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60 Years Ago Today, George Jones Scored His First and Only No. 1 Country Album
On 6 August 1966, George Jones's album "I'm a People" reached number one on the US country albums chart, replacing the late Jim Reeves's "Distant Drums" at the top. It was the only time in Jones's six-decade career that he topped the country albums chart, despite scoring numerous number one singles, including "White Lightning" in 1959, "The Grand Tour" in 1974, and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" in 1980.
Released on Musicor Records in April 1966, the album blended honky-tonk, novelty numbers, ballads and gospel songs, and featured contributions from other country stars, including two tracks written by Bill Anderson and one by Loretta Lynn. Its title track and lead single, written by Dallas Frazier, reached number six on the country songs chart, while Jones's next two albums peaked at number three and number two respectively, but he never returned to the top of the albums chart again.
In short
- "I'm a People" hit number one on 6 August 1966.
- Jones's only chart-topping album despite many hit singles.
- Featured songs by Bill Anderson, Loretta Lynn and Dallas Frazier.
Explained simply
George Jones was a leading American country singer whose career lasted more than six decades. He was known for songs that reached the top of the country singles chart, but success with individual songs did not always translate into the same success for albums.
I’m a People was released by Musicor Records in 1966 and brought together different styles, including honky-tonk, ballads and gospel. Other country artists contributed to the record: Bill Anderson wrote two songs, and Loretta Lynn wrote one.
Album and singles charts measure different kinds of success: an album chart tracks full records, while a singles chart tracks individual songs. Jones’s one album-chart peak is therefore a distinct part of his career, alongside his many chart-topping singles.