie): 'Baby Baby (I Know You're a Lady)' by David Houston, 'It's Just a Matter of Time' by Sonny James, 'Hello Darlin'' by Conway Twitty, 'Don't Keep Me Hangin' On' by Sonny James

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 4

The crown kept changing hands in 1970 with four love songs from three artists all sitting on top for four weeks each. Sonny James took full honors as a country artist in 1970, with four songs climbing to the peak of the charts for a total of 14 weeks.

2 / 10

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1971: 'When You're Hot, You're Hot' by Jerry Reed

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 5

This country-fried rock song tells the story of a man on a gambling hot streak, and the legal consequences that follow. The phrase "When you're hot, you're hot" entered the public lexicon, and actor/comedian Flip Wilson turned it into a catchphrase for his beloved character Geraldine Jones.

3 / 10

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1972: 'My Hang-Up Is You' by Freddie Hart

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 6

Freddie Hart had a big year in 1972. "My Hang-Up Is You" spent six weeks on top, but "Bless Your Heart," and "Got the All Overs for You (All Over Me)," also made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles list for a combined 11 weeks.

4 / 10

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1973 (tie): 'You've Never Been This Far Before' by Conway Twitty, 'The Most Beautiful Girl' by Charlie Rich

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 3

While it was standard in the '40s, '50s, and '60s to see songs stay in the #1 spot for weeks at a time, the '70s gave way to shorter durations. In 1973, the two leaders for the year spent only three weeks each at #1. Conway Twitty and Charlie Rich share the honor for the year, and both had other hits that grabbed the top spot for two weeks each.

5 / 10

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1974: 'A Very Special Love Song' by Charlie Rich

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 3

Charlie Rich carried his momentum into 1974, with five singles landing in first place. "A Very Special Love Song" also reached the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart summit, and won the Grammy for Best Country Song.

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6 / 10

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1975 (tie): 'Before the Next Teardrop Falls' by Freddy Fender, 'Rhinestone Cowboy' by Glen Campbell, 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' by Willie Nelson, 'Always Wanting You' by Merle Haggard, 'Touch the Hand' by Conway Twitty, and three more

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 2

For the first time in Hot Country list history, the threshold for top song was just two weeks at #1. Eight songs carried the banner for two weeks, including Willie Nelson's first major hit, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," and Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Five songs in 1975 were both #1 on the Hot Country chart and on the cross-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.

7 / 10

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1976: 'Convoy' by C. W. McCall

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 4

"Convoy" took the chart lead in December 1975 and carried over into 1976, giving "Convoy" a total of six consecutive weeks in first place. It also enjoyed crossover success at the peak position on the Hot 100 chart. The story of a fictional trucker rebellion, complete with CB radio jargon, also earned its spot on Rolling Stone's list of the best country songs of all time.

8 / 10

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1977: 'Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)' by Waylon Jennings

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 6

Waylon Jennings spun this musical yarn about a wealthy city couple who yearn for a simpler life in Luckenbach, Texas. Willie Nelson lent guest vocals to the track, and it was even covered by The Chipmunks in the early '80s.

9 / 10

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1978: 'Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys' by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 4

Waylon and Willie teamed up again in 1978 for an album of duets called "Waylon & Willie," which featured the song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." An example of the emerging "outlaw country" sub-genre, "Mammas" was originally recorded two years earlier by Ed Bruce on a version that peaked at #15 on the Hot Country charts. It was also covered by The Chipmunks.

10 / 10

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1979 (tie): 'Every Which Way but Loose' by Eddie Rabbitt, 'I Just Fall in Love Again" by Anne Murray, 'If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me' by The Bellamy Brothers, 'Amanda' by Waylon Jennings, and two more

- Number of weeks spent as #1: 3

Six songs held the crown for just three weeks each in 1979. Big names like Kenny Rogers, Conway Twitty, and Waylon Jennings made the list, along with up-and-comers (and future superstars) like The Bellamy Brothers and Anne Murray.

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