15 Hit Songs That Kickstarted a Country Singers Career

While some country music artists have built lasting careers, others found fame with just one hit song. These one-hit wonders may have been brief moments in the spotlight, but their songs have endured, remaining favorites for new generations long after their initial success.

While the term "one-hit wonder" may be subjective to define, we're focusing on artists who largely had only one hit song that ranked within the Billboard top 10 during their career. Many one-hit wonders also reached No. 1 on the Billboard country list. A few also topped the Billboard Hot 100 and saw success in other countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK.(After this article, check out our list of the most popular country music artists.)

To create this list, 24/7 Tempo compiled information from various music and entertainment sources. These include Billboard, Pulse Music Board, and Taste of Country. Here are 15 of the most iconic country music one-hit wonders.

• Artist: Heartland
• Year Released: 2006

Released as the first single from Heartland's debut album, "I Loved Her First" reached No. 1 on the country music charts. The heartfelt tune gained popularity among fathers with daughters and is still often chosen as a father-daughter wedding song, according to The Knot. Since its founding, Heartland has gone through many changes in its band lineup, leaving this country ballad as the group's only No. 1 hit song.

• Artist: Jessica Andrews
• Year Released: 2000

Written by Troy Verges and Brett James, "Who I Am" hit the top 40 on several charts in the United States. Most notably, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in 2001. The song, also the first single from Andrews' album of the same name, would go on to be the singer's biggest success. Andrews' last original album was released in 2008 before her greatest hits album, "Icon" released in 2010.

• Artist: Billy Ray Cyrus
• Year Released: 1992

Before Billy Ray was known as Miley's dad, he held a career of his own as a country music artist. Though Cyrus has released 16 studio albums from the '90s through the 2010s, he's best known for his debut single "Achy Breaky Heart." This song would go on to cross over from country charts to pop charts, ranking as high as No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also went on to see major success in the UK and Australia.

• Artist: Deana Carter
• Year Released: 1996

A coming-of-age story about a girl who remembers finding her first love during a summer spent at her grandparent's farm, "Strawberry Wine" saw instant success in the mid-'90s. As Carter's first single from her debut album "Did I Shave My Legs For This?" the song reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Canada Country Tracks. It's gone on to be Carter's most successful song to date though she continues to perform today.

• Artist: David Lee Murphy
• Year Released: 1995

David Lee Murphy has released four studio albums as a solo artist, but few of his songs saw as much success as "Dust on the Bottle." This song was the fourth single released from his debut album "Out with a Bang." Though he had other songs see marginal success, "Dust on the Bottle" remained his only song to top the country music charts until his song "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" was released in 2018 with country music legend Kenny Chesney. Additionally, Murphy recounted how "Dust on the Bottle" came to be in an interview with The Boot where Murphy remembers the song coming together in about 15 minutes while he drank coffee at his