1940 in country music

none This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1940. 1940 1940 country music Events 1940 marked first year that sales exceeded 1929 levels April 4 – Ernest Tubb makes his first recordings for Decca Records, a label where he will remain for more than 30 years. Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings 1940 The following songs achieved the highest positions in Billboard magazine's 'Best Sellers in Stores' chart, monthly 'Hillbilly Hits' chart, supplemented by 'Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954' and record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website,Whitburn Joel Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 Record Research 1986 and other sources as specified, during 1940. Numerical rankings are approximate. Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart Positions 1 Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes "You Are My Sunshine"Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography - 5000 series (main sequence) https://www.78discography.com/VOC5000.htm 2022-04-07 www.78discography.com Vocalion 05370 1940 1 17 1940 2 US Hillbilly 1940 #1, US Hillbilly #1 for 5 weeks, 37 total weeks 2 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "San Antonio Rose"Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999 https://www.78discography.com/VOC4500.htm 2022-04-09 www.78discography.com Vocalion 04755 1938 11 28 1939 4 US Hillbilly 1940 #2, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales 3 Gene Autry "Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye" Vocalion 05463 1940 3 12 1940 4 US Billboard 1940 #264, US #20 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #3, US Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 27 total weeks 4 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "New San Antonio Rose"Complete National Recording Registry Listing https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/complete-national-recording-registry-listing/ 2022-04-18 Library of Congress Okeh 05694 1940 4 16 1940 8 US Billboard 1941 #126, US #16 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1940 #4, Hillbilly #1 for 2 week, 29 total weeks 5 Jimmie Davis ""You Are My Sunshine"Decca matrix 67157. You are my sunshine / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000295270/67157-You_are_my_sunshine 2022-04-09 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 7004 1940 2 5 1940 3 24 US Hillbilly 1940 #5, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, Library of Congress artifact added 2012 6 Bob Skyles and His Skyrockets "Only in Dreams"Decca matrix 92062. Only in dreams / Bob Skyles Skyrockets - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000283413/92062-Only_in_dreams 2022-04-09 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5887 1940 4 9 1940 9 US Hillbilly 1940 #6, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks 7 Gene Autry "Were You Sincere"Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography 5500 - 5600 https://www.78discography.com/VOC5500.htm 2022-04-07 www.78discography.com Vocalion 05693 1937 10 15 1940 8 US Hillbilly 1940 #7, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks 8 Shelton Brothers "I'll Be Seein' You In Dallas, Alice"Decca matrix 92026. I'll be seein' you in Dallas / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000283377/92026-Ill_be_seein_you_in_Dallas 2022-04-07 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5844 1940 4 6 1940 5 29 US Hillbilly 1940 #8, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 13 total weeks 9 Cliff Bruner And His Boys "The Girl You Loved Long Ago"Decca matrix 66355. The girl that you loved long ago / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000294468/66355-The_girl_that_you_loved_long_ago 2022-04-09 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5827 1939 9 1 1939 12 US Hillbilly 1940 #9, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks 10 Cliff Bruner And His Boys "Sorry (I'll Say I'm Sorry)"Decca matrix 92053. Sorry (I'll say I'm sorry) / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000283404/92053-Sorry_Ill_say_Im_sorry 2022-04-07 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5860 1940 4 8 1940 6 20 US Hillbilly 1940 #10, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks 11 Jimmie Davis "I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart"Decca matrix 67159. I'd love to call you my sweetheart / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000295272/67159-Id_love_to_call_you_my_sweetheart 2022-04-07 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5803 1940 2 5 1940 2 US Hillbilly 1940 #11, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 15 total weeks 12 Roy Newman And His Boys "Take Me Back To My Home In The Mountains" Vocalion 5486 1938 12 1 1940 4 US Hillbilly 1940 #12, Hillbilly #1 for 3 week, 14 total weeks 13 Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys "Rock And Rye Polka"Decca matrix DLA 2084. Rock and rye polka / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000268507/DLA_2084-Rock_and_rye_polka 2022-08-27 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5875 1940 8 23 1940 9 US Hillbilly 1940 #13, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 14 total weeks 14 Gene Autry "I'm Beginning To Care" Vocalion 5257 1939 9 12 1940 1 2 US Hillbilly 1940 #14, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks 15 Texas Jim Lewis and His Lone Star Cowboys "Seven Beers With The Wrong Woman"Decca matrix DLA 2083. Seven beers with the wrong woman / Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000268506/DLA_2083-Seven_beers_with_the_wrong_woman 2022-08-27 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5874 1940 8 8 1940 9 US Hillbilly 1940 #15, Hillbilly #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks 16 Shelton Brothers "I’m a Handy Man to Have Around"Decca matrix 92036. I'm a handy man to have around / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000283387/92036-Im_a_handy_man_to_have_around 2022-04-07 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5833 1940 4 6 1940 5 US Hillbilly 1940 #16, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks 17 Hank Penny's Radio Cowboys "Cowboy Swing" Vocalion 5438 1938 11 9 1940 3 US Hillbilly 1940 #17, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks 18 Cliff Bruner And His Boys "Jessie"Decca matrix 66300. Jessie / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000294413/66300-Jessie 2022-08-27 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 5769 1939 8 26 1939 12 6 US Hillbilly 1940 #18, Hillbilly #2 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks 19 Ted Daffan's Texans "Worried Mind"OKeh (by CBS) numerical listing discography: 5600 - 5999 https://www.78discography.com/OK5600.htm 2022-04-07 www.78discography.com Okeh 5668 1940 4 25 1940 7 US Hillbilly 1940 #19, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 17 total weeks, sold over 350,000 copies Joseph Murrells 1978 The Book of Golden Discs 2nd Barrie and Jenkins Ltd London https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/30 30] 0-214-20512-6 registration https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/30 20 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "Time Changes Everything" Okeh 05753 1940 4 15 1940 8 US Hillbilly 1940 #20, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks Births January 8 – Cristy Lane, Christian singer who also enjoyed secular success as a country performer in the late 1970s and early 1980s. June 23 – Diana Trask, Australian-born singer who enjoyed American success in the early 1970s. August 5 – Bobby Braddock, prominent songwriter with more than 40 years of success; later, producer for Blake Shelton. August 10 – Jerry Kennedy, prominent producer from the 1960s through early 1990s. Deaths Deaths in 1940 Category:1940 deaths Further reading Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (0-8118-3572-3) Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (0-06-273244-7) Whitburn, Joel. "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954: The History of American Popular Music," Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1986 (0-89820-083-0). References Country Category:Country music by year