This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1976.
Events January 3 — Austin City Limits debuts as a regular series on PBS. For many years, the show is taped at the University of Texas at Austin. Although not exclusively country — styles would range from western swing, Texas blues, Tejano music, progressive country, rock n' roll, jazz, alternative country, alternative rock, folk music and jam band — the show is widely hailed as a showcase of music of diverse styles and would be heavily influential in many country music artists' styles.
No dates The CB radio craze was sweeping country music, as no less than three No. 1 songs are about citizens-band radios. C. W. McCall's "Convoy" — about a band of truck drivers who fight back against redneck police officers — spends four of its six weeks at No. 1 in January, and goes on to be Billboard's No. 1 country song of 1976. Other top songs where CB radios were central to the plot were: "The White Knight" by Cledus Maggard & The Citizen's Band, about a lead-footed truck driver who is led into a speed trap by a corrupt state trooper. "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine, a sentimental recitation about a fatherless, physically handicapped boy who keeps in touch with truck drivers. He states his lone wish is to ride around with his father, but since that can't happen, other truck drivers make good on the wish by showing up at the young lad's home and giving him rides. Production began on Dolly Parton's syndicated variety show Dolly! Though Parton was said to have been less than pleased with the end result, and the show only lasted for one season, it expanded her audience at a time when she was in the midst of refocusing her career from that of a specifically country performer to an entertainer with broader pop and mainstream appeal.
Top hits of the year
Number one hits
United States (as certified by Billboard)
DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1CAN peakSpec. NoteJanuary 31This Time I've Hurt Her More than She Loves MeConway Twitty1February 7SometimesBill Anderson andMary Lou Turner13[B] – Bill Anderson[C] – Mary Lou TurnerFebruary 14The White KnightCledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band18[C] Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band is a pseudonym for Jay Huguely.February 21Good Hearted WomanWaylon Jenningsand Willie Nelson35March 13The Roots of My RaisingMerle Haggard17March 20Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)Tom T. Hall12[B]March 27'Til the Rivers All Run DryDon Williams1—April 3You'll Lose a Good ThingFreddy Fender1—[B]April 10'Til I Can Make It on My OwnTammy Wynette1April 17Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)Eddie Rabbitt1[A]April 24Together AgainEmmylou Harris13[A] Cover of the Buck Owens' #1 song in 1964.May 1Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing TimeMickey Gilley1May 8My Eyes Can Only See as Far as YouCharley Pride1May 15What Goes On When the Sun Goes DownRonnie Milsap1May 22After All the Good is GoneConway Twitty1May 29One Piece at a TimeJohnny Cash2June 12I'll Get Over YouCrystal Gayle12[A]June 19El Paso CityMarty Robbins2July 3All These ThingsJoe Stampley122July 10The Door Is Always OpenDave & Sugar1[A]July 17Teddy BearRed Sovine3[B]August 7Golden RingGeorge Jones andTammy Wynette15August 14Say It AgainDon Williams14August 21Bring It On Home to MeMickey Gilley1August 28(I'm A) Stand by My Woman ManRonnie Milsap2September 11I Don't Want to Have to Marry YouJim Ed Brown andHelen Cornelius27[C] – Jim Ed Brown[C] – Helen CorneliusSeptember 25If You've Got the Money I've Got the TimeWillie Nelson15October 2Here's Some LoveTanya Tucker12October 9The Games That Daddies PlayConway Twitty1October 16You and MeTammy Wynette26October 30Among My SouvenirsMarty Robbins23[B]November 6Cherokee MaidenMerle Haggard1Cover of the Bob Wills hit.November 13Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight)Loretta Lynn2November 27Good Woman BluesMel Tillis2December 11Thinkin' of a RendezvousJohnny Duncan2[A]December 25Sweet DreamsEmmylou Harris2
