List of Top Country LP's number ones of 1973

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1973, 21 different albums topped the chart, which was at the time published under the title Top Country LP's, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.[1]

Singer Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich topped the chart with Behind Closed Doors, which went on to set a new record for the most weeks spent by an album at number one.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, Merle Haggard was at number one with the compilation album The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard, the record's seventh week in the top spot.[2] The following week, it was displaced from the top spot by Got the All Overs for You by Freddie Hart and the Heartbeats, but Haggard returned to number one in the issue dated January 27 with It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad). He achieved a third number one in September with I Love Dixie Blues...So I Recorded "Live" In New Orleans and was one of two artists with three chart-toppers during the year. The other was Loretta Lynn, who reached number one with Entertainer of the Year – Loretta and Love Is the Foundation as well as Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man, a collaboration with Conway Twitty. The two singers had a run of success with duet recordings in the early 1970s alongside their ongoing solo careers.[3]

Kris Kristofferson was one of several artists with two number one albums in 1973, topping the chart in consecutive weeks with Jesus Was a Capricorn and Full Moon, the latter a collaboration with Rita Coolidge, his then-wife.[4] Full Moon's time at number one was ended by Marie Osmond, the younger sister of teen-pop stars the Osmonds, who achieved her first chart-topping album at the age of 14.[5][6] Jeanne Pruett had the year's longest unbroken run at number one, spending eight consecutive weeks at the top of the listing with her album Satin Sheets. Charlie Rich spent four non-consecutive weeks at number one in June and July with his album Behind Closed Doors. Having released his first records in the 1950s, Rich had finally achieved country music success in 1972 and become a mainstream star the following year.[7] Five months after it left the top spot, the album returned to number one in December, in the same week that Rich's song "The Most Beautiful Girl" reached number one on Billboard's all-genre singles chart, the Hot 100.[8] The album would continue its success into 1974 and eventually spend a total of 21 weeks atop the chart, a new record total for an album.[9]

Chart history

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"King of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley achieved his first number one country album with Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite.[10]
 
Two consecutive number ones in November were by Kris Kristofferson, the second a collaboration with his then-wife Rita Coolidge.
 
Marie Osmond was 14 years old when her album Paper Roses reached number one.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 6 The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard Merle Haggard [2]
January 13 Got the All Overs for You Freddie Hart and the Heartbeats [11]
January 20 [12]
January 27 It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) Merle Haggard and the Strangers [13]
February 3 [14]
February 10 [15]
February 17 Songs of Love by Charley Pride Charley Pride [16]
February 24 [17]
March 3 [18]
March 10 [19]
March 17 Dueling Banjos Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell [20]
March 24 [21]
March 31 [22]
April 7 [23]
April 14 Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite Elvis Presley [24]
April 21 [25]
April 28 [26]
May 5 [27]
May 12 My Second Album Donna Fargo [28]
May 19 Super Kind of Woman Freddie Hart and the Heartbeats [29]
May 26 Introducing Johnny Rodriguez Johnny Rodriguez [30]
June 2 Entertainer of the Year – Loretta Loretta Lynn [31]
June 9 The Rhymer and Other Five and Dimers Tom T. Hall [32]
June 16 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich [33]
June 23 [34]
June 30 [35]
July 7 Good Time Charlie Charlie McCoy [36]
July 14 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich [37]
July 21 Satin Sheets Jeanne Pruett [38]
July 28 [39]
August 4 [40]
August 11 [41]
August 18 [42]
August 25 [43]
September 1 [44]
September 8 [45]
September 15 Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn [46]
September 22 I Love Dixie Blues...So I Recorded "Live" In New Orleans Merle Haggard and the Strangers [47]
September 29 [48]
October 6 You've Never Been This Far Before / Baby's Gone Conway Twitty [49]
October 13 [50]
October 20 [51]
October 27 Love Is the Foundation Loretta Lynn [52]
November 3 Jesus Was a Capricorn Kris Kristofferson [53]
November 10 Full Moon Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge [54]
November 17 Paper Roses Marie Osmond [55]
November 24 [56]
December 1 [57]
December 8 Primrose Lane / Don't Give Up On Me Jerry Wallace [58]
December 15 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich [59]
December 22 [60]
December 29 [61]

References

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  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. ^ a b "Country Albums chart for January 6, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Conway Twitty Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  4. ^ Cartwright, Gary (March 1997). "A Star Is Reborn". Texas Monthly. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Huey, Steve. "Marie Osmond Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 184. ISBN 9780898201734.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Charlie Rich Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Breihan, Tom (April 30, 2019). "The Number Ones: Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. pp. 333–334. ISBN 9780898201734.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 196. ISBN 9780898201734.
  11. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 13, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  12. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 20, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 27, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 3, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  15. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 10, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 17, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  17. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 24, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  18. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 3, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 10, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  20. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 17, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  21. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 24, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  22. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 31, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  23. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 7, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  24. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 14, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  25. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 21, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  26. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 28, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  27. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 5, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  28. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 12, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  29. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 19, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  30. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 26, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  31. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 2, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  32. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 9, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  33. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 16, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  34. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 23, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  35. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 30, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  36. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 7, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  37. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 14, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  38. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 21, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  39. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 28, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  40. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 4, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  41. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 11, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  42. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 18, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  43. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 25, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  44. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 1, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  45. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 8, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  46. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 15, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  47. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 22, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  48. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 29, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  49. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 6, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  50. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 13, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  51. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 20, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  52. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 27, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  53. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 3, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  54. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 10, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  55. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 17, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  56. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 24, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  57. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 1, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  58. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 8, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  59. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 15, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  60. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 22, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  61. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 29, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2020.