Billboard's #1 Country Song of 1956

"Crazy Arms"

Ray Price

In a year like 1956 when you had so many legendary songs reach #1 on the Billboard country chart, this little classic spent a record 20 weeks at the top. 

#1 on the airplay, jukebox and bestsellers charts help it become Billboard's biggest county song of 1956.  The record of 20 weeks stood alone until 2013 when Florida Georgia Line matched it with "Cruise".

#1 Song of the Week

This week we look at the 2nd #1 song for the King, Elvis Presley. His follow up to the smash "Heartbreak Hotel" was the ballad "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" which spent just one paltry week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. During a recordings session in Nashville after a plane ride that Elvis thought would be his last, he would only record one song and it would the this old ballad.
After fumbling his way through almost 2o takes the producer called an end to the session. Most of the problem was Elvis was still shaken from the turbulent plane ride from Texas to Nashville. Later the producer would splice together the 14th and 17th takes and come up with a seamless version that raced up the charts in July of 1956.