This release continues the series of 3-CD sets which comprises selected collections of the biggest US country hits of each year during the 1950s and early ‘60s, and this one looks at the earlier era of the decade in 1951.
It was an unusual year, in that many fewer records than normal made it into the charts, with some records spending multiple weeks (even months) in the chart and at No. 1, so despite the fact that this 78-track collection features most of the records that appeared in Billboard’s Best Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records, Most Played Juke Box Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disc Jockeys charts, the records all fit onto a 3-CD set. (The collection omits several records which are unavailable for copyright reasons).
There were plenty of established names from the 1940s still enjoying success, like Red Foley, Ernest Tubb, Eddy Arnold and Gene Autry, but new artists from the honky-tonk scene were making their impact around this time, with Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Carl Smith all having several hits.
Patti Page is the only solo female artist featured, although Mary Ford, Margaret Whiting and Anita Carter are there in duets, and as is often the case with these collections there are also one or two collectable obscurities.
It’s a fascinating and entertaining musical snapshot of the country scene as the music industry was embarking on a new decade, and with an in-depth 12,000+ word booklet with background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information, it gives a solid overview of the most popular country music of the year.
CD 1
1. I LOVE YOU A THOUSAND WAYS Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20739)
2. MOANIN' THE BLUES Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM K10832)
3. THE GOLDEN ROCKET Hank Snow (RCA-Victor 48-0400)
4. IF YIOU'VE GOT THE MONEY I'VE GOT THE TIME Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20793)
5. I'M MOVIN ON Hank Snow (RCA-Victor 48-0328)
6. RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER Gene Autry (Columbia 4-38610)
7. REMEMBER ME I'M THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU Stuart Hamblen (Columbia 4-20714)
8. THE LOVEBUG ITCH Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 48-0382)
9. FROSTY THE SNOWMAN Gene Autry (Columbia 4-38907)
10. THE SHOT GUN BOOGIE Tennessee Ernie (Capitol F1295)
11. THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN ME Kay Starr & Tennessee Ernie (Capitol F1124)
12. REMEMBER ME I'M THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU Ernest Tubb (Decca 9-46269)
13. THE TENNESSEE WALTZ Patti Page (Mercury 5534)
14. BLUE CHRISTMAS Ernest Tubb (Decca 9-46186)
15. IT'S NO SECRET Stuart Hamblen (Columbia 4-20724)
16. HOT ROD RACE Arkie Shibley (Gilt-Edge 5021)
17. THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN ME Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 48-0412)
18. MY HEART CRIES FOR YOU Jimmy Wakely (Capitol F1328)
19. POISON LOVE Johnnie and Jack and their Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA-Victor 48-0377)
20. HOT ROD RACE Tiny Hill (Mercury 5547)
21. HOT ROD RACE Ramblin' Jimmy Dolan (Capitol F1322)
22. HOT ROD RACE Red Foley (Decca 9-46286)
23. MY HEART CRIES FOR YOU Evelyn Knight & Red Foley (Decca 9-27378)
24. THE TENNESSEE WALTZ Pee Wee King (RCA-Victor 48-0407)
25. MOCKIN' BIRD HILL The Pinetoppers (Coral 64061)
26. MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS AND KEEP YOU Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 48-0425)
CD 2
1. TAILOR MADE WOMAN Tennessee Ernie & Joe 'Fingers' Carr (Capitol F1349)
2. THE RHUMBA BOOGIE Hank Snow (RCA-Victor 48-0431)
3. LOOK WHAT THOUGHTS WILL DO Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20772)
4. DEAR JOHN Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM K10904)
5. MOCKIN' BIRD HILL Les Paul & Mary Ford (Capitol F1373)
6. SHINE, SHAVE, SHOWER (IT'S SATURDAY) Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20772)
7. BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES Jimmy Wakely (Capitol F1383)
8. COLD COLD HEART Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM 10904)
9. I'LL SAIL MY SHIP ALONE Tiny Hill (Mercury 5508)
10. I WANT TO BE WITH YOU ALWAYS Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20799)
11. KENTUCKY WALTZ Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 48-0444)
12. SPARROW IN THE TREE TOP Rex Allen (Mercury 5597)
13. BLUEBIRD ISLAND Hank Snow & Anita Carter (RCA-Victor 48-0441)
14. HOBO BOOGIE Red Foley (Decca 9-46304)
15. DOWN THE TRAIL OF ACHIN' HEARTS Hank Snow & Anita Carter (RCA-Victor 48-0441)
16. THE STRANGE LITTLE GIRL Red Foley & Ernest Tubb (Decca 9-46311)
17. HOWLIN' AT THE MOON Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM 10961)
18. WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNG MAGGIE BLUES Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely (Capitol F1500)
19. ON TOP OF OLD SMOKEY The Weavers (Decca 9-27515)
20. LET'S LIVE A LITTLE Carl Smith (Columbia 4-20796)
21. DON'T STAY TOO LONG Ernest Tubb (Decca 9-46296)
22. OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE Gene Autry (Columbia 4-39405)
23. I CAN'T HELP IT (IF I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU) Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM 10961)
24. THE STRANGE LITTLE GIRL Tennessee Ernie (Capitol F1470)
25. MR. AND MISSISSIPPI Tennessee Ernie (Capitol F1521)
26. I WANNA PLAY HOUSE WITH YOU Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 48-0476)
CD 3
1. THERE'LL BE PEACE IN THE VALLEY FOR ME Red Foley (Decca 9-46319)
2. HEY GOOD LOOKIN' Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM K11000)
3. CRYIN' HEART BLUES Johnnie and Jack and their Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA-Victor 48-0478)
4. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 48-0476)
5. IF TEARDROPS WERE PENNIES Carl Smith (Columbia 4-20825)
6. SICK, SOBER AND SORRY Johnny Bond (Columbia 4-20868)
7. ALWAYS LATE (WITH YOUR KISSES) Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20837)
8. MR. MOON Carl Smith (Columbia 4-20825)
9. MOM AND DAD'S WALTZ Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 20837)
10. DOWN YONDER Del Wood (Tennessee 775)
11. HEY LA LA Ernest Tubb (Decca 9-46338)
12. UNWANTED SIGN UPON YOUR HEART Hank Snow (RCA-Victor 48-0498)
13. SLOW POKE Pee Wee King (RCA-Victor 48-0489)
14. TRAVELLIN' BLUES Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20842)
15. CRAZY HEART Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM 11054)
16. (I HEARD THAT) LONESOME WHISTLE Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM K11054)
17. HEART STRINGS Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 47-4273)
18. SOMEBODY'S BEEN BEATIN' MY TIME Eddy Arnold (RCA-Victor 47-4273)
19. LET OLD MOTHER NATURE HAVE HER WAY Carl Smith (Columbia 4-20862)
20. ALABAMA JUBILEE Red Foley (Decca 9-27810)
21. I DON’T WANT TO BE FREE Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely (Capitol F1816)
22. DRIFTWOOD ON THE RIVER Ernest Tubb (Decca 9-46377)
23. TOO OLD TO CUT THE MUSTARD The Carlisles (Mercury 6348)
24. MUSIC MAKIN MAMA FROM MEMPHIS Hank Snow (RCA-Victor 47-4346)
25. GIVE ME MORE, MORE, MORE Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 4-20885)
26. BABY, WE'RE REALLY IN LOVE Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM K11100)
