In 1950, Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records, Best-Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys. The juke box chart was compiled based on a "weekly survey among a selected group of jukebox operators whose locations require country and western records", the best sellers chart based on a "survey among a selected group of retail stores, the majority of whose customers purchase country and western records", and the jockeys chart based on a "weekly survey among a select list of over 400 disk jockeys specializing in country and western tunes".[1] All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the current Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.[2]
In the first issue of Billboard of 1950, Christmas songs were at number one on two charts, with "Blue Christmas" by Ernest Tubb in the top spot on the juke box chart and Gene Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" atop the jockeys chart. The number one on the best sellers chart was "Slipping Around" by Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely, which had held the top spot since the previous October.[3] The longest-running number one of 1950 on all three charts was "I'm Movin' On" by Canadian singer Hank Snow, which spent 14 weeks in the top spot on the juke box chart, 18 on the best sellers listing, and 17 on the jockeys chart. The song would spend three further weeks at number one on the best sellers chart in 1951, tying the record set in 1948 by Eddy Arnold's "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" for the highest number of weeks spent at number one on any one of Billboard's country singles charts.[4]Red Foley spent the highest total number of weeks at number one on both the juke box and best sellers charts in 1950, topping each for 19 weeks. He also had the highest number of individual chart-toppers on each of the two listings, with four and three respectively. On the jockeys chart, Hank Williams was the only artist with more than one number one hit, and he also spent the most weeks at number one, totalling 19 weeks in the top spot with his three chart-toppers.
Five artists achieved their debut country number ones in 1950, including Hank Snow with "I'm Movin' On".[5]Leon Payne spent two non-consecutive weeks atop the jockeys chart in January with "I Love You Because". Payne, who was better known as a songwriter for other country artists, achieved the unusual feat of reaching number one with his only charting song as a performer.[6][7] In the same week that Payne reached number one on the jockeys chart, the Delmore Brothers gained their first and only number one when "Blues, Stay Away From Me" topped the juke box chart.[8]Moon Mullican reached number one on both the juke box and best sellers charts with "I'll Sail My Ship Alone", his only number one.[9] Finally, Lefty Frizzell made his first appearance at number one in December when "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time", his debut single,[10] was the final juke box chart-topper of the year. It was the first of five chart-toppers which Frizzell achieved in a little over a year before his chart performance began to decline.[11] "Moanin' the Blues" by Hank Williams was the last number one of 1950 on the jockeys chart and Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On" was the year's final best sellers chart-topper.
