Ring Of Fire: The Best Of Johnny Cash dropped on July 8, 1963. And it was an almost immediate success for the legendary country icon. Many of Cash’s finest tunes can be found on this very record, from “Ring Of Fire” to “Peace In The Valley” to “Remember The Alamo”.
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The album made it all the way to No. 26 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. And it was also a big “first” for both Cash and the Billboard charts in general. On this day, January 11, 1964, Ring Of Fire: The Best Of Johnny Cash hit No. 1 on the Country Albums chart. And the Country Albums chart itself had just debuted that very day. Cash’s legendary album was the very first No. 1 album on that coveted chart. Talk about an incredible feat!
Why ‘Ring Of Fire: The Best Of Johnny Cash’ Is One of the Country Crooner’s Finest Offerings
There’s a lot to love about Ring Of Fire: The Best Of Johnny Cash. The 16th album from the country legend, this release is composed of songs and an EP released between 1959 and 1963. “Ring Of Fire”, today considered one of Cash’s most famous songs, made its album debut on this very LP. The album, as a whole, would be Cash’s very first Gold LP via the RIAA.
Quite a few singles from this album also charted well upon the LP’s release. “Ring Of Fire” hit No. 1 on the Country Singles chart. It was also a crossover hit at No. 17 on the Pop Singles chart. Likewise, “What Do I Care” peaked at No. 7 on the country charts, along with “The Rebel – Johnny Yuma” and “The Big Battle” at No. 24. “Tennessee Flat Top Box” and “What Do I Care” were also crossover successes. The former peaked at No. 11 on the country charts and No. 84 on the pop charts. The latter peaked at No. 7 and No. 52, respectively.
And, of course, while Johnny Cash was what made the album incredible, there is also a long list of talent in the credits. A number of beloved guitarists can be heard on this record. A few names include Jack Clement, Billy Strang, Roy Nichols, and Johnny Western. The Carter Family also provided backing vocals to this album.
Photo by Columbia Records/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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