The Billboard Top Folk Records of 1949 is made up of two year-end charts compiled by Billboard magazine ranking the year's top folk records based on record sales and juke box plays. In 1949, country music records were included on, and dominated, the Billboard folk records chart.
Both charts were topped by Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues"; the song posted 4,182 points on the retail sales chart and 1,716 points on the juke box chart -- nearly doubling the point total of any other song. Williams also posted the No. 5 hit on the year-end charts with "Wedding Bells".
Eddy Arnold led all other artists with nine records on the year-end charts. Arnold's "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle" ranked No. 2 on both year-end charts with 2,270 retail points and 981 juke box points.
Four versions of the song "Candy Kisses" made the year-end charts. George Morgan's version was a No. 1 hit while the song also led to hits for Red Foley (No. 4), Elton Britt (No. 4), and Cowboy Copas (No. 5).
On the strength of Eddy Arnold's performance, RCA Victor led all other labels with ten records on the year-end charts. Decca ranked second with eight records followed by Columbia with five and Capitol with four.
Salesyear-end Juke boxyear-end PeakThis column recites the record's peak position on Billboard's weekly charts. Title Artist(s) Label1 1 1 "Lovesick Blues" Hank Williams M-G-M2 2 1 "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor3 4 1 "I'm Throwing Rice (At The Girl That I Love)" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor4 3 1 "Slippin' Around" Margaret Whiting-Jimmy Wakely Capitol5 5 2 "Wedding Bells" Hank Williams M-G-M6 13 1 "Candy Kisses" George Morgan Columbia7 6 1 "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me" Wayne Raney King8 NR 1 "Bouquet of Roses" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor9 9 1 "I Love You So Much It Hurts" Jimmy Wakely Capitol10 7 1 "Tennessee Saturday Night" Red Foley Decca11 14 2 "The Echo of Your Footsteps" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor12 10 1 "One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" Jimmy Wakely Capitol13 8 1 "One Kiss Too Many" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor14 11 1 "Slippin' Around" Ernest Tubb Decca15 16 3 "Tennessee Border" Red Foley Decca16 12 1 "A Heart Full of Love (For a Handful of Kisses)" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor17 21 1 "Blues, Stay Away From Me" Delmore Brothers King18 18 2 "I'm Bitin' My Fingernails and Thinking of You" Ernest Tubb-Andrews Sisters Decca19 23 4 "Please Don't Let Me Love You" George Morgan Columbia20 25 5 "Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello" Ernest Tubb Decca21 20 2 "I'll Never Slip Around Again" Jimmy Wakely, Margaret Whiting Capitol22 26 4 "Candy Kisses" Red Foley Decca23 NR 4 "Candy Kisses" Elton Britt & Skytoppers RCA Victor24 15 2 "Then I Turned and Walked Slowly Away" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor25 30 5 "Slipping Around" Floyd Tillman Columbia26 NR 4 "Room Full of Roses" George Morgan Columbia27 19 1 "Just a Little Lovin'" Eddy Arnold RCA Victor28 29 4 "I Never Saw Maggie Alone" Kenny Roberts Coral29 NR 7 "Take an Old Cold 'Tater (And Wait)" Little Jimmy Dickens Columbia30 17 4 "Tennessee Polka" Red Foley DeccaNR 22 2 "Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)" Ernest Tubb DeccaNR 24 5 "Mind Your Own Business" Hank Williams M-G-MNR 27 3 "There's Not a Thing (I Wouldn't Do For You)" Eddy Arnold RCA VictorNR 28 5 "Candy Kisses" Cowboy Copas King
See also List of Billboard number-one country songs of 1949 Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1949 1949 in country music
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