It's a fascinating and entertaining musical snapshot of the country scene

This release continues the series of multi-CD sets which comprises selected collections of the biggest US country hits of each year during the 1950s and early '60s, and this one looks at the earlier era of the decade in 1951.It was an unusual year, in that many fewer records than normal made it into the charts, with some records spending multiple weeks (even months) in the chart and at No. 1, so despite the fact that this 78-track collection features most of the records that appeared in Billboard's Best Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records, Most Played Juke Box Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disc Jockeys charts, the records all fit onto a 3-CD set. (The collection omits several records which are unavailable for copyright reasons). There were plenty of established names from the 1940s still enjoying success, like Red Foley, Ernest Tubb, Eddy Arnold and Gene Autry, but new artists from the honky-tonk scene were making their impact around this time, with Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Carl Smith all having several hits. Patti Page is the only solo female artist featured, although Mary Ford, Margaret Whiting and Anita Carter are there in duets, and as is often the case with these collections there are also one or two collectable obscurities. It's a fascinating and entertaining musical snapshot of the country scene as the music industry was embarking on a new decade, and with an in-depth 12,000+ word booklet with background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information, it gives a solid overview of the most popular country music of the year.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

• Lefty Frizzell - I Love You A Thousand Ways
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Moanin' The Blues
• Hank Snow - The Golden Rocket
• Lefty Frizzell - If Yiou've Got The Money I've Got The Time
• Hank Snow - I'm Movin On
• Gene Autry - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Stuart Hamblen - Remember Me I'm The One Who Loves You
• Eddy Arnold - The Lovebug Itch
• Gene Autry - Frosty The Snowman
• Tennessee Ernie - The Shot Gun Boogie
• Kay Starr & Tennessee Ernie - There's Been A Change In Me
• Ernest Tubb - Remember Me I'm The One Who Loves You
• Patti Page - The Tennessee Waltz
• Ernest Tubb - Blue Christmas
• Stuart Hamblen - It's No Secret
• Arkie Shibley - Hot Rod Race
• Eddy Arnold - There's Been A Change In Me
• Jimmy Wakely - My Heart Cries For You
• Johnnie and Jack and their Tennessee Mountain Boys - Poison Love
• Tiny Hill - Hot Rod Race
• Ramblin' Jimmy Dolan - Hot Rod Race
• Red Foley - Hot Rod Race
• Evelyn Knight & Red Foley - My Heart Cries For You
• Pee Wee King - The Tennessee Waltz
• The Pinetoppers - Mockin' Bird Hill
• Eddy Arnold - May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You

Disc 2:

• Tennessee Ernie & Joe 'Fingers' Carr - Tailor Made Woman
• Hank Snow - The Rhumba Boogie
• Lefty Frizzell - Look What Thoughts Will Do
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Dear John
• Les Paul & Mary Ford - Mockin' Bird Hill
• Lefty Frizzell - Shine, Shave, Shower (It's Saturday)
• Jimmy Wakely - Beautiful Brown Eyes
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Cold Cold Heart
• Tiny Hill - I'll Sail My Ship Alone
• Lefty Frizzell - I Want To Be With You Always
• Eddy Arnold - Kentucky Waltz
• Rex Allen - Sparrow In The Tree Top
• Hank Snow & Anita Carter - Bluebird Island
• Red Foley - Hobo Boogie
• Hank Snow & Anita Carter - Down The Trail Of Achin' Hearts
• Red Foley & Ernest Tubb - The Strange Little Girl
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Howlin' At The Moon
• Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely - When You And I Were Young Maggie Blues
• The Weavers - On Top Of Old Smokey
• Carl Smith - Let's Live A Little
• Ernest Tubb - Don't Stay Too Long
• Gene Autry - Old Soldiers Never Die
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
• Tennessee Ernie - The Strange Little Girl
• Tennessee Ernie - Mr. And Mississippi
• Eddy Arnold - I Wanna Play House With You

Disc 3:

• Red Foley - There'll Be Peace In The Valley For Me
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Hey Good Lookin'
• Johnnie and Jack and their Tennessee Mountain Boys - Cryin' Heart Blues
• Eddy Arnold - Something Old, Something New
• Carl Smith - If Teardrops Were Pennies
• Johnny Bond - Sick, Sober And Sorry
• Lefty Frizzell - Always Late (With Your Kisses)
• Carl Smith - Mr. Moon
• Lefty Frizzell - Mom And Dad's Waltz
• Del Wood - Down Yonder
• Ernest Tubb - Hey La La
• Hank Snow - Unwanted Sign Upon Your Heart
• Pee Wee King - Slow Poke
• Lefty Frizzell - Travellin' Blues
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Crazy Heart
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle
• Eddy Arnold - Heart Strings
• Eddy Arnold - Somebody's Been Beatin' My Time
• Carl Smith - Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way
• Red Foley - Alabama Jubilee
• Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely - I Don’t Want To Be Free
• Ernest Tubb - Driftwood On The River
• The Carlisles - Too Old To Cut The Mustard
• Hank Snow - Music Makin Mama From Memphis
• Lefty Frizzell - Give Me More, More, More
• Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys - Baby, We're Really In Love

Additional Details

Label: Acrobat

Genre: Country

Language: English

Run Time: 288 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 02/06/26

UPC: 824046917722