1946 in country music

none October 2025 This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1946. 1946 1946 country music Top hits of the year Number one hits (As certified by Billboard magazine) USSingleArtistJanuary 5"You Will Have To Pay"Tex RitterJanuary 5"White Cross on Okinawa"Bob Wills and His Texas PlayboysFebruary 2"Guitar Polka"Al DexterMay 18"New Spanish Two Step"Bob Wills and His Texas PlayboysSept 14"Wine, Women and Song"Al DexterOctober 12"Divorce Me C.O.D."Merle Travis Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings 1946 Billboard Most-Played Folk Records of 1946 is a year-end list compiled by The Billboard, printed in the January 4, 1947, issue. It includes rankings for the calendar year only, handicapping records at the beginning and end of the year such as "The Old Lamp-Lighter", which lost more than half of its points. For all year-end charts on these pages, records that enter the chart in December of the previous year, or remain on the chart after December of the current year, receive points for their full chart runs. Each week, a score of 15 points is assigned for the no. 1 record, 9 points for no. 2, 8 points for no. 3, and so on, and the total of all weeks determined the final rank. Additional information can also be found at List of Most Played Juke Box Folk Records number ones of 1946. Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart Positions 1 Al Dexter and His Troopers "Guitar Polka"COLUMBIA 78rpm numerical listing discography: 36500 - 37000 https://www.78discography.com/COL36500.htm 2022-05-03 www.78discography.com Columbia 36898 1942 3 21 1946 1 US BB 1946 #158, US #12, US Hillbilly 1946 #1, USHB #1 for 16 weeks, 32 total weeks 2 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "New Spanish Two Step" Columbia 36966 1946 5 4 1946 5 18 US BB 1946 #188, US #14, US Hillbilly 1946 #2, USHB #1 for 16 weeks, 26 total weeks 3 Merle Travis "Divorce Me C.O.D."Capitol 100 - 499, 78rpm numerical listing discography https://www.78discography.com/Capitol100.htm 2022-04-14 www.78discography.com Capitol 290 1946 7 9 1946 9 6 US BB 1946 #161, US #12, US Hillbilly 1946 #3, USHB #1 for 14 weeks, 26 total weeks 4 Ernest Tubb "Rainbow at Midnight"Decca matrix 73680. Rainbow at midnight / The Texas Troubadours; Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000301897/73680-Rainbow_at_midnight 2022-06-04 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 46018 1946 9 17 1946 10 US Hillbilly 1946 #4, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks 5 Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys "That's How Much I Love You"RCA Victor 78rpm numerical listing discography: 20-1500 - 20-2000 https://www.78discography.com/RCA201500.htm 2022-05-03 www.78discography.com RCA Victor 20-1948 1946 3 20 1946 9 US Hillbilly 1946 #5, USHB #2 for 4 weeks, 29 total weeks 6 Al Dexter and His Troopers "Wine Women and Song"COLUMBIA (USA) 37000-37500 78rpm numerical listing discography https://www.78discography.com/COL37000.htm 2022-08-09 www.78discography.com Columbia 37062 1946 4 5 1946 7 29 US Hillbilly 1946 #6, USHB #1 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks 7 Zeke Manners and His Band "Sioux City Sue" RCA Victor 20-1797 1946 1 1946 2 US Hillbilly 1946 #7, USHB #2 for 9 weeks, 25 total weeks 8 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "Roly Poly" Columbia 36966 1945 1 24 1946 3 12 US Hillbilly 1946 #8, USHB #3 for 8 weeks, 24 total weeks 9 Elton Britt "Someday"Victor matrix D4AB-0437. Someday / Elton Britt; Skytoppers - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/300001764/D4AB-0437-Someday 2022-06-04 adp.library.ucsb.edu Bluebird 33-0521 1944 11 22 1945 1 29 US Hillbilly 1946 #9, USHB #2 for 5 weeks, 30 total weeks 10 Hoosier Hot Shots and Two Ton Baker "Sioux City Sue"Decca matrix 73120. Sioux City Sue / Hoosier Hot Shots - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000301337/73120-Sioux_City_Sue 2022-06-04 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 18745 1945 11 13 1946 1 US BB 1946 #178, US #26, US Hillbilly 1946 #10, USHB #2 for 1 week, 22 total weeks 11 Ernest Tubb "Filipino Baby"Decca matrix 73678. Filipino baby / The Texas Troubadours; Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000301895/73678-Filipino_baby 2022-06-04 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 46019 1946 9 17 1946 10 9 US Hillbilly 1946 #11, USHB #2 for 4 weeks, 21 total weeks 12 Tex Ritter and His Texans "You Will Have To Pay" Capitol 223 1944 9 27 1945 11 24 US Hillbilly 1946 #12, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks 13 Merle Travis "Cincinnati Lou" Capitol 258 1946 3 18 1946 5 12 US BB 1946 #226, US #16, US Hillbilly 1946 #13, USHB #2 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks 14 Gene Autry "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" Columbia 37079 1945 10 1 1946 9 2 US Hillbilly 1946 #14, USHB #5 for 1 week, 14 total weeks 15 Spade Cooley and His Western Band "Detour" Columbia 36935 1946 1 3 1946 2 18 US Hillbilly 1946 #15, USHB #2 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks 16 Tex Ritter "When You Leave Don't Slam The Door" Capitol 296 1946 7 31 1946 9 2 US Hillbilly 1946 #16, USHB #3 for 1 weeks, 18 total weeks 17 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "Stay A Little Longer" Columbia 37097 1946 1 24 1946 10 14 US Hillbilly 1946 #17, USHB #2 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks 18 The Hoosier Hot Shots and Two Ton Baker "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"Decca matrix 73121. Someday (you'll want me to want you) / Sally Foster - Discography of American Historical Recordings https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000301338/73121-Someday_youll_want_me_to_want_you 2022-06-04 adp.library.ucsb.edu Decca 18738 1945 11 13 1945 12 US BB 1946 #238, US #16, US Hillbilly 1946 #18, USHB #3 for 4 weeks, 21 total weeks 19 Merle Travis "No Vacancy" Capitol 258 1946 3 18 1946 5 12 US BB 1946 #226, US #16, US Hillbilly 1946 #19, USHB #3 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks 20 Spade Cooley and His Western Band "You Can't Break My Heart" Columbia 36935 1945 7 24 1946 2 18 US Hillbilly 1946 #20, USHB #3 for 1 weeks, 22 total weeks Births January 11 – Naomi Judd, mother half of The Judds (died 2022). January 19 – Dolly Parton, country singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist, major star from the 1960s onwards (died 2026). March 20 – Ranger Doug, "The Idol of American Youth", member of Riders in the Sky. July 15 – Linda Ronstadt, singer-songwriter with strong influences in both country and rock music. August 11 – John Conlee, former mortician and disc jockey who became one of the most consistent performers of the late 1970s and 1980s. October 2 – Jo-El Sonnier, singer-songwriter and accordionist who perform country music and Cajun music. November 2 – Howard Bellamy, of The Bellamy Brothers. November 5 – Gram Parsons, influential country rock and alt-country singer-songwriter-guitarist who was a member of such bands as The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as a solo act (died 1973). December 11 – Tony Brown, record producer. December 25 – Jimmy Buffett, singer best known for his "island escapism"-styled music (died 2023). Deaths July 13 – Riley Puckett, 52, vocalist with the Skillet Lickers (blood poisoning). 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. "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005. References Country Category:Country music by year