On This Day in 1965, Buck Owens Topped the Country Chart with His Second Multi-Week No. 1 of the Year

On this day (July 29) in 1965, Buck Owens was nearing the end of a six-week run at No. 1 with “Before You Go.” Earlier in the year, “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail” stayed at No. 1 for five weeks. He would top the charts two more times before the end of the year.

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Owens, an originator of the Bakersfield Sound, released his first singles in the late 1950s. His first nine singles failed to chart. Then, he found his first top 40 hit with “Second Fiddle” in 1959. He followed that with “Under Your Spell Again,” which peaked at No. 4. The 1960s saw him taking up more space on the country chart. The decade saw him release 33 singles. Two of those failed to chart, and two missed the top 10. Owens notched 18 No. 1 singles in the 1960s. He hit the top of the charts 14 consecutive times between 1963 and 1967. The hot streak started with “Act Naturally” and ended with “Your Tender Loving Care.”

[RELATED: Watch Buck Owens Perform His First No. 1 Single with His Best Friend and Longtime Bandmate]

Owens co-wrote “Before You Go” with Don Rich and released it as the sole single and title track from his 1965 album on April 19, 1965. It topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated June 26 and stayed there for six consecutive weeks. All told, it spent 20 weeks on the chart.

Buck Owens Had a Massive Impact on Country Music

While Buck Owens isn’t the most well-known artist in country music history, his impact cannot be overstated. He helped create the Bakersfield Sound, a direct response to the slick pop-leaning production of the Nashville Sound. Legends like Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam followed in his footsteps.

He explained the Bakersfield Sound in an interview with NPR. “The Bakersfield Sound, I think, is a mix of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and Little Richard,” he said. “I like music with a big beat, and I liked the driving sound of drums and the guitars,” he added.

That blend of Western swing, rock and roll, and honky tonk music created a sound that would influence countless artists and serve as the groundwork for much of the country music that was popular in the 1990s.

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