On This Day in 1950, Hank Snow Was at No. 1 With One of Country Music’s Biggest Hits—Later Recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, and Ray Charles

August 19, 2026, 10:06am

On this day (August 19) in 1950, Hank Snow topped the country chart with “I’m Moving On.” The song stayed at No. 1 for 21 weeks, making it one of the most successful country songs of the 20^th century. It would be more than 50 years before a song occupied the top of the country chart longer than “I’m Moving On.” One other song tied the 21-week record.

Snow first gained popularity in Canada. Then, in the late 1940s, country fans in the United States discovered his music. As a result, he relocated to Nashville in 1949 and began recording for RCA Records. His debut single for the label, “Marriage Vow,” reached No. 10. The next year, he followed it with “I’m Moving On,” which sparked a string of hits that stretched into the next decade. Most of his singles in the 1950s landed in the top 10, and a total of five reached the top of the chart.

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Snow brought “I’m Moving On” to his first RCA session. However, producer Stephen Sholes turned it down. Finally, he was able to cut the song during a session in March 1950. He released the song in May, and it began climbing the charts.

Hank Snow Makes Chart History

The success of “I’m Moving On” helped Hank Snow join the Grand Ole Opry. It also inspired a long list of covers. Ray Charles had a top 40 hit with it in 1959. A year later, Don Gibson had a top 20 country hit with it. Emmylou Harris took a live version of the song ot No. 5 in 1982. A year later, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings recorded it. However, their recording was lost until John Carter Cash included it and other previously unreleased work on the 2014 album Out Among the Stars.

“I’m Moving On” was the first single to spend 21 weeks at the top of the chart. Only one matched its longevity. A few more came relatively close. Webb Pierce came close when “Slowly,” the first No. 1 single to feature pedal steel, topped the chart for 17 weeks in 1954. A year later, Pierce tied Snow’s record with “In the Jailhouse Now.” They would remain tied for the record until 2013.

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