1954 (Sales): I Don’t Hurt Anymore — Hank Snow (RCA)
1954 (Jukebox): I Don’t Hurt Anymore — Hank Snow (RCA)
1954 (Disc Jockeys): I Don’t Hurt Anymore — Hank Snow (RCA)
1964: I Guess I’m Crazy — Jim Reeves (RCA)
1974: I Wouldn’t Want To Live If You Didn’t Love Me — Don Williams (Dot)
1984: Let’s Chase Each Other Around The Room — Merle Haggard (Epic)
1994: Third Rock From The Sun — Joe Diffie (Epic)
2004: Days Go By — Keith Urban (Capitol)
2014: Burnin’ It Down — Jason Aldean (Broken Bow)
2014 (Airplay): Where It’s At (Yep, Yep) — Dustin Lynch (Broken Bow)
My Kind of Country 
This week’s charts mark the entry first Don Williams record to reach #1. The single was the first major label single for Don after four reasonably successful singles on Jack Clement’s JMI label and made it to #1 despite one last JMI single being released one week prior to the release of “We Should Be Together” . Over the next dozen years, Don would have 17 Billboard #1 singles (26 #1s counting Cashbox and Record World).
Although I liked everything Don ever released, the JMI albums remain my favorites
I agree that Don’s JMI material was among his very best. His sound was very fresh at the time and quite different than the highly produced “Nashville Sound” material that dominated the charts during that era. Don’s first single “Don’t You Believe” b/w “You Have A Star” [JMI 7] was released in 1972 but failed to chart. Thankfully radio stations eventually took notice and he gained more airplay with his second single “The Shelter Of You Eyes” allowing him to chart. By the way both of his original JMI albums Don Williams Volume 1 and Don Williams Volume 2 have been reissued on CD as “two-fers” via the British Edsel and Hux labels. Highly recommended listening.
“I Wouldn’t Want To Live If You Didn’t Love Me” was Don’s sole single on the Dot label. Shortly after Don’s first release in 1974 Dot was purchased by ABC Records thereby creating the ABC/Dot imprint. ABC sold to MCA in 1979 moving ABC/Dot artists including Don to the MCA roster. So thanks to a stream of corporate deals Don’s initial contract with Dot lead him to release his recordings for three different labels. Also his JMI master recordings were acquired by ABC/Dot in 1974 and that’s why to this day his original JMI, Dot & ABC/Dot recordings are available via the MCA imprint.
I like a lot of his records–particularly “Good Old Boys Like Me,” but Williams’ mega-success was always a bit puzzling to me. He was just so laid back unlike the other stars of his era–Conway, Kenny, Haggard, Jones, Willie and Waylon–there was nothing particularly identifiable in his personality.
The same has been said about Alan Jackson and I’m not baffled by his success.