This week in country music history belongs to Merle Haggard, because by Nov. 15, 1969, “Okie From Muskogee” had climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s country singles chart. It stayed there for four weeks.
The Song That Started a Fight (and a Legend)
Few country songs have been argued over as long as this one. Some heard a proud small-town anthem, others heard a wink at the whole thing, and fans still debate which it was. What nobody argues is how big it got. Beyond the country chart, it reached No. 41 on the Hot 100, and at the 1970 CMA Awards it was named Single of the Year, with the album taking Album of the Year too.
Why does it still matter? Because it still gets covered and still gets talked about. The Beach Boys, John Denver and The Flaming Lips have all recorded versions, which tells you how far this song traveled. When you hear a modern artist say a song “says what everybody’s thinking,” that is the Haggard playbook. Merle died in 2016, but this one is still in the conversation. Dig into more on our Merle Haggard archive.
The Rest of the Week
Nov. 10: Miranda Lambert’s Birthday Double
Miranda Lambert was born Nov. 10, 1983, in Longview, Texas. On her birthday in 2010, she won CMA Female Vocalist of the Year at the 44th CMA Awards. She is also heading to the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving halftime show on Nov. 26.
Nov. 11: Garth Brooks Drops Man Against Machine
On Nov. 11, 2014, Garth Brooks released Man Against Machine, his album. It debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums and No. 4 on the Billboard 200. If you missed how he got there, catch last month’s Garth Brooks retirement story.
Nov. 13: Remembering Leon Russell
Leon Russell died Nov. 13, 2016, at age 74. The Oklahoma-born piano man and songwriter went into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and his fingerprints are all over country and rock alike.
Nov. 14: Holly Dunn and “Daddy’s Hands”
Holly Dunn died Nov. 14, 2016, at 59, after a battle with ovarian cancer. She wrote “Daddy’s Hands,” her first Top 10 hit, which peaked at No. 7 in 1986. She also won the CMA Horizon Award in 1987.
Nov. 15: Carrie Underwood Arrives, Roy Clark Departs
On Nov. 15, 2005, Carrie Underwood released Some Hearts. It sold 315,000 copies in its first week and opened at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Thirteen years later to the day, Nov. 15, 2018, Roy Clark died at 85 at his home in Tulsa. The Opry member (inducted 1987) and Country Music Hall of Famer (2009) is part of our Roy Clark remembrance.
Your Turn
Catch up on last week’s Shania Twain Come On Over edition too. Now tell us: which Merle Haggard song would you hand to a brand-new fan first, “Okie From Muskogee” or something else? Drop it in the comments.
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