On This Day in 1968, the “Rhinestone Cowboy” Recorded His First Career No. 1 Hit

1968 was a banner year for country singer Glen Campbell, who ruled Billboard’s albums chart with his seminal work, Wichita Lineman. The double-platinum record also dominated the country charts for a staggering 20 weeks and introduced the world to one of Campbell’s signature songs—the title track. On this day (Jan. 11) in 1968, he kicked off a monumental career turning point when he recorded “I Wanna Live,” which would become his first-ever No. 1 hit.

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Written by John D. Loudermilk, “I Wanna Live” delivered an exquisitely simple message: Flowers have blooms / The ocean has waves / The sky has clouds / People have babes / I want to live / Till I get old / I want to watch all of this grow. Campbell recorded the song at Hollywood’s Capitol Studios, releasing it two months later as the lead single from his eighth album, Hey Little One.

“I Wanna Live” spent 15 weeks on the country charts, three of them (non-consecutively) at No. 1. It also peaked at No. 36 on the Hot 100, giving Campbell his third Top 40 single. Additionally, “I Wanna Live” landed the country music hitmaker a Grammy nod for Best Male Vocal Performance.

This Song Kicked off an Impressive Chart Run for Glen Campbell

Later in 1968, Glen Campbell released “Wichita Lineman.” Hailed as “the first existential country song” by The Independent, “Wichita Lineman” topped both the Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts, also reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100. He struck gold again in 1969 with another geographical-based song written by Jimmy Webb: “Galveston,” which also hit No. 4 on the Hot 100.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1969, Glen Campbell Recorded a No. 1 Hit About a Homesick Soldier That Became an Unexpected Protest Song]

However, Campbell’s greatest success was still to come. He landed a major crossover hit with 1975’s “Rhinestone Cowboy,” enchanting country and pop audiences alike. That same year, his song “Southern Nights” topped three separate U.S. charts.

Glen Campbell died Aug. 8, 2017, in Nashville following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81 years old. Songwriter Jimmy Webb, Campbell’s longtime friend and frequent collaborator, called him “one of the great largely unknown influences on American pop music in the ’60s.”

“”He could sit and play with any guitar player in the world, from George Benson to Eric Clapton. Paul McCartney knew he was a great guitar player,” Webb told ABC News. “I think all this will come to the surface as the years pass and people realize what an extraordinary genius Glen really was.”

Featured image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images