Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1971, 10 different albums topped the chart, which was at the time published under the title Top Country LP's, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, Ray Price reached number one with his album, For the Good Times, displacing the final chart-topper of 1970, The Johnny Cash Show by Johnny Cash. Price's album held the top spot for six weeks before losing it to Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson, which remained at number one for 12 consecutive weeks, the year's longest unbroken run atop the chart. It also marked a record for the longest uninterrupted run at number one on the country albums chart by a female vocalist which would stand until 1989, when Reba McEntire topped the listing for thirteen consecutive weeks with Sweet Sixteen. The album would have two further single-week runs in the top spot for a final total of 14 weeks at number one. Anderson would return to the top of the chart in August with You're My Man, which spent seven weeks at number one, and her total of 21 weeks in the top spot in 1971 was the most by any artist. Although she remained a regular on the country charts for the remainder of the decade and into the 1980s, she did not achieve any further chart-topping albums.
In addition to Anderson, Ray Price and Charley Pride each achieved two number ones during the year. Price's I Won't Mention It Again received the award for Album of the Year from the Country Music Association but would prove to be the final number one for the singer, who had achieved much of his success prior to Billboard first publishing a country albums chart in 1964, although he would remain active in the music industry into his 80s. The final chart-topping album of 1971 was Easy Loving by Freddie Hart, which spent the last nine weeks of the year atop the chart. It was the first chart-topping album for Hart, who had signed his first recording contract in 1953 and entered the country singles chart for the first time in 1959, but had achieved no significant success until the song "Easy Loving" went to number one in September 1971. He achieved a run of consistent success until 1975, when his chart placings fell away once again.
Chart history
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 2 | For the Good Times | Ray Price | |
January 9 | |||
January 16 | |||
January 23 | |||
January 30 | |||
February 6 | |||
February 13 | Rose Garden | Lynn Anderson | |
February 20 | |||
February 27 | |||
March 6 | |||
March 13 | |||
March 20 | |||
March 27 | |||
April 3 | |||
April 10 | |||
April 17 | |||
April 24 | |||
May 1 | |||
May 8 | Help Me Make It Through the Night | Sammi Smith | |
May 15 | Rose Garden | Lynn Anderson | |
May 22 | Hag | Merle Haggard and the Strangers | |
May 29 | |||
June 5 | Rose Garden | Lynn Anderson | |
June 12 | Hag | Merle Haggard and the Strangers | |
June 19 | |||
June 26 | Did You Think to Pray | Charley Pride | |
July 3 | I Won't Mention It Again | Ray Price | |
July 10 | |||
July 17 | |||
July 24 | Man in Black | Johnny Cash | |
July 31 | |||
August 7 | I Won't Mention It Again | Ray Price | |
August 14 | I'm Just Me | Charley Pride | |
August 21 | |||
August 28 | You're My Man | Lynn Anderson | |
September 4 | |||
September 11 | |||
September 18 | |||
September 25 | |||
October 2 | |||
October 9 | |||
October 16 | I'm Just Me | Charley Pride | |
October 23 | I Won't Mention It Again | Ray Price | |
October 30 | Easy Loving | Freddie Hart | |
November 6 | |||
November 13 | |||
November 20 | |||
November 27 | |||
December 4 | |||
December 11 | |||
December 18 | |||
December 25 |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 2, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 336. ISBN 9780898201734.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 22. ISBN 9780898201734.
- Huey, Steve. "Lynn Anderson Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- Cooper, Dan. "Ray Price Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 199. ISBN 9780898201734.
- Adams, Greg. "Freddie Hart Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- "Freddie Hart Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- "Country Albums chart for January 9, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 16, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 23, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 30, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 6, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 13, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 20, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 27, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 6, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 13, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 20, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 27, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 3, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 10, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 17, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 24, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 1, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 8, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 15, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 22, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 29, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 5, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 12, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 19, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 26, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 3, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 10, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 17, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 24, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 31, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 7, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 14, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 21, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 28, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 4, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 11, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 18, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 25, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 2, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 9, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 16, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 23, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 30, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 6, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 13, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 20, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 27, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 4, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 11, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 18, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 25, 1971". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
Billboard number-one country albums | |
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1964–1979 | |
1980–1999 | |
2000–2019 | |
2020–present |