Notes 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard. 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 10Easy as PieBilly "Crash" Craddock12[B]January 17Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)Glen Campbell23[B]January 31The Blind Man in the BleachersKenny Starr12[C]February 7This Time I Hurt Her More than She Loves MeConway Twitty1February 14The Happiness of Having YouCharley Pride13February 21Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another YouTanya Tucker14February 28Somebody Loves YouCrystal Gayle18[A]March 6One Way Ticket to a LadyJerry Palmer1—[C]March 13One Night of Cheatin'Carroll Baker1—March 20On the RoadDick Damron1—March 27Motels and MemoriesT. G. Sheppard17April 3Angels, Roses and RainDickey Lee19[C]April 10You Are the Song (Inside of Me)Freddie Hart111[B]April 17(Till) I Kissed YouConnie Smith110[B]April 24If I Let Her Come InRay Griff111[C]May 1'Til I Can Make It on My OwnTammy Wynette1May 8Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)Eddie Rabbitt1[A]May 15Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing TimeMickey Gilley1May 22My Eyes Can Only See as Far as YouCharley Pride1May 29What Goes On When the Sun Goes DownRonnie Milsap1June 5After All the Good is GoneConway Twitty2June 19One Piece at a TimeJohnny Cash1June 26El Paso CityMarty Robbins1July 3I Wouldn't Want It Any Other WayLyle1—[C]July 10Tonight with LoveCarroll Baker1—July 17The Door is Always OpenDave & Sugar1[C]July 24Vaya con DiosFreddy Fender17July 31Here Comes the Freedom TrainMerle Haggard110August 7Teddy BearRed Sovine2[C]August 21The LetterConway Twitty andLoretta Lynn23September 4Rocky Mountain MusicEddie Rabbitt15September 11Bring It On Home to MeMickey Gilley1September 18(I'm A) Stand by My Woman ManRonnie Milsap2October 2Can't You SeeWaylon Jennings14October 9All I Can DoDolly Parton23 Fell to #4 on the week of October 16.October 16If You Keep Throwing DirtFamily Brown1—[A]October 30The Games That Daddies PlayConway Twitty1November 6The Wreck of the Edmund FitzgeraldGordon Lightfoot150[B]November 13Why I Had to Pass This WayCarroll Baker1—November 20A Whole Lotta Things to Sing AboutCharley Pride12November 27Cherokee MaidenMerle Haggard1December 4Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight)Loretta Lynn1December 11Living It DownFreddy Fender12December 18Good Woman BluesMel Tillis1December 25Thinkin' of a RendezvousJohnny Duncan1[A]
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 USCANSingleArtist339,999,999 TearsDickey Lee8—After the StormWynn Stewart916Afternoon DelightJohnny Carver205All the King's HorsesLynn Anderson910Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song)Amazing Rhythm Aces2419Another MorningJim Ed Brown36Baby BoyMary Kay Place1634The BattleGeorge Jones20—Because You Believed In MeGene Watson55Broken LadyLarry Gatlin227A Butterfly for BuckyBobby Goldsboro1713Can You Hear Those PioneersRex Allen, Jr.15—Cheatin' IsBarbara Fairchild810Come on InSonny James53Come on OverOlivia Newton-John136CowboyEddy Arnold42Don't Pull Your LoveGlen Campbell1412Don't Stop Believin'Olivia Newton-John1918Don't Stop in My World (If You Don't Mean to Stay)Billy Walker1718Drop Kick Me JesusBobby Bare1220The End Is Not in Sight (The Cowboy Tune)Amazing Rhythm Aces1226Everything I OwnJoe Stampley2115Feel AgainFaron Young189Flash of FireHoyt Axton1228Fly AwayJohn Denver178Forever LoversMac Davis912Fox on the RunTom T. Hall1814The Good Night SpecialLittle David Wilkins2320Greener Than the Grass (We Laid On)Tanya Tucker23Hank Williams, You Wrote My LifeMoe Bandy33Her Name IsGeorge Jones1523Here Comes That Girl