At No. 1 on This Day in 1979 Was the Classic Country Album That Made Us All Better Poker Players

When you think of the most successful country albums of all time, which ones come to mind? If you’re thinking of Garth Brooks’ Double Live, Shania Twain’s Come On Over, or Dolly Parton’s Jolene, those are all viable answers. However, you must not forget to think about Kenny Rogers‘ 1978 album, The Gambler, which on this day, February 11, 1979, was amidst its lengthy run at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

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Released in November of 1978, Kenny Rogers’ album didn’t peak at No. 1 on the chart until January of 1979. However, before the album reached its top position on the chart, its incredibly popular and timeless title track landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December of 1978. Furthermore, Rogers’ single also peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Kenny Rogers’ single, “The Gambler”, is certainly one of the most ubiquitous songs in country music history. For decades, country and non-country fans have sung along to the lines “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em / Know when to walk away and know when to run / You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table / There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done.” However, as the record shows, the title track was not the only successful single on the album, because if it were, the iconic album would not have sat at No. 1 for 25 total weeks.

The Sheer Dominance of Kenny Rogers’ 6th Studio Album

As stated previously, The Gambler peaked at No. 1 in January of 1979. Months later, Waylon Jennings’ Greatest Hits dethroned the album on June 2, 1979. However, a week later, it returned to the top spot and remained there for four more weeks. By no surprise, this went on to become the No. 1 country album of the year.

In addition to the astounding success of “The Gambler”, other iconic singles on the album are “She Believes In Me”, “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again”, and “Tennessee Bottle”. As a matter of fact, “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again” went on to become a top 10 hit for T. Graham Brown in 1986.

Aside from absolutely dominating country music for the good part of a year, Kenny Rogers was also able to create his iconic album and single in a TV film franchise. If you aren’t familiar with The Gambler franchise, Kenny Rogers starred in several TV movies, all revolving around his single and album.

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