This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1973.
Events July — The Dean Martin Show becomes known as Dean Martin Presents Music Country for the longtime variety show's summer broadcasts. Country music becomes a staple of Martin's show for the 1973–1974 season — its last on the air, as it turns out. July 4 — Willie Nelson hosts his first Fourth of July picnic. July 14 — Billboard increases the number of positions for its Hot Country Singles chart to 100 (up from 75), which it would keep until January 1990. The expansion comes at a time when the number of No. 1 songs in a given year continues to increase; for the first time in history, there are at least 35 No. 1 songs in one year. September — Jimmy Dean's third country music TV series, The Jimmy Dean Show, premieres in syndication for what will be a two-season run. October 6 — Country music's most successful syndicated radio countdown program to date, "American Country Countdown," makes its debut. The three-hour program is created by Casey Kasem and Don Bustany, and is modeled after American Top 40 (which Kasem also hosted). Comedian Don Bowman) is the original host, but by 1978, he would be replaced by Bob Kingsley. October — The new Radio & Records magazine includes a 50-position country singles chart. November 10 — One of Nashville's most notorious murders makes national headlines when David Akeman (aka Stringbean) and his wife, Estelle, are killed when they interrupt a burglary after returning home. Their bodies are found the next day. Their assailants—brothers John and Marvin Douglas—are later captured, convicted and sentenced to prison. Stringbean, who was 58, was best known to his audiences for his role on the syndicated series "Hee Haw."
Top hits of the year
Number one hits
United States (as certified by Billboard)
DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1CAN peakSpec. NoteJanuary 20Soul SongJoe Stampley12[A]January 27(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon WineTom T. Hall1February 3She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)Conway Twitty28February 17I Wonder If They Ever Think of MeMerle Haggard1February 24Rated "X"Loretta Lynn1March 3The Lord Knows I'm DrinkingCal Smith12[A]March 10'Til I Get it RightTammy Wynette1March 17The Teddy Bear SongBarbara Fairchild2[C]March 31Keep Me in MindLynn Anderson1April 7Super Kind of WomanFreddie Hart1April 14A Shoulder to Cry OnCharley Pride1April 21SupermanDonna Fargo1April 28Behind Closed DoorsCharlie Rich2[A]May 12Come Live with MeRoy Clark1[C]May 19What's Your Mama's NameTanya Tucker1[A]May 26Satin SheetsJeanne Pruett33, [C] Returned to Number One on June 23.June 9You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)Johnny Rodriguez1[A]June 16Kids Say the Darndest ThingsTammy Wynette12June 30Don't Fight the Feelings of LoveCharley Pride1July 7Why MeKris Kristofferson1[A]July 14Love Is the FoundationLoretta Lynn2July 28You Were Always ThereDonna Fargo1August 4Lord, Mr. FordJerry Reed12August 11Trip to HeavenFreddie Hart1[B]August 18Louisiana Woman, Mississippi ManConway Twittyand Loretta Lynn1August 25Everybody's Had the BluesMerle Haggard2September 8You've Never Been This Far BeforeConway Twitty3September 29Blood Red and Goin' DownTanya Tucker1October 6You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to MeRay Price12[B]October 13Ridin' My Thumb to MexicoJohnny Rodriguez2October 27We're Gonna Hold OnGeorge Jonesand Tammy Wynette22November 10Paper RosesMarie Osmond2[A]November 24The Most Beautiful GirlCharlie Rich3December 15Amazing LoveCharley Pride1December 22If We Make It Through DecemberMerle Haggard4
Notes 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard. 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot. A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist. B^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist. C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
Canada (as certified by RPM)
DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1U.S. peakSpec. NoteJanuary 13Love's the AnswerTanya Tucker15[A]January 20(Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon WineTom T. Hall1[A]January 27Danny's SongAnne Murray110February 3I Wonder If They Ever Think of MeMerle Haggard1February 10Rated "X"Loretta Lynn2February 24'Til I Get it RightTammy Wynette1March 3Any Old Wind That BlowsJohnny Cash23March 17The Teddy Bear SongBarbara Fairchild2[A]March 31Keep Me in MindLynn Anderson2April 14Super Kind of WomanFreddie Hart1April 21A Shoulder to Cry OnCharley Pride1April 28SupermanDonna Fargo1May 5Behind Closed DoorsCharlie Rich1[A]May 12Nobody WinsBrenda Lee15[C]May 19Come Live with MeRoy Clark1[A]May 26What's Your Mama's NameTanya Tucker1June 2Dirty Old ManGeorge Hamilton IV238[B]June 16Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak TreeJohnny Carver15[C]June 23You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)Johnny Rodriguez1[A]June 30Don't Fight the Feelings of LoveCharley Pride3 Fell to #3 on the week of July 7.July 7Ravishing RubyTom T. Hall13July 14Why MeKris Kristofferson1[A]July 21Love Is the FoundationLoretta Lynn1August 11You Were Always ThereDonna Fargo1August 18Top of the WorldLynn Anderson22September 1Trip to HeavenFreddie Hart1September 8Louisiana Woman, Mississippi ManConway Twitty andLoretta Lynn2September 22Everybody's Had the BluesMerle Haggard1September 29The Corner of My LifeBill Anderson12October 6You've Never Been This Far BeforeConway Twitty2October 20Blood Red and Goin' DownTanya Tucker1October 27Kid StuffBarbara Fairchild12[B]November 3Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon BeerJohnny Russell24[C]November 17Ridin' My Thumb to MexicoJohnny Rodriguez1November 24Paper RosesMarie Osmond2[A]December 8The Most Beautiful GirlCharlie Rich4
Notes 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot. A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
Other major hits
Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist2219Afraid I'll Want to Love Her One More TimeBilly "Crash" Craddock2310After YouHank Williams, Jr.147Ain't It Amazing GracieBuck Owens1363All in the Name of LoveNarvel Felts164Always on My MindElvis Presley129Am I That Easy to ForgetJim Reeves22Baby's GoneConway Twitty225Blue Train (Of the Heartbreak Line)George Hamilton IV74Bring It on Home (To Your Woman)Joe Stampley1511Broad-Minded ManJim Ed Brown64Can I Sleep in Your ArmsJeannie Seely269Carry Me BackThe Statler Brothers123Catfish JohnJohnny Russell1820Cheating GameSusan Raye3015ChildrenJohnny Cash12—Come Early MorningDon Williams29Country SunshineDottie West3318Daisy a DayJud Strunk53Darling, You Can Always Come Back HomeJody Miller24Do You Know What It's Like to Be LonesomeJerry Wallace312Don't Give Up on MeJerry Wallace848Drift AwayNarvel Felts2012Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-DeeJerry Lee Lewis59Dueling BanjosEric Weissberg and Steve Mandell312The Emptiest Arms in the WorldMerle Haggard99Good NewsJody Miller23Good ThingsDavid Houston1436Got Leaving on Her MindNat Stuckey1214HankHank Williams, Jr.1420Hello We're LonelyPatti Page and Tom T. Hall1713Honky Tonk WineWayne Kemp1211I Can't Believe That It's All OverSkeeter Davis1014I Hate YouRonnie Milsap43I Love You More and More EverydaySonny James113I Need Somebody BadJack Greene16—I Recall a Gypsy WomanTommy Cash2214I Used It All on YouNat Stuckey2416I Wish (You Had Stayed)Brian Collins710I'll Never Break These ChainsTommy Overstreet88I'm Your WomanJeanne Pruett1511If She Just Helps Me Get Over YouSonny James35If Teardrops Were PenniesPorter Wagoner and Dolly Parton22If You Can Live with It (I Can Live Without It)Bill Anderson35If You Can't Feel It (It Ain't There)Freddie Hart269If You're Goin' GirlDon Gibson2216It'll Be HerDavid Rogers2022It's a Man's World (If You Had a Man Like Mine)Diana Trask1718Just Thank MeDavid Rogers99Just What I Had in MindFaron Young1910Keep on Truckin'Dave Dudley34Last Love SongHank Williams, Jr.711Let Me Be ThereOlivia Newton-John1712LilaDoyle Holly22Little Girl GoneDonna Fargo86Love Is the Look You're Looking forConnie Smith93Love