AgainTommy Overstreet1113Here I Am Drunk AgainMoe Bandy1911Hey, Lucky LadyDolly Parton2815Hey Shirley (This Is Squirrely)Shirley & Squirrely52Hillbilly HeartJohnny Rodriguez6—Home Made LoveThom Bresh16—Honey HungryMike Lunsford6—HurtElvis Presley938I.O.U.Jimmy Dean32I Couldn't Be Me Without YouJohnny Rodriguez13—I Don't Wanna Talk It Over AnymoreConnie Smith15—I Loved You All the WayDonna Fargo10—I Met a Friend of Yours TodayMel Street22I Wonder If I Ever Said GoodbyeJohnny Rodriguez117I'd Have to Be CrazyWillie Nelson127I'll Be Your San Antone RoseDottsy32I'm Gonna Love YouDave & Sugar1717I'm So Lonesome I Could CryTerry Bradshaw1625I'm Sorry CharlieJoni Lee2—If I Had It to Do All Over AgainRoy Clark1514In Some Room Above the StreetGary Stewart86Is Forever Longer Than AlwaysPorter Wagoner and Dolly Parton1120It's Morning (And I Still Love You)Jessi Colter45Just in CaseRonnie Milsap1939Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)Kenny Rogers35Lawdy Miss ClawdyMickey Gilley512Let It ShineOlivia Newton-John614Let's Put It Back Together AgainJerry Lee Lewis348Like a Sad SongJohn Denver1848Little at a TimeSunday Sharpe11—Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills MusicRed Steagall55Lonely TeardropsNarvel Felts1723Longhaired RedneckDavid Allan Coe164Lookin' for Tomorrows (And Findin' Yesterdays)Mel Tillis1925Love Lifted MeKenny Rogers1115Love RevivalMel Tillis2317Lovin' Somebody on a Rainy NightLaCosta1536Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be CowboysEd Bruce3620A Mansion on the HillMichael Martin Murphey128Me and Ole C.B.Dave Dudley159Mental RevengeMel Tillis54Misty BlueBillie Jo Spears2040Mr. DoodlesDonna Fargo14—My PrayerNarvel Felts2417Negatory RomanceTom T. Hall1828Never Did Like WhiskeyBillie Jo Spears1637The Night Time and My BabyJoe Stampley2317Oh, Sweet TemptationsGary Stewart32One of These DaysEmmylou Harris74Overnight SensationMickey Gilley2616ParadiseLynn Anderson107Peanuts and DiamondsBill Anderson143The Prisoner's SongSonny James2026Red, White and BlueLoretta Lynn17—Redneck! (The Redneck National Anthem)Vernon Oxford26Remember Me (When the Candle Lights Are Gleaming)Willie Nelson17—Sad Country SongThom Bresh10—Save Your Kisses for MeMargo Smith1814See You on SundayGlen Campbell22She Never Knew MeDon Williams126She'll Throw Stones at YouFreddie Hart813Show Me a ManT. G. Sheppard2012Silver Wings and Golden RingsBillie Jo Spears1010Since I Fell for YouCharlie Rich1411Solitary ManT. G. Sheppard1027Somebody Hold Me (Until She Passes By)Narvel Felts95Sometimes I Talk in My SleepRandy Cornor537Standing Room OnlyBarbara Mandrell413StrangerJohnny Duncan1333Sun Comin' UpNat Stuckey22Suspicious MindsWaylon Jennings and Jessi Colter12—The Sweetest GiftLinda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris7—Take My Breath AwayMargo Smith18—Teardrops in My HeartRex Allen, Jr.10—Thank God I've Got YouThe Statler Brothers11—That Look in Her EyesFreddie Hart2717That'll Be the DayLinda Ronstadt1627That's What Friends Are ForBarbara Mandrell72That's What Made Me Love YouBill Anderson and Mary Lou Turner198There Won't Be No Country Music(There Won't Be No Rock 'n' Roll)C. W. McCall2114Think SummerRoy Clark1125The Tracks of My TearsLinda Ronstadt2910Truck Drivin' ManRed Steagall74Walk SoftlyBilly "Crash" Craddock53What I've Got in MindBillie Jo Spears65When Something Is Wrong with My BabySonny James23When the Tingle Becomes a ChillLoretta Lynn1631Whiskey Talkin'Joe Stampley2213Wichita JailCharlie Daniels13—The Wild Side of LifeFreddy Fender13—The WinnerBobby Bare1316Without Your Love (Mr. Jordan)Charlie Ross1617You Are So BeautifulRay Stevens1042You Could Know as Much About a StrangerGene Watson44You Rubbed It in All WrongBilly "Crash" Craddock33You've Got Me to Hold On ToTanya Tucker1319Your Picture in the PaperThe Statler Brothers
Singles released by Canadian artists