With 109 titles charted between 1952-89, Ray Price’s history on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart spans more than 37 years with 46 top 10 entries, eight of those reaching No. 1. The country legend died Monday at his home in Texas after battling pancreatic cancer.
Price’s first No. 1 was the biggest hit of his career — he spent 20 weeks at No. 1 with his signature jukebox classic, “Crazy Arms,” in 1956. That song was honored with Grammy Hall of Fame induction in 1999. His final No. 1 on Hot Country Songs was a 1973 cover of Jim Weatherly’s “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” His last chart entry was in 1989, when “Love Me Down to Size” peaked at No. 79 (the chart was 100 positions at that time).
On Top Country Albums, Price was present and accounted for when the chart was launched in 1964. He had the No. 1 album with “Night Life” on the first published chart (dated January 11, 1964). Altogether, Price registered 17 top 10 albums, including five leaders (36 total albums charted between 1964-2007). His most successful run on the chart was a nine-week No. 1 with “For the Good Times” in 1970. He landed his final No. 1 on Top Country Albums with “I Won’t Mention It Again,” which spent five weeks at No. 1 in 1971. Price logged his final entry with a collaborative set titled “Last of the Breed” (with Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson), which peaked where it debuted at No. 7 in April 2007.
Title | Peak Position | Weeks at Peak | Peak Date | Total Weeks Charted |
Crazy Arms | 1 | 20 | June 23, 1956 | 45 |
City Lights | 1 | 13 | Oct. 20, 1958 | 34 |
My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You | 1 | 4 | Sept. 16, 1957 | 37 |
I Won’t Mention It Again | 1 | 3 | May 15, 1971 | 19 |
She’s Got to Be a Saint | 1 | 16 | Dec. 30, 1972 | 16 |
The Same Old Me | 1 | 2 | Dec. 7, 1959 | 30 |
For the Good Times | 1 | 1 | Sept. 19, 1970 | 26 |
You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me | 1 | 1 | Oct. 6, 1973 | 16 |
One More Time | 2 | 8 | June 13, 1960 | 27 |
Burning Memories | 2 | 4 | May 23, 1964 | 27 |