On This Day in 1968, Glen Campbell Was at No. 1 With the Album That Put Him on the Map and a Title Track That Served as a TV Theme Song

On this day (October 22) in 1968, Glen Campbell was at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with Gentle on My Mind, giving him his first entry on the tally. After years of struggling to find success as a solo artist, Gentle on My Mind and its title track launched Campbell to stardom. It was the first of seven consecutive No. 1 LPs. Additionally, the title track quickly became his signature song.

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Before Campbell was one of the hottest acts in country music, he was a studio musician in Los Angeles. His skill as a guitarist landed him a spot on the legendary Wrecking Crew, a group of highly sought-after session players. Before embarking on his solo career, he appeared on recordings from the likes of Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, and Elvis Presley.

[RELATED: 3 Songs You Might Not Know Glen Campbell Played on as a Session Musician]

Campbell released his debut solo album, Big Bluegrass Special, in 1962. It failed to chart. The same fate would befall his next four albums. Then, he heard John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind” on the radio and fell in love with the song. He knew he wanted to cut it. However, he couldn’t have known how important the song would be to his career.

Glen Campbell Finds Solo Success

Glen Campbell released “Gentle on My Mind” as the album’s first single in June 1967. Then, after finding success with other singles, he released it again the next year. It became his signature song, and it was the theme song for his TV show. When Campbell re-released the song, it landed within the top 40 of the Hot 100, giving him his first crossover hit. Additionally, it brought him a pair of Grammy Awards. However, it wasn’t a huge country hit. Upon its first release, it peaked at No. 30 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The second time around, it only reached No. 44 on the country chart.

Despite its lackluster chart performance, the song was massively successful. It won Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Country & Western Recording at the 10^th annual Grammy Awards. Additionally, it took home Single of the Year at the 1967 ACM Awards. Gentle on My Mind won the ACM Award for Album of the Year as well, largely driven by the title track.

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