1953 in country music

"See also:"
1952 in country music,
1953 in music,
other events of 1953,
1954 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

* January 1 - Hank Williams, due to play a New Year's Day show in Canton, Ohio, dies sometime after midnight in the rear seat of his Cadillac, somewhere between Knoxville, Tennessee and Oak Hill, West Virginia. He was 29. Stories conflict on what happened in the final hours of his life, but what is not disputed is that his death gave rise to the legend. In the 50-plus years following his death, Williams' songs would be covered countless times, singers and songwriters would directly cite him as an influence, and his son - Hank Williams, Jr., would become a star in his own right. Ironically, the last song released in his lifetime was "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive."Fact|date=April 2008

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"

* January 10 - "Midnight" - Red Foley
* January 24 - "I'll Go On Alone" - Marty Robbins
* January 24 - "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" - Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
* January 31 - "No Help Wanted" - The Carlisles
* January 31 - "Eddy's Song" - Eddy Arnold
* February 7 - "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes" - Goldie Hill
* February 21 - "Kaw-Liga" - Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
* April 11 - "Your Cheatin' Heart" - Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
* May 9 - "Mexican Joe" - Jim Reeves
* June 6 - "Take These Chains From My Heart" - Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
* July 11 - "It's Been So Long" - Webb Pierce
* August 1 - "Rub-a-Dub-Dub" - Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys
* August 22 - "Hey Joe!" - Carl Smith
* August 29 - "A Dear John Letter" - Jean Shepard and Ferlin Husky
* October 17 - "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" - The Davis Sisters
* November 21 - "There Stands the Glass" - Webb Pierce
* December 12 - "Caribbean" - Mitchell Torok
* December 19 - "Let Me Be the One" - Hank Locklin

:"Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played in Juke Boxes," "Most Played by Jockeys" and "National Best Sellers" charts.

Other major hits

* "Gambler's Guitar" - Rusty Draper
* "Crying in the Chapel" - Rex Allen
* "How Much is That Hound Dog in the Window" - Homer and Jethro
* "I Couldn't Keep From Crying" - Marty Robbins
* "Paying For That Back Street Affair" - Kitty Wells
* "Shake a Hand" - Red Foley
* "Yesterday's Girl" - Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys
* "A Fool Such– As I" Hank Snow
* "Gal Who Invented Kissin" Hank Snow
* "Spanish Fire Ball" Hank Snow
* "When Mexican Joe Let Jole Blon" Hank Snow
* "The Last Waltz" Webb Pierce
* "I'll Go On Alone" Webb Pierce
* "That's Me Without You" Webb Pierce, Sonny James
* "I'm Walkin' The Dog" Webb Pierce
* "Free Home Demonstration" Eddy Arnold
* "Mama Come Get Your Baby Boy" Eddy Arnold
* "I Won't Be Home No More" Hank Williams
* "Weary Blues" Hank Williams
* "North Wind" Slim Whitman
* "Trademark" Carl Smith
* "Do I Like It" Carl Smith
* "Just Wait Till I Get You Alone" Carl Smith
* "This Orchid Means Goodbye" Carl Smith
* "Satisfaction Guaranteed" Carl Smith
* "Crying In The Chapel" Darryl Glenn
* "Going Steady" Faron Young
* "Knothole" Carlisles
* "Is Zat You Myrtle" Carlisles
* "Bumming Around" T.Texas Tyler, Jimmy Dean
* "Death Of Hank Williams" Jack Cardwell
* "Dear Joan" Jack Cardwell
* "Forgive Me John" Jean Shepherd & Ferlin Husky
* "No Help Wanted #2" Ernest Tubb & Red Foley
* "No Help Wanted" Hank Thompson
* "Seven Lonely Days" Bonnie Lou
* "Tennessee Wig Walk" Bonnie Lou–

Top new album releases

Births

* April 9 - Hal Ketchum, popular country artist of the early 1990s.
* June 1 - Ronnie Dunn, one half of Brooks & Dunn.

Deaths

* January 1 - Hank Williams, 29, country music singing-songwriting giant and pioneer.

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. "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.