Acrobat already has on catalogue collections which present “America’s No. 1s of the ‘50s” (ACFCD7501), “Americas No. 1s of the 40s” (ACSCD6005), “America’s R&B No. 1s of the ‘50s” (ACSCD6003), “America’s R&B No. 1s Of The 40s” (ACQCD7168), and “Country No. 1s of the 50s” (ACTRCD9034), and this release completes that set with presenting the “Country No. 1s of the ‘40s”. Billboard published its first country chart in January 1944 under the name “Most Played Juke Box Folk Records”, becoming the “Most Played Juke Box Hillbilly Records” chart in 1947, and adding a Best Sellers chart the same year. In 1948 “Country & Western” replaced Hillbilly in the nomenclature, with a “Country & Western Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys” chart added in 1949. This 69-track 3-CD comprises records which made No. 1 in any of those three charts from the first chart in 1944 through to the end of 1950, apart from a couple which were unavailable for copyright reasons – it’s always a moot point as to whether a year like 1950 is the last year of one decade or the first year of the next one. In this case, because so many records spent long periods at No. 1 during these years, there were rather fewer chart-toppers than one might expect, so we were able to include the 1950 No. 1s within the 3-CD set format. As noted, the chart was often dominated by certain records, and Eddy Arnold in particular had an extraordinary run of success, spending many weeks at the top with several of his records, while one of two western swing artists like Bob Wills, Al Dexter and Tex Williams also having some long chart runs, with other big names of the era – Red Foley, Ernest Tubb and the emerging forces of Hank Snow and Hank Williams also featuring. It includes a 10,000-word booklet with notes on every record, and full chart information, and is a fascinating journey through an era when the commercial country scene developed its character as Nashville emerged as a major force. 1-1 Pistol Packin Mama 1-2 Pistol Packin Mama 1-3 Ration Blues 1-4 Rosalita 1-5 They Took The Stars Out Of Heaven 1-6 So Long Pal 1-7 Too Late To Worry 1-8 Straighten Up And Fly Right 1-9 Is You Is Or Is You Aint My Baby 1-10 Soldiers Last Letter 1-11 Smoke On The Water 1-12 Im Wastin My Tears On You 1-13 Im Losing My Mind Over You 1-14 Theres A New Moon Over My Shoulder 1-15 Shame On You 1-16 Smoke On The Water 1-17 At Mail Call Today 1-18 Stars And Stripes On Iwo Jima 1-19 Oklahoma Hills 1-20 You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often 1-21 With Tears In My Eyes 1-22 Shame On You 1-23 Sioux City Sue 2-1 Its Been So Long Darling 2-2 Silver Dew On The Blue Grass Tonight 2-3 White Cross On Okinawa 2-4 You Will Have To Pay 2-5 Guitar Polka 2-6 New Spanish Two Step 2-7 Wine Women And Song 2-8 Divorce Me C.O.D. 2-9 Rainbow At Midnight 2-10 So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed 2-11 New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde) 2-12 What Is Life Without Love 2-13 Sugar Moon 2-14 Its A Sin 2-15 Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) 2-16 Ill Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms) 2-17 Anytime 2-18 Texarkana Baby 2-19 Bouquet Of Roses 2-20 Just A Little Lovin (Will Go A Long Way) 2-21 One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart) 2-22 A Heart Full Of Love (For A Handful Of Kisses) 2-23 I Love You So Much It Hurts 3-1 Tennessee Saturday Night 3-2 Dont Rob Another Man’s Castle 3-3 Candy Kisses 3-4 Lovesick Blues 3-5 One Kiss Too Many 3-6 Im Throwing Rice (At The Girl That I Love) 3-7 Why Dont You Haul Off And Love Me 3-8 Slipping Around 3-9 Slipping Around 3-10 Mule Train 3-11 Blue Christmas 3-12 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 3-13 I Love You Because 3-14 Take Me In Your Arms And Hold Me 3-15 Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy 3-16 Long Gone Lonesome Blues 3-17 Birmingham Bounce 3-18 Why Dont You Love Me 3-19 M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I 3-20 Goodnight Irene 3-21 Im Movin On 3-22 If Youve Got The Money, Ive Got The Time 3-23 Moanin The Blues
