On This Day in 1971, Lynn Anderson Was at No. 1 With a Groundbreaking Album and a Title Track Her Husband Tried To Dissuade Her From Recording

On this day (February 13), Lynn Anderson was at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The LP reigned over the chart for 14 nonconsecutive weeks, longer than any other female country artist at the time. Additionally, it is arguably the first country album from a female artist to receive Platinum certification from the RIAA. Rose Garden also made Anderson the best-selling woman in country music for nearly three decades.

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Lynn released the album’s title track as its lead single in October 1970. It quickly climbed the chart to become her first No. 1. It spent a total of five weeks at the top of the country singles chart. In November, as the title track was climbing the charts, Anderson released the album.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1971, Lynn Anderson’s Seven-Week Run Atop the Country Chart With Her Second No. 1 Album of the Year—Produced by Her Then-Husband]

The success and popularity of “Rose Garden” helped the LP sell more than a million copies and quickly reach the top of the country albums chart. It remained the best-selling country album by a female artist for the next 27 years. In 1997, Shania Twain broke the record with Come On Over, which remains the best-selling country album from a female artist. Moreover, at 20 million copies sold, it is the second-best-selling country album of all time. Garth Brooks’ Double Live holds the overall record.

Rose Garden also held the top spot on the country albums chart longer than any LP from a female artist until 1995. Interestingly, Twain broke that record as well. The Woman in Me spent 29 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 between 1995 and 1996.

Lynn Anderson Had to Fight to Record “Rose Garden”

“Rose Garden” helped Lynn Anderson become one of the most successful country artists of the 1970s. However, if she hadn’t put up a fight, she would not have been allowed to cut the Joe South-penned classic.

Glenn Sutton, Anderson’s husband and producer, didn’t think “Rose Garden” was appropriate for a woman to record. According to Songfacts, lines like “I could promise you things like big diamond rings” made it a man’s song. Fortunately, she didn’t agree.

Finally, when they had extra studio time, Sutton allowed Anderson to record the song. However, he was only considering it for an album cut. After a few changes to the arrangement and the addition of a string section, they were ready to let Columbia Records executive Clive Davis hear it.

Davis knew a hit when he heard one and insisted that the song be released as a single.

“It was popular because it touched on emotions,” Anderson said of the song. “It was perfectly timed. It was out just as we came out of the Vietnam years, and a lot of people were trying to recover. This song stated that you can make something out of nothing,” she explained.

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