On This Day in 1988, Vern Gosdin Was at No. 1 With a Tribute to Honky Tonk Legend Ernest Tubb

On this day (July 25) in 1988, Vern Gosdin was at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “Set ‘Em Up Joe.” Released as the second single from Chiseled in Stone in April of the same year, it reached No. 1 on the chart dated July 23. This was the second of three chart-toppers for Gosdin.

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Called “The Voice,” Gosdin kicked off his solo career in 1976 with his debut single “Hangin’ On.” It peaked at No. 16 on the country chart, kicking off a successful run. Gosdin released a total of 41 singles between 1976 and 1993. Only 10 of those singles missed the top 40, and half of those came in the 1990s, shortly after his career reached its peak.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1941, Ernest Tubb Changed Country Music History with a Song He Wrote While His Wife Was Away]

Gosdin saw his peak between 1988 and 1989. At the time, the neotraditional movement that shaped country music in the coming decade was gaining steam. The “Class of ’89,” which includes Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Travis Tritt, all released incredibly successful debut albums that year. So, Gosdin’s traditional sound was perfect for the time.

Vern Gosdin Tops the Chart With an Ode to Ernest Tubb

Vern Gosdin co-wrote “Set ‘Em Joe” with Buddy Cannon, Dean Dillon, and Hank Cochran. The powerhouse team created both a great heartbreak tune and a tribute to some of the most influential artists in country music history.

The song is from the perspective of a man who is heartbroken and hanging out in his local bar. Every night, he goes in and plays Ernest Tubb’s “Walking the Floor Over You” on the jukebox until the needle wears a hole in the record. He also mentions that the jukebox has records from Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell. The narrator’s focus, however, is on Tubb.

Gosdin tips his hat directly to Tubb three times in the chorus. The lines Ser ‘em up, Joe, and play “Walkin’ the Floor” and Playin’ ET, and I’ll play him some more. Directly reference Tubb and his 1941 hit. Also, I’ve gotta have a shot of them old troubadours is a nod to the Texas Troubadours, Tubb’s backing band. The Texas Troubadour was also Tubb’s nickname.

“Walking the Floor Over You” is more than a classic heartbreak song. Many music historians point to it as the first honky tonk song. The song laid the groundwork for artists like Hank Williams, who released his debut single in 1947.

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