On This Day in 1972, Donna Fargo Was the ‘Happiest Girl in the Whole USA’—Hitting No. 1 With an Album Produced by Her Husband

On this day (September 4) in 1972, Donna Fargo was atop the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for the fourth consecutive week with her debut album, The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA. The LP also performed well on the publication’s all-genre chart and produced a pair of major singles for the up-and-comer.

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Fargo released five singles in the late 1960s that failed to chart. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she returned with “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” in March 1972. It was a massive hit, spending three weeks at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart and peaking at No. 11 on the Hot 100. Two months later, in May, she released her debut album of the same name. It, too, was a hit. It reached the summit of the Top Country Albums chart dated August 12, ending Charley Pride’s seven-month run at No. 1.

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Fargo’s debut album, which was produced by her husband and manager Stan Silver, retained the top spot for four consecutive weeks. It also peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard 200, giving the singer/songwriter her most successful entry on the all-genre albums chart.

Donna Fargo Finds Early Crossover Success

Donna Fargo was a rare breed of star. Very few women in country music were writing their own songs in the early 1970s, but Fargo was. At the same time, it was rare for country artists to find crossover success. She placed two songs that she wrote in the top 40 on the Hot 100 with her first album. While these were her only top 40 hits, she continued to see success on the country chart throughout the 1970s.

Fargo captured the joy of being a newlywed with “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA,” and listeners couldn’t get enough. It spent three weeks at the top of the country chart and narrowly missed the top 10 of the Hot 100.

Later that year, she released “Funny Face.” It, too, spent three weeks at No. 1 on the country chart. It also peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and went to No. 1 on the Canadian country singles chart. This was her biggest and final crossover hit and her first international No. 1.

Fargo never returned to the all-genre top 40. However, she continued to see consistent success on the country chart for the rest of the decade. In total, she reached the top 10 16 times, with six of those singles going all the way to No. 1.

Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns