98 Country Classic Bonus – 5 Country Classic Hits from 1961 [VIDEOS]

Greetings and welcome to the Country Classic Show on this last Sunday in September, the 28^th day of the month.

We’re on air at 98.1 FM, online at 98country.com and on your mobile device.

Each Sunday we offer an online bonus to enjoy after the radio show. It’s an extra dose of country classic performances. And today we feature top ten country hits from 1961.

Making the News in 1961:

US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba on January 3^rd
1,200 US sponsored anti-Castro exiles invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs April 17^th
East Germany erects the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin to halt the flood of refugees
Robert Frost recites “The Gift Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration on January 20^th
Westside Story is adapted for the big screen
Audrey Hepburn stars in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
We lose Ty Cabb and Chico Marx, one of the Marx Brothers

In country music we were listening to Johnny Horton, Marty Robbins, Faron Young, Patsy Cline and Jimmy Dean.

John Horton – “North to Alaska”

A song written by Mike Phillips and featured in the movie of the same name, the song topped Billboard magazine country singles chart reaching number four. Johnny Horton died shortly after the song was released in an auto crash.

Way up North to Alaska, way up north, north to Alaska, north to Alaska go north, the rush is on.

Marty Robbins – “Don’t Worry”

Marty Robbins wrote “Don’t Worry” a 1961 country-pop single. It was Robbins' seventh number one country hit. This song stayed at number one for ten weeks. Robbins passed away in 1982.

Don’t worry ‘bout me, it’s all over now though I may be blue, I’ll manage somehow.

Faron Young – “Hello Walls”

Willie Nelson wrote this country classic, introducing himself as a songwriter to a national audience. Faron Young recorded this massive hit in 1961, reaching number one on the country chart and number 12 on the pop chart. The song spent 23 weeks on the charts.

Hello walls hello, hello how’d things go for you today? Don’t you miss her since she up and walked away?

Patsy Cline – “I Fall to Pieces”

Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard wrote “I Fall to Pieces.” Patsy Cline recorded the song in 1961 and was featured on her studio album, ‘Patsy Cline Showcase.’ “I Fall to Pieces” was Cline’s first number one hit on the country charts. That song became one of Cline’s most recognizable hit singles. It has also been classified as a country music standard.

I fall to pieces each time I see you again.

Jimmy Dean – “Big Bad John”

Roy Acuff and Jimmy Dean wrote this country and pop classic. The song tells the story of a mysterious and quiet miner who earned the nickname ‘Big John’ because of his height, weight and muscular physique. He supposedly came from New Orleans, where he killed a man over a Cajun queen. The song was released in September 1961. By November it was at number one. “Big Bad John” was also the title of a 1990 television movie starring Jimmy Dean.