These are lists of Billboard magazine's "Top Country & Western Records" and "Top Country & Western Artists" for 1950, ranked by retail sales and juke box plays.
Hank Snow 's "I'm Movin' On " was 1950's No. 1 country hit based on retail sales and ranked No. 4 based on juke box plays.[ 1] Red Foley 's "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy " ranked No. 1 based on juke box plays and No. 2 based on retail sales. The year's other top hits included: Moon Mullican 's "I'll Sail My Ship Alone " (No. 2 juke box, No. 3 retail); Hank Williams ' "Why Don't You Love Me? " (No. 3 juke box, No. 4 retail); and Williams' "Long Gone Lonesome Blues " (No. 5 juke box, No. 5 retail).[ 1]
The artists with the most songs in the 1950 year-end charts were Red Foley with eight songs, Eddy Arnold with seven, Ernest Tubb with five, Hank Williams with four, and the duet pairing of Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely with four.[ 1] Billboard also ranked the year's top artists as follows: (1) Red Foley, (2) Ernest Tubb, (3) Hank Williams, (4) Eddy Arnold, and (5) Hank Snow (retail)/Moon Mullican (juke box).[ 2]
The Decca Records label released 11 of the songs included on the year-end lists, followed by RCA Victor with nine, and Capitol with six.[ 1]
Top records
Retail year-end[ 1]
Juke box year-end[ 1]
Peak[ note 1] [ 3]
Title
Artist(s)
Songwriter
Label
1
4
1
"I'm Movin' On "
Hank Snow
Hank Snow
RCA Victor
2
1
1
"Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy "
Red Foley
Harry Stone, Jack Stapp
Decca
3
2
1
"I'll Sail My Ship Alone "
Moon Mullican
Mullican, Bernard, Mann, Thurston
King
4
3
1
"Why Don't You Love Me? "
Hank Williams
Hank Williams
M-G-M
5
5
1
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues "
Hank Williams
Hank Williams
M-G-M
6
10
1
"Goodnight, Irene "
Red Foley , Ernest Tubb
Lead Belly
Decca
7
13
2
"Cuddle Buggin' Baby "
Eddy Arnold
Red Rowe
RCA Victor
8
24
2
"(Remember Me) I'm the One Who Loves You "
Stuart Hamblen
Stuart Hamblen
Columbia
9
6
1
"Birmingham Bounce "
Red Foley
Hardrock Gunter
Decca
10
17
2
"Lovebug Itch "
Eddy Arnold
Carson , Roy Blotkin
RCA Victor
11
9
1
"M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I "
Red Foley
Hanlon, Ryan , Tierney
Decca
12
12
3
"Throw Your Love My Way "
Ernest Tubb
Tubb, Loys Southerland
Decca
13
8
2
"I Love You Because "
Ernest Tubb
Leon Payne
Decca
14
26
2
"Cincinnati Dancing Pig "
Red Foley
Wood , Lewis
Decca
15
21
"I'll Never Be Free "
Tennessee Ernie Ford , Kay Starr
Benjamin , Weiss
Capitol
16
28
2
"Let's Go to Church (Next Sunday Morning) "
Margaret Whiting , Jimmy Wakely
Steve Allen
Capitol
17
23
6
"Enclosed One Broken Heart "
Eddy Arnold
Red Rowe
RCA Victor
18
NR
3
"Little Angel With the Dirty Face "
Eddy Arnold
Dale Parker
RCA Victor
19
16
3
"Why Should I Cry Over You? "
Eddy Arnold
Zeke Clements
RCA Victor
20
19
1
"Slipping Around "
Margaret Whiting, Jimmy Wakely
Floyd Tillman
Capitol
21
NR
"I Love You Because "
Leon Payne
Leon Payne
Capitol
22
NR
2
"Broken Down Merry-Go-Round "
Margaret Whiting, Jimmy Wakely
Fred Stryker, Arthur Herbert
Capitol
23
20
2
"Letters Have No Arms "
Ernest Tubb
Tubb, Arbie Gibson
Decca
24
NR
"Hillbilly Fever "
Little Jimmy Dickens
Vaughn Horton
Columbia
25
NR
"Just a Closer Walk With Thee "
Red Foley
Traditional
Decca
26
14
2
"Tennessee Border #2
Red Foley, Ernest Tubb
Jimmy Work
Decca
27
NR
"If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time "
Lefty Frizzell
Lefty Frizzell, Jim Beck
Columbia
28
27
4
"Mona Lisa "
Moon Mullican
Ray Evans , Jay Livingston
King
29
NR
"Bonaparte's Retreat "
Pee Wee King
Pee Wee King
RCA Victor
30
NR
1
"Moanin' the Blues "
Hank Williams
Hank Williams
M-G-M
NR
7
1
"Take Me in Your Arms "
Eddy Arnold
Cindy Walker
RCA Victor
NR
11
"Rag Mop "
Johnnie Lee Wills
Willis, Anderson
Bullett
NR
15
9
"Sugarfoot Rag "
Red Foley
Hank Garland , Vaughn Horton
Decca
NR
18
"Bloodshot Eyes "
Hank Penny
Hank Penny, Ruth Hall
King
NR
22
"Blues Stay Away From Me "
Delmore Brothers
Delmore, Raney, Delmore, Glover
King
NR
25
2
"My Bucket's Got a Hole in It "
Hank Williams
Clarence Williams
M-G-M
NR
29
3
"The Gods Were Angry With Me "
Margaret Whiting, Jimmy Wakely
Foreman Bill, Roma
Capitol
NR
30
6
"Mama and Daddy Broke My Heart "
Eddy Arnold
Spade Cooley
RCA Victor
See also
Notes
^ This column recites the record's peak position on Billboard's weekly charts.
References
1946โ1949 1950โ1959 1960โ1969