On This Day in 1963, Buck Owens Was at No. 1 With One of the Biggest Hits in Country Music History—a Song That Held a 49-Year Record

On this day (December 24) in 1963, Buck Owens was at the top of the country chart with “Love’s Gonna Live Here.” It retained the top spot for 16 weeks between September 1963 and February 1964, setting a chart record that stood for nearly five decades. “Love’s Gonna Live Here” wasn’t just Owens’ biggest hit. It was one of the biggest hits in country music history.

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Owens wrote “Love’s Gonna Live Here” and released it as a single from his greatest hits collection, The Best of Buck Owens, in August 1963. It climbed the chart quickly, reaching the top for the first time in late September. The single initially spent a week at No. 1 before being dethroned for two weeks. Then, on October 19, it regained the top spot and stayed there for fifteen consecutive weeks.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1964, Buck Owens Was a No. 1 with a Now-Classic Album That Produced One of His Biggest Hits]

“Love’s Gonna Live Here” kept Owens at the top of the chart through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Marty Robbins’ “Begging to You” dethroned the juggernaut hit on February 8.

Owens would return to the top of the chart later in the year. “My Heart Skips a Beat” and its B-side, “Together Again,” spent a combined nine weeks at the top between May and June.

Buck Owens Held a Major Chart Record for Decades

It would be 49 years before someone broke Buck Owens’ incredible chart record. In fact, no other song came close until Taylor Swift released “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” in 2013. It was the first song to spend 10 weeks at the top since “Love’s Gonna Live Here.” Later that year, “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line broke the record, spending 17 weeks at the top of the chart.

Several other A-list country stars covered “Love’s Gonna Live” here over the years. However, none of them matched Buck Owens’ success with the song. Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Ray Charles, Connie Smith, and Martina McBride are among those who covered the song. Despite their star power, none of them had a hit with the record-setting track.

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