Country music can be a genre that’s left on the outskirts of the music industry. While the genre has legions of fans, the mainstream often sees it as a niche interest. Though country music has gained more traction as of late, there was a time when achieving mainstream success was a feat for a country artist. Someone had to be the trailblazer. That person was Glen Campbell. On this day in 1967, Campbell hit No. 1 on the country charts with his album By The Time I Get To Phoenix. This album was a coup for Campbell, not just for its success in country music but also for its impressive showing in the mainstream. Learn more about this era-defining Campbell album below.
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[RELATED: 3 Glen Campbell Songs That Pack a Serious Emotional Punch]
Glen Campbell’s 1967 No. 1 Album
By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Campbell’s seventh album, stayed at No. 1 for several weeks in 1967. It took the country scene by storm, maintaining Campbell’s status as a top-selling artist in that genre.
The album featured several of Campbell’s signature songs, including the title track, “Homeward Bound”, and “Tomorrow Never Comes”. This album’s mix of renditions and originals offered something for every listener to latch onto. Unsurprisingly, that approach gave this album major crossover success.
By The Time I Get To Phoenix won Album of the Year at the Grammys, becoming the first country album to do so. The title track won a handful of other Grammys in the year prior, including Best Vocal Performance, Male and Best Contemporary Male Solo Vocal Performance.
“By The Time I Get To Phoenix”
While there are many hits on this record, it’s the title track that has stood the test of time. Campbell wasn’t the first artist to record this Jimmy Webb-penned song, but he certainly made it famous.
Webb is a legendary songwriter who has penned many top-selling tracks, including Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman”. Webb originally intended “By the Time I Get To Phoenix” to be a Motown song, but no artist at that label wanted to record it.
Blues artist Johnny Rivers was the first person to record this song, but his rendition ultimately was overshadowed by Campbell. After hearing what Campbell did with the track, Webb decided to write “Wichita Lineman,” giving the country giant not one, but two of his biggest hits.
Revisit Campbell’s version of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” on the day the accompanying album hit No. 1.
(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
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