MeMarty Robbins1718Love Sure Feels Good in My HeartSusan Raye58Lovin' on Back StreetsMel Street75The Midnight OilBarbara Mandrell2010Monday Morning SecretaryThe Statler Brothers23Mr. LovemakerJohnny Paycheck1510My Tennessee Mountain HomeDolly Parton717Neither One of UsBob Luman33Neon RoseMel Tillis193No More Hanging OnJerry Lee Lewis78Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You)George Jones3317One Last TimeGlen Campbell148Open Up Your HeartRoger Miller97Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)Johnny Rodriguez137The Perfect StrangerFreddy Weller114Ride Me Down EasyBobby Bare1712SatisfactionJack Greene25SawmillMel Tillis158Say WhenDiana Trask505Second Cup of CoffeeGeorge Hamilton IV710Send Me No RosesTommy Overstreet156She Fights That Lovin' FeelingFaron Young113She Loves Me (Right Out of My Mind)Freddy Weller36She's All WomanDavid Houston2043She's My RockStoney Edwards14—The Shelter of Your EyesDon Williams33Sing About LoveLynn Anderson1413Slippin' and Slidin'Billy "Crash" Craddock43Slippin' AwayJean Shepard2815So Many WaysEddy Arnold1020Something About You I LoveJohnny Paycheck66Sometimes a Memory Ain't EnoughJerry Lee Lewis2116Sound of GoodbyeJerry Wallace66Southern LovingJim Ed Brown3120Steamroller Blues/FoolElvis Presley68Sunday SunriseBrenda Lee68Sweet Country WomanJohnny Duncan1014Take Time to Love HerNat Stuckey1842Talkin' with My LadyJohnny Duncan2112Thank You for Being YouMel Tillis818'Till the Water Stops Runnin'Billy "Crash" Craddock1223Too Far GoneJoe Stampley87Too Much Monkey BusinessFreddy Weller65Touch the MorningDon Gibson2012Travelin' ManDolly Parton116Walk Softly on the BridgesMel Street65Walking Piece of HeavenMarty Robbins1620Watergate BluesTom T. Hall2817We Had It AllWaylon Jennings6—What My Woman Can't DoGeorge Jones3217When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way That I Love You)Tony Booth2030Wherefore and WhyGlen Campbell1338Whole World's Making Love Again TonightBobby G. Rice1311You Ain't Gonna Have Ol' Buck to Kick Around No MoreBuck Owens88You Ask Me ToWaylon Jennings72You Can Have HerWaylon Jennings88You Give Me YouBobby G. Rice3013You Know WhoBobby Bare37You Lay So Easy on My MindBobby G. Rice611You Really Haven't ChangedJohnny Carver188You Took All the Ramblin' Out of MeJerry Reed3619Your Side of the BedMac Davis
Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—20All Them Irons in the FireCarroll Baker—12Blind Jonathon/Make It Over the HillDianne Leigh—18But Tomorrow There's Another DayHank Smith—5Carpenter of WoodCliff Edwards—18Champlain and St. Lawrence LineOrval Prophet—8The Farmer's SongMurray McLauchlan—16The Feeling's Too StrongFamily Brown—13Flying EastSharon Lowness—19Going Home to the CountryDick Damron—19Highway DrivingAlabama—4It's So Easy to Please MeMercey Brothers—12It's Worth Believin'Gordon Lightfoot—15Judgment Day ExpressOrval Prophet—19Meant to Be with MeMercey Brothers7120North to ChicagoHank Snow—15Old Ira GrayDallas Harms—14Pictou County JailJim and Don Haggart—20The PrisonerShannon Two Feathers7910Send a Little Love My WayAnne Murray—18Too Many MemoriesJoe Firth202What About MeAnne Murray465What Got to You (Before It Got to Me)Ray Griff—16The World I Know Is NowCarroll Baker
Top new album releases AlbumArtistRecord LabelBillBill AndersonMCABubbling OverDolly PartonRCACan I Sleep in Your Arms/Lucky LadiesJeannie SeelyMCACountry SunshineDottie WestRCAEntertainer of the YearLoretta LynnDeccaFull MoonKris Kristofferson and Rita CoolidgeA&MGood News!Jody MillerEpicHonky Tonk HeroesWaylon JenningsRCAKid StuffBarbara FairchildColumbiaLouisiana Woman, Mississippi ManConway Twitty and Loretta LynnMCALove and MusicPorter Wagoner and Dolly PartonRCALove Is the FoundationLoretta LynnMCAMy Second AlbumDonna FargoDotMy Tennessee Mountain HomeDolly PartonRCASatin SheetsJeanne PruettMCASlippin' AwayJean ShepardUnited ArtistsShotgun WillieWillie NelsonAtlanticTop of the WorldLynn AndersonColumbiaWe Found ItPorter Wagoner and Dolly PartonRCAWhat's Your Mama's NameTanya TuckerColumbia
Other top new albums