The 3 Country Artists Who Hit No. 1 on the Top 200 in the 1970s

In the 1970s, if you were a country artist, it was rare that you’d see the top spot on the Billboard Top 200. To make the vaunted chart was one thing, but to rocket to the No. 1 spot on the popular music list—that was nearly unheard of.

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Except for these three artists here below. We wanted to highlight the three songwriters and performers who were able to transcend the music business and cross genres. Indeed, these are the three country artists who hit No. 1 on the Top 200 in the 1970s.

John Denver

In the mid-1970s, there were few artists bigger than John Denver. Not only was the artist friendly with The Muppets, but he was also releasing No. 1 albums left and right, including John Denver’s Greatest Hits in 1973, Back Home Again in 1974, and Windsong in 1975. Those records all found themselves on the Billboard Country charts, but perhaps more important, they were also all No. 1 on the Top 200. That’s quite a feat for the pleasant, nature-loving Denver.

Olivia Newton-John

Like country artist Denver, Olivia Newton-John garnered multiple No. 1 albums during the 1970s. Those successes included If You Love Me, Let Me Know in 1974 and Have You Never Been Mellow in 1975. Indeed, during the 1970s, it was good to be Newton-John. She was a movie star, pop star, and country music star all at once. That’s not exactly an easy feat to pull off. But that just proves the talent that ONJ brought to the proverbial table as a star artist.

Kris Kristofferson

Before Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga reprised the starring roles in the film A Star Is Born, it was country artist Kris Kristofferson and pop artist Barbra Streisand playing the parts for the 1976 version of the famed story. And with their powers combined, the soundtrack for the movie rocketed up the charts at hit No. 1 on the Top 200. That’s how popular the music from the movie was. With that, Kristofferson enjoyed the view from No. 1.

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