This release continues the series of 4-CD sets which comprises selected collections of the biggest US country hits of each year, and this expanded edition provides a fuller picture of 1954 than our existing 2-CD set devoted to that year (ADDCD3025)
This 90-track collection covers the year of 1954, during which time Billboard published three charts devoted to Country & Western Records – Best Sellers In Stores, Most Played in Juke Boxes and Most Played by Disc Jockeys - and it comprises every record which peaked in the Top 15 of those charts during the year, apart from one we are unable to include.
The pop landscape was still only feeling the first stirrings of rock ‘n’ roll, and on the country scene, the familiar names still dominated the scene, some of them having long-running No. 1s during the year, notably Hank Snow and Webb Pierce, with those two, along with Carl Smith, Kitty Wells, Eddy Arnold. Slim Whitman, Ray Price and Jim Reeves all having several big hits.
Some of those were introducing new strands to the music with the development of the smoother “new Nashville” sound around this time, with vocal choruses instead of fiddles and steel guitars.
Needless to say there are also one or two collectable obscurities.
It’s a fascinating and entertaining musical snapshot of the country scene as the music industry entered a dynamic new musical era, 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. THERE STANDS THE GLASS Webb Pierce (Decca 28834)
2. LET ME BE THE ONE Hank Locklin (4 Star 1641)
3. I FORGOT MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW Davis Sisters (RCA Victor 20-5345)
4. CARIBBEAN Mitchell Torok (Abbott 140)
5. A DEAR JOHN LETTER Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky (Capitol 2502)
6. WHEN MEXICAN JOE MET JOLE BLON Hank Snow (RCA Victor 20-5490)
7. HEY JOE Carl Smith (Columbia 21129)
8. WEARY BLUES FROM WAITING Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys (MGM 11574)
9. NORTH WIND Slim Whitman (Imperial 8208)
10. TAIN'T NICE (TO TALK LIKE THAT) Bill Carlisle & The Carlisles (Mercury 70232)
11. BIMBO Jim Reeves (Abbott 148)
12. RELEASE ME Jimmy Heap (Capitol 2518)
13. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Carl Smith (Columbia 21166)
14. I'M WALKING THE DOG Webb Pierce (Decca 28834)
15. HOOTCHY KOOTCHIE HENRY (FROM HAWAII) Mitchell Torok (Abbott 150)
16. CHEATIN'S A SIN Kitty Wells (Decca 28931)
17. CHANGING PARTNERS Pee Wee King & Redd Stewart (RCA Victor 5537)
18. SLOWLY Webb Pierce (Decca 28991)
19. WAKE UP, IRENE Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 2646)
20. SECRET LOVE Slim Whitman (Imperial 8223)
21. RUN 'EM OFF Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 21194)
22. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED Red Foley & Betty Foley (Decca 29000)
CD 2
1. I LOVE YOU Ginny Wright & Jim Reeves (Fabor 101)
2. YOU BETTER NOT DO THAT Tommy Collins (Capitol 2701)
3. DOG-GONE IT, BABY, I'M IN LOVE Carl Smith (Columbia 21197)
4. RELEASE ME Kitty Wells (Decca 29023)
5. BIMBO Pee Wee King & Redd Stewart (RCA Victor 5537)
6. MY EVERTTHING Eddy Arnold (RCA Victor 5634)
7. GOOD DEAL, LUCILLE Al Terry (Hickory 1003)
8. BREAKIN' THE RULES Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 2758)
9. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO KNOW Eddy Arnold (RCA Victor 5525)
10. I'LL BE THERE (IF YOU EVER WANT ME) Ray Price (Columbia 21214)
11. RELEASE ME Ray Price (Columbia 21214)
12. A FOOLER, A FAKER Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 2758)
13. ROSE-MARIE Slim Whitman (Imperial 8236)
14. JILTED Red Foley (Decca 29100)
15. (OH BABY MINE) I GET SO LONELY Johnnie and Jack, The Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA Victor 5681)
16. BACK UP BUDDY Carl Smith (Columbia 21226)
17. I DON'T HURT ANYMORE Hank Snow (RCA Victor 5698)
18. THEN I'LL STOP LOVING YOU Jim Reeves (Abbott 160)
19. EVEN THOUGH Webb Pierce (Decca 29107)
20. MUCH TOO YOUNG TO DIE Ray Price (Columbia 21249)
21. SHAKE-A-LEG The Carlisles (Mercury 70351)
22. HONKY TONK GIRL Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 2823)
23. CRY, CRY DARLING Jimmy Newman (Dot 1195)
CD 3
1. I'M A STRANGER IN MY HOME Kitty Wells & Red Foley (Decca 29065)
2. BACKWARD, TURN BACKWARD Pee Wee King & Redd Stewart (RCA Victor 5694)
3. SPARKLING BROWN EYES Webb Pierce With The Wilburn Brothers (Decca 29107)
4. WE'VE GONE TOO FAR Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 2823)
5. ONE BY ONE Kitty Wells & Red Foley (Decca 29065)
6. HONEY I NEED YOU Johnnie and Jack, The Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA Victor 5775)
7. THANK YOU FOR CALLING Billy Walker (Columbia 21256)
8. OUT BEHIND THE BARN Little Jimmy Dickens (Columbia 21247)
9. PRETTY WORDS Marty Robbins (Columbia 21246)
10. HERNANDO'S HIDEAWAY Homer & Jethro (RCA Victor 5788)
11. LOOKING BACK TO SEE Goldie Hill & Justin Tubb (Decca 29145)
12. LOOKING BACK TO SEE Jim Edward and Maxine Brown (Fabor 107)
13. YOU CAN'T HAVE MY LOVE Wanda Jackson & Billy Gray (Decca 29140)
14. GOODNIGHT, SWEETHEART, GOODNIGHT Johnnie and Jack, The Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA Victor 5775)
15. HEP CAT BABY Eddy Arnold (RCA Victor 5805)
16. COURTIN' IN THE RAIN T. Texas Tyler (4 Star 1660)
17. GO, BOY, GO Carl Smith (Columbia 21266)
18. RIVER OF NO RETURN Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol 2810)
19. WATCHA GONNA DO NOW Tommy Collins (Capitol 2891)
20. A PLACE FOR GIRLS LIKE YOU Faron Young (Capitol 2859)
21. DON'T DROP IT Terry Fell (X 10)
22. THIS OLE HOUSE Stuart Hamblen (RCA Victor 5739)
CD 4
1. THIS IS THE THANKS I GET (FOR LOVING YOU) Eddy Arnold (RCA Victor 5805)
2. TWO GLASSES, JOE Ernest Tubb (Decca 29220)
3. HONEY LOVE The Carlisles (Mercury 70435)
4. MORE AND MORE Webb Pierce (Decca 29252)
5. SINGING HILLS Slim Whitman (Imperial 8267)
6. PENNY CANDY Jim Reeves (Abbott 170)
7. SHE DONE GIVE HER HEART TO ME Sonny James (Capitol 2906)
8. CALL ME UP (AND I'LL COME CALLING ON YOU) Marty Robbins (Columbia 21291)
9. NEVER Marilyn & Wesley Tuttle (Capitol 2850)
10. IF YOU DON'T SOMEBODY ELSE WILL Jimmy & Johnny (Chess 4859)
11. IF YOU DON'T SOMEBODY ELSE WILL Ray Price (Columbia 21315)
12. YOU'RE NOT MINE ANYMORE Webb Pierce (Decca 29252)
13. THAT CRAZY MAMBO THING Hank Snow (RCA Victor 5912)
14. CHRISTMAS CAN'T BE FAR AWAY Eddy Arnold (RCA Victor 5905)
15. THE NEW GREEN LIGHT Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 2920)
16. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL Kitty Wells (Decca 29313)
17. MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD Carl Smith (Columbia 21317)
18. LOOSE TALK Carl Smith (Columbia 21317)
19. LET ME GO LOVER Hank Snow (RCA Victor 5960)
20. IF YOU AIN'T LOVIN' |(YOU AIN'T LIVIN') Faron Young (Capitol 2953)
21. BEWARE OF 'IT' Johnnie and Jack, The Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA Victor 47-5880)
22. KISS CRAZY BABY Johnnie and Jack, The Tennessee Mountain Boys (RCA Victor 47-5880)
23. COMPANY'S COMIN' Porter Wagoner (RCA Victor 20-5848)
