List of Top Country LP's number ones of 1968

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1967, 17 different albums topped the chart based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide. The chart was published under the banner Hot Country Albums in the issue of Billboard dated January 6 but the title changed to Top Country LP's the following week.[1]

Singer Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell topped the chart in 1968 with five solo albums and one in collaboration with Bobbie Gentry.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, Eddy Arnold was at number one with the album Turn the World Around, the record's third week in the top spot.[2] It remained at number one for the first five weeks of 1968 before it was displaced from the top spot in the issue dated February 10 by By the Time I Get to Phoenix by Glen Campbell, which spent four weeks atop the chart. It was the first chart-topping album for Campbell, who had previously worked largely as a session musician,[3] but it marked the start of an unbroken run of number ones in quick succession. In June he returned to number one with Hey Little One, and two months later was back at the top of the listing with A New Place in the Sun, which spent six weeks at number one, the longest unbroken run atop the chart during 1968. Four weeks after that album was displaced from the top spot, Campbell returned to number one with Gentle on My Mind, which had first entered the chart in October of the previous year and finally reached the top spot more than a year later. Two weeks later the album was replaced at number one by Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell, a collaborative album with Bobbie Gentry. In the issue of Billboard dated November 30 Campbell achieved his sixth number-one album of 1968 with Wichita Lineman, which occupied the top spot for the final five weeks of the year. His total of 19 weeks at number one was the most by any artist, more than twice that achieved by any other act.

Two members of the Country Music Hall of Fame topped the albums chart for the final time in 1968.[4][5] Buck Owens, one of the most successful country singers of the mid-1960s, had achieved twelve chart-topping albums in slightly over four years since the listing was first published, but It Takes People Like You to Make People Like Me would be his last release to reach the top of the chart.[6] The album was twice displaced from the number-one position by The Everlovin' World of Eddy Arnold, which would prove to be the final chart-topper for Eddy Arnold,[7] who had experienced considerable success in the late 1940s and early 1950s and then revived his career in the mid-1960s by embracing the "Nashville sound", a newer style of country music which eschewed elements of the earlier honky-tonk style in favour of smooth productions which had a broader appeal,[8][4] A third Hall of Famer,[9] Tammy Wynette, reached the top of the chart for the first time with D-I-V-O-R-C-E.[10] Although only three of her nearly 50 charting albums went all the way to number one,[10] her lengthy and successful career led to her being dubbed the "first lady of country".[11]

Chart history

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Buck Owens had his final number-one album in 1968.
 
Jeannie C. Riley topped the albums chart with Harper Valley P.T.A., named for her chart-topping song of the same title
 
Johnny Cash reached the top spot with Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, recorded at the California correctional facility.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 6 Turn the World Around Eddy Arnold [2]
January 13 [12]
January 20 [13]
January 27 [14]
February 3 [15]
February 10 By the Time I Get to Phoenix Glen Campbell [16]
February 17 [17]
February 24 [18]
March 2 [19]
March 9 Sing Me Back Home Merle Haggard and the Strangers [20]
March 16 It Takes People Like You to Make People Like Me Buck Owens and his Buckaroos [21]
March 23 [22]
March 30 [23]
April 6 The Everlovin' World of Eddy Arnold Eddy Arnold [24]
April 13 It Takes People Like You to Make People Like Me Buck Owens and his Buckaroos [25]
April 20 The Everlovin' World of Eddy Arnold Eddy Arnold [26]
April 27 [27]
May 4 [28]
May 11 Promises, Promises Lynn Anderson [29]
May 18 The Country Way Charley Pride [30]
May 25 Honey Bobby Goldsboro [31]
June 1 [32]
June 8 Hey Little One Glen Campbell [33]
June 15 Fist City Loretta Lynn [34]
June 22 [35]
June 29 Honey Bobby Goldsboro [36]
July 6 [37]
July 13 [38]
July 20 Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Johnny Cash [39]
July 27 [40]
August 3 [41]
August 10 A New Place in the Sun Glen Campbell [42]
August 17 [43]
August 24 [44]
August 31 [45]
September 7 [46]
September 14 [47]
September 21 D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette [48]
September 28 [49]
October 5 Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Johnny Cash [50]
October 12 Gentle on My Mind Glen Campbell [51]
October 19 [52]
October 26 Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell [53]
November 2 Harper Valley PTA Jeannie C. Riley [54]
November 9 [55]
November 16 [56]
November 23 [57]
November 30 Wichita Lineman Glen Campbell [58]
December 7 [59]
December 14 [60]
December 21 [61]
December 28 [62]

References

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  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. ^ a b "Country Albums chart for January 6, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Glen Campbell Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Eddy Arnold Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  5. ^ "2019 CMA Awards: The Performers List". The Boot. Townsquare Media. November 13, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. pp. 186–187. ISBN 9780898201734.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. pp. 23–24. ISBN 9780898201734.
  8. ^ Miller, Zell (1996). They Heard Georgia Singing. Mercer University Press. p. 22. ISBN 9780865545045.
  9. ^ "Tammy Wynette Exhibit Set for Country Music Hall of Fame". The Boot. Townsquare Media. April 10, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 282. ISBN 9780898201734.
  11. ^ "'First lady of country' Wynette is dead at 55". Variety. April 7, 1998. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 13, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  13. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 20, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  14. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 27, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 3, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  16. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 10, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  17. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 17, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 24, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  19. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 2, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  20. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 9, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  21. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 16, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  22. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 23, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  23. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 30, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  24. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 6, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  25. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 13, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  26. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 20, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  27. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 27, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  28. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 4, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  29. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 11, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  30. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 18, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  31. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 25, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  32. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 1, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  33. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 8, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  34. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 15, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  35. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 22, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  36. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 29, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  37. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 6, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  38. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 13, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  39. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 20, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  40. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 27, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  41. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 3, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  42. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 10, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  43. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 17, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  44. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 24, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  45. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 31, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  46. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 7, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  47. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 14, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  48. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 21, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  49. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 28, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  50. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 5, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  51. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 12, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  52. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 19, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  53. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 26, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  54. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 2, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  55. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 9, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  56. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 16, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  57. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 23, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  58. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 30, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  59. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 7, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  60. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 14, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  61. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 21, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  62. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 28, 1968". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2019.