1940 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1940.

1940 in music
By location
By genre
By topic
List of years in country music (table)

Events
  • 1940 marked first year that sales exceeded 1929 levels
  • April 4 — Ernest Tubb makes his first recordings for Decca Records, a label where he will remain for more than 30 years.

Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings

The following songs achieved the highest positions in Billboard magazine's 'Best Sellers in Stores' chart, monthly 'Hillbilly Hits' chart, supplemented by 'Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954' and record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website,[1] and other sources as specified, during 1940. Numerical rankings are approximate.

Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart Positions
1Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes"You Are My Sunshine"[2]Vocalion 05370January 17, 1940 (1940-01-17)February 1940 (1940-02)US Hillbilly 1940 #1, USHB #1 for 5 weeks, 37 total weeks
2Cliff Bruner And His Boys"Sorry (I'll Say I'm Sorry)"[3]Decca 5860April 8, 1940 (1940-04-08)June 20, 1940 (1940-06-20)US Hillbilly 1940 #2, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks
3Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys"San Antonio Rose"[4]Vocalion 04755November 28, 1938 (1938-11-28)April 1939 (1939-04)US BB 1941 #126, US #16, US Hillbilly 1940 #3, USHB #1 for 3 week, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales[1]
4Bob Skyles and His Skyrockets"Only in Dreams"[5]Decca 5887April 9, 1940 (1940-04-09)September 1940 (1940-09)US Hillbilly 1940 #4, USHB #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks
5Jimmie Davis"I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart"[6]Decca 5803February 5, 1940 (1940-02-05)February 1940 (1940-02)US Hillbilly 1940 #5, USHB #1 for 3 week, 15 total weeks
6Roy Newman And His Boys"Take Me Back To My Home In The Mountains"[2]Vocalion 05486December 1, 1938 (1938-12-01)April 1940 (1940-04)US Hillbilly 1940 #6, USHB #1 for 3 week, 14 total weeks
7Louise Massey and the Westerners"I'll Get By Somehow"[7]Okeh 05795June 8, 1940 (1940-06-08)September 1940 (1940-09)US BB 1940 #7, US #1 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks
8Shelton Brothers"I'll Be Seein' You In Dallas, Alice"[8]Decca 5844April 6, 1940 (1940-04-06)May 29, 1940 (1940-05-29)US Hillbilly 1940 #8, USHB #1 for 3 week, 10 total weeks
9Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys"New San Antonio Rose"[7][9]Okeh 05694April 16, 1940 (1940-04-16)August 1940 (1940-08)US Hillbilly 1940 #9, USHB #1 for 2 week, 29 total weeks
10Gene Autry"Goodbye Little Darlin' Goodbye"[2]Vocalion 05463March 12, 1940 (1940-03-12)April 1940 (1940-04)US BB 1940 #264, US #20, US Hillbilly 1941 #10, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 27 total weeks
11Jimmie Davis""You Are My Sunshine"[10][9]Decca 7004February 5, 1940 (1940-02-05)March 24, 1940 (1940-03-24)US Hillbilly 1940 #11, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales[1]
12Gene Autry"Were You Sincere"[11]Vocalion 05693October 15, 1937 (1937-10-15)August 1940 (1940-08)US Hillbilly 1940 #12, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
13Ted Daffan's Texans"Worried Mind"[7]Okeh 5668April 25, 1940 (1940-04-25)July 1940 (1940-07)US Hillbilly 1940 #13, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks
14Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys"Time Changes Everything"[7]Okeh 05753April 15, 1940 (1940-04-15)August 1940 (1940-08)US Hillbilly 1940 #14, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
15Cliff Bruner And His Boys"The Girl You Loved Long Ago"[12]Decca 5827September 1, 1939 (1939-09-01)December 1939 (1939-12)US BB 1940 #14, US #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks
16Shelton Brothers"I’m a Handy Man to Have Around"[13]Decca 5833April 6, 1940 (1940-04-06)May 1940 (1940-05)US Hillbilly 1940 #16, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks
17Jimmie Davis"Two More Years (and I'll Be Free)"[14]Decca 5750September 19, 1939 (1939-09-19)November 1939 (1939-11)US Hillbilly 1940 #17, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks
18Gene Autry"I'm Beginning To Care"[2]Vocalion 05257September 12, 1939 (1939-09-12)January 2, 1940 (1940-01-02)US Hillbilly 1940 #18, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks
19Hank Penny's Radio Cowboys"Cowboy Swing"[2]Vocalion 05438November 9, 1938 (1938-11-09)March 1940 (1940-03)US Hillbilly 1940 #19, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks
20Hoosier Hot Shots"When There's Tears In The Eyes Of A Potato" [7]Okeh 5853October 2, 1940 (1940-10-02)November 1940 (1940-11)US Hillbilly 1940 #20, USHB #1 for 2 weeks, 10 total weeks

Births
  • January 8 — Cristy Lane, Christian singer who also enjoyed secular success as a country performer in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
  • June 23 – Diana Trask, Australian-born singer who enjoyed American success in the early 1970s.
  • August 5 — Bobby Braddock, prominent songwriter with more than 40 years of success; later, producer for Blake Shelton.
  • August 10 – Jerry Kennedy, prominent producer from the 1960s through early 1990s.

Further reading
  • Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
  • Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
  • Whitburn, Joel. "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954: The History of American Popular Music," Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1986 (ISBN 0-89820-083-0).

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research.
  2. "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography - 5000 series (main sequence)". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. "Decca matrix 92053. Sorry (I'll say I'm sorry) / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  4. "Vocalion (USA) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 4500 - 4999". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  5. "Decca matrix 92062. Only in dreams / Bob Skyles Skyrockets - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  6. "Decca matrix 67159. I'd love to call you my sweetheart / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  7. "OKeh (by CBS) numerical listing discography: 5600 - 5999". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  8. "Decca matrix 92026. I'll be seein' you in Dallas / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  9. "Complete National Recording Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  10. "Decca matrix 67157. You are my sunshine / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  11. "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography 5500 - 5600". www.78discography.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  12. "Decca matrix 66355. The girl that you loved long ago / Cliff Bruner and his Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  13. "Decca matrix 92036. I'm a handy man to have around / The Shelton Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  14. "Decca matrix 66615. Two more years / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
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