This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1926.
Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings
The following songs were extracted from records included in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954, record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, they are only used as a frame of reference. Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart Positions 1 Vernon Dalhart "The Prisoner's Song" Victor 19427 US BB 1926 #2, US #1 for 5 weeks, 20 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #1, 1,320,356 sales thru 1930 2 Poole's North Carolina Ramblers "Whitehouse Blues" Columbia 15099 US Hillbilly 1926 #2 3 Vernon Dalhart "There's A New Star In Heaven Tonight - Rudolph Valentino" Columbia 718 US BB 1926 #37, US #4 for 1 week, 5 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #3 4 Carl T. Sprague "O Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie (The Dying Cowboy)" Victor 20122 US Hillbilly 1926 #4 5 Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers with Riley Puckett "Turkey in the Straw" Columbia 15084 US BB 1926 #176, US #14 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #5 6 Uncle Dave Macon with Sam McGhee "Way Down the Old Plank Road" Vocalion 15321 US Hillbilly 1926 #6 7 Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers with Riley Puckett "Ya Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around" Columbia 15084D US Hillbilly 1926 #7 8 Vernon Dalhart "The Governor's Pardon" Victor 19983 US BB 1926 #90, US #8 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #8 9 Kelly Harrell "Butcher's Boy" Victor 20242 US Hillbilly 1926 #9 10 Riley Puckett and Bob Nichols (Clayton McMichen) "My Carolina Home" Columbia 15095D US BB 1927 #205, US #16 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #10 11 Vernon Dalhart "The Miami Storm" Columbia 15100 US BB 1927 #174, US #14 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #11 12 Johnny Marvin (Ukelele Ace) "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" Columbia 699D US BB 1926 #10, US #1 for 2 weeks, 10 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1926 #12 13 Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers with Riley Puckett "Bully of the Town" Columbia 15074D US Hillbilly 1926 #13 14 Al Craver (Vernon Dalhart) "The Freight Wreck At Altoona" Columbia 15065D US Hillbilly 1926 #14 15 Poole's North Carolina Ramblers "Monkey On A String" Columbia 15099 US Hillbilly 1926 #15 16 Blind Lemon Jefferson "Jack O Diamond Blues" Paramount 12373 US Hillbilly 1926 #16 17 Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers with Riley Puckett "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" Columbia 15091D US Hillbilly 1926 #17 18 Blind Blake "Early Morning Blues" Paramount 12387 US Hillbilly 1926 #18 19 Blind Lemon Jefferson "Long Lonesome Blues" Paramount 12354 US Hillbilly 1926 #19 20 Uncle Dave Macon "Last Night When My Willie Come Home" Vocalion 15319 US Hillbilly 1926 #20
Births January 2 – Harold Bradley, session guitarist. (died 2019). January 12 – Ray Price, "The Cherokee Cowboy," multi-faceted country performer from the 1950s onward (died 2013). December 21 – Freddie Hart, best known for his string of early to mid-1970s hits, including "Easy Loving" (died 2018). References
Further reading Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 () Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 () Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.