On This Day in 1971, Lynn Anderson Topped the Country Charts With Her Last No. 1 Album—Produced by Her Husband

In 1970, Lynn Anderson scored the first No. 1 hit of her career with “Rose Garden.” The song topped the charts in multiple countries and earned Anderson a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. Ten years after her death at age 67, “Rose Garden” is still the first — and possibly only — tune that casual listeners associate with the North Dakota native. However, it’s a misnomer to slap the “one-hit wonder” label on Anderson. On this day in 1971, she hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Album charts for a third time.

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Lynn Anderson Also Reached No. 1 With This Album’s Title Track

On Aug. 30, 1971, You’re My Man, Lynn Anderson’s fourth studio album with Columbia Records, ascended the top of the country album charts, where it remained for seven weeks. She released only one single — the title track, which also hit No. 1.

Anderson’s then-husband, Glenn Sutton, produced the album and penned four of its 11 tracks, including “You’re My Man.” The record is an example of the wildly popular “countrypolitan” movement. Sutton helped pioneer the sound, which adopted a more streamlined sound emphasized by orchestral arrangements and background vocals provided by a choir.

[RELATED: The 10 Biggest Hit Country Songs of the 1970s]

Far From a One-Hit Wonder

Lynn Anderson holds the distinction of being the first female country singer to perform on The Tonight Show, first to headline and sell out Madison Square Garden, and the first to win an American Music Award for Favorite Female Vocalist during the 1970s.

After Anderson’s death on July 30, 2015, multiple A-list women in country music spoke of her impact.

“Lynn and I were buddies backstage,” Dolly Parton told The Boot. “We didn’t hang out. We weren’t, like, girlfriends, but you always have the friends that you have backstage that you enjoy more than others. We were, I guess, basically the same age. So she was having her hits, and I was having mine, and I just loved her to death… I made a quote this morning that said she’s blooming in God’s rose garden now.”

Describing herself as a “huge fan,” Reba McEntire added, “She did so much for the females in country music. Always continuing to pave the road for those to follow.”

Featured image by David Redfern/Redferns