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From the Vault...
04/13/2014
#1407 |
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info
Merle Haggard
"40 #1 Hits"
© Capitol Nashville Records
Year of Release: 2004
Rating:
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track listing
Disc One:
Branded Man
The Fugitive
Mama Tried
Sing Me Back Home
The Legend Of
Bonnie And Clyde
Hungry Eyes
Okie From Muskogee
Workin' Man Blues
The Fightin' Side Of Me
Daddy Frank
(The Guitar Man)
Carolyn
Grandma Harp
It's Not Love
(But It's Not Bad)
Everybody's Had
The Blues
I Wonder If They
Think Of Me
If We Make It
Through December
Old Man From
The Mountain
Things Aren't
Funny Anymore
Always Wanting You
It's All In The Movies
Disc Two:
Kentucky Gambler
Movin' On
Cherokee Maiden
The Roots Of My Raising
I Think I'll
Just Stay Here
And Drink
I'm Always On
A Mountain
When I Fall
If We're Not Back
In Love By Monday
Bar Room Buddies
My Favorite Memory
Big City
Yesterday's Wine
Going Where The
Lonely Go
Pancho And Lefty
You Take Me For Granted
Let's Chase Each Other
Around The Room
Someday When
Things Are Good
That's The Way
Love Goes
A Place To Fall Apart
Natural High
Twinkle Twinkle
Lucky Star
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Merle Haggard related sites:
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Merle Haggard
"40 #1 Hits"
Country Legend Merle Haggard marks his debut as our Album Pick of the Week, as his 40 #1 Hits is a great introduction to his music. Other
best of/greatest hits of his are worth having (especially having songs that were not #1 hits). [Wow, I can't believe I actually said that!] But after
researching his history, and finding out he had penned songs for other artists (like "Today I Started Loving You Again," which has been recorded
by many artists). I can easily say that "Merle Haggard is not only a Country Legend, he is a Country Genius." His great storytelling of songs, and you
have to admit, his voice is definitely worth listening to.
His childhood was something commonly heard in early Country music lyrics - A "hell raising life," numerous arrests, including being jailed at San
Quentin. One of his inspirations in Country music was seeing Johnny Cash in concert at San Quentin. Another Country legend, Lefty Frizzell, gave him the
break to sing during his shows. After decades living in his life, Haggard admitted that his early life was "hell, and the scariest experience of his life."
By the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s decades, Merle Haggard had made his claim to fame in Country, accomplishing a total of 38 #1 Country songs,
according to Billboard Magazine.
| Count | Song Title | Date | Weeks @ #1 |
|---|
| 1 | "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive" | March 4, 1967 | 1 |
| 2 | "Branded Man" | September 2, 1967 | 1 |
| 3 | "Sing Me Back Home" | January 20, 1968 | 2 |
| 4 | "The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde" | April 27, 1968 | 2 |
| 5 | "Mama Tried" | August 31, 1968 | 4 |
| 6 | "Hungry Eyes" | May 10, 1969 | 1 |
| 7 | "Workin' Man Blues" | August 16, 1969 | 1 |
| 8 | "Okie From Muskogee" | November 15, 1969 | 4 |
| 9 | "The Fightin' Side Of Me" | March 14, 1970 | 3 |
| 10 | "Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)" | November 20, 1971 | 2 |
| 11 | "Carolyn" | January 15, 1972 | 3 |
| 12 | "Grandma Harp" | May 17, 1972 | 2 |
| 13 | "It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)" | November 4, 1972 | 1 |
| 14 | "I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me" | February 17, 1973 | 1 |
| 15 | "Everybody's Had The Blues" | August 25, 1973 | 2 |
| 16 | "If We Make It Through December" | December 22, 1973 | 4 |
| 17 | "Things Aren't Funny Anymore" | May 4, 1974 | 1 |
| 18 | "Old Man From The Mountain" | August 24, 1974 | 1 |
| 19 | "Kentucky Gambler" | January 18, 1975 | 1 |
| 20 | "Always Wanting You" | April 12, 1975 | 2 |
| 21 | "Movin' On" | July 12, 1975 | 1 |
| 22 | "It's All In The Movies" | November 29, 1975 | 1 |
| 23 | "The Roots Of My Raising" | March 13, 1976 | 1 |
| 24 | "Cherokee Maiden" | November 6, 1976 | 1 |
| 25 | "Bar Room Buddies"
(with Clint Eastwood) | July 26, 1980 | 1 |
| 26 | "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink" | January 10, 1981 | 1 |
| 27 | "My Favorite Memory" | November 28, 1981 | 1 |
| 28 | "Big City" | April 10, 1982 | 1 |
| 29 | "Yesterday's Wine"
(with George Jones) | October 9, 1982 | 1 |
| 30 | "Going Where The Lonely Go" | January 15, 1983 | 1 |
| 31 | "You Take Me For Granted" | May 28, 1983 | 1 |
| 32 | "Pancho And Lefty"
(with Willie Nelson) | July 23, 1983 | 1 |
| 33 | "That's The Way Love Goes" | February 11, 1984 | 1 |
| 34 | "Someday When Things Are Good" | June 9, 1984 | 1 |
| 35 | "Let's Chase Each Other Around The Room" | September 22, 1984 | 1 |
| 36 | "A Place To Fall Apart"
(with Janie Fricke) | February 2, 1985 | 1 |
| 37 | "Natural High" | June 8, 1985 | 1 |
| 38 | "Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star" | February 20, 1988 | 1 |
Again, that's a total of 38 #1 songs in his historic Country music career. The other two songs, "I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall" and
"If We're Not Back In Love By Monday" were not #1 in the U.S., my guess they were #1 elsewhere. Of course, there are many other songs of his that
could have easily reached #1, this is best to collect on various Best Of/Greatest Hits compilations.
But... read on...
Not only did Merle Haggard achieve greatness on the #1 Country singles chart, he also accomplished reaching the summit with his albums. 15 of his
albums reached #1 on the Billboard Country albums chart: Swinging Doors (1966; 2 weeks), Branded Man (1967; 1 week), Sing Me Back
Home (1968; 1 week), Same Train Different Time (1969; 2 weeks), Okie From Muskogee (1970; 5 weeks), The Fightin' Side Of Me (1970;
7 weeks), Hag (1971; 4 weeks), The Best Of The Best Of Merle Haggard (1972; 7 weeks), It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad), (1973; 3 weeks),
I Love Dixie Blues (1973; 2 weeks), Presents His 30th Album (1974; 2 weeks), Keep Movin' On (1975; 4 weeks), It's All In The Movies
(1976; 1 week), Pancho And Lefty (with Willie Nelson) (1983; 8 weeks), and It's All In The Game (1984; 1 week).
40 #1 Hits is only a collection of his #1 songs in his career. Yes, it is a Best Of/Greatest Hits compilation. Every track is superb. There
are some songs better than others, but all in all, it's a great collection (in this case, #1 Hits) of a Country Legend's music. Merle Haggard has continued
recording and making music. His music has influenced many, his songs covered by other well-known artists. He has made comebacks, in the 2000 decade.
The latest news, is he maybe a replacement for either Waylon Jennings or Johnny Cash in the Country supergroup, The Highwaymen, with Willie Nelson and
Kris Kristofferson. (Both Jennings and Cash passed away.) This rumour developed when he performed at the 2014 56th Annual Grammy Awards show, singing
"OKie From Muskogee," with Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Blake Shelton. (That superstar lineup would be a great future Highwaymen lineup.)
Like many artists, a Best Of/Greatest Hits collection is just not enough. In Merle Haggard's case, these collections are worth having. But even better,
with his songwriting skills, and great stories to tell and sing, his original albums would also be an asset in anyone's musical collection. Yes, there will
be more Merle Haggard albums to review: Best Of/Greatest Hits and original albums. Merle Haggard is a Country music Legend; any of his albums are worth the
price. After researching his music and his life, it's a must to collect as much Merle as you can find. He even recorded a tribute album to Elvis Presley -
My Farewell To Elvis, released in 1977, after Elvis' death. He also recorded a Bluegrass album, in 2007.
Merle Haggard is a Country Legend. These are his stories...
UPDATE: On his birthday, April 6, 2016, Country legend Merle Haggard passed away of pneumonia. He was 79. His last album was a collaboration
with Willie Nelson (their second), entitled Django & Jimmie. It would be be their second #1 album together, just as their first did in 1983, Pancho &
Lefty.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Capitol Nashville Records
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