The Oak Ridge Boys’ Top 10 Billboard Hot Country Songs Hits

Joe Bonsall, a member of The Oak Ridge Boys for 50 years, died on July 9 at age 73 from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Bonsall joined the act in 1973 after leaving gospel group The Keystones. He last toured with The Oak Ridge Boys last December, before announcing his retirement earlier this year.

The Oak Ridge Boys won two Country Music Association Awards: vocal group of the year in 1978 and single of the year in 1981 for “Elvira” – the track became their biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching No. 5. The Academy of Country Music likewise awarded the band top vocal group honors in 1978.

The Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. “For 50 years, Joe Bonsall was the Oak Ridge Boys’ sparkplug,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, shared in a statement upon Bonsall’s passing. “He was as exciting a performer as any who ever hit a gospel or country stage. His tenor voice was high and clear, and his jovial spirit always provided a jolt of energy, immediately rousing audiences to come on in and take a load off. He certainly lightened our cares every time he sang.”

On Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, The Oak Ridge Boys first appeared in 1976. They followed with 1977’s “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” which hit No. 3 that October, granting the act its first of 34 top 10s. “I’ll Be True to You” led in June 1978, becoming the band’s first of 17 chart-toppers, a haul that ran through “No Matter How High” in March 1990. The act last hit the top 10 in 1991 with “Lucky Moon.”

The Oak Ridge Boys’ collection of 17 No. 1s ranks third-best among duos/groups since Hot Country Songs became the genre’s all-encompassing singles survey in 1958. Alabama boasts 33 No. 1s and Brooks & Dunn, 20. (George Strait leads all acts with 44.)

On Top Country Albums, The Oak Ridge Boys have notched three No. 1s among 14 top 10s.

Below, in celebration of the band’s music and Bonsall’s key contributions, count down The Oak Ridge Boys’ biggest hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

The Oak Ridge Boys’ 10 Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Hot Country Songs chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.

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Written by Mr. Nimbus