The early 1970s are one of my favorite eras of country music, as many of the greats we all love today came up during that time. Yet, surprisingly, a few country songs from 1971 recorded by those very artists didn’t make it to No. 1 on any Billboard chart that year. It doesn’t make sense, especially when you consider how massively popular these songs have been and still are today. Let’s take a look.
“Man In Black” by Johnny Cash
It’s a song so closely associated with the legendary Johnny Cash that it became his nickname. So, why didn’t “Man In Black” reach No. 1 on any Billboard chart? I just can’t wrap my head around it. Though, this 1971 country-folk protest song didn’t exactly do poorly back in the day. “Man In Black”, the title track of the album of the same name, was a Top 10 hit on the country charts. It reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US and No. 58 on the Hot 100. And it remains one of Johnny Cash’s most memorable protest songs.
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“Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” by Kris Kristofferson
Like many of Kris Kristofferson’s songs, “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” has been covered by quite a few artists. Roger Miller, Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, and Mark Chesnutt all covered the tune beautifully. But nothing beats the original Kristofferson version from 1971. And, somehow, it never hit No. 1. “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” was a crossover hit that peaked at No. 26 on the Hot 100, No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the US, and No. 21 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles. Surprisingly, the song wasn’t really promoted on country music radio at all.
“Coat Of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton
This sweet country tune from Dolly Parton is one of my favorite country songs from 1971. And I really can’t believe it never made it to No. 1. This Parton classic peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US and No. 15 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. Yet, it never quite made it to No. 1, which really doesn’t make sense to me. This song is absolutely legendary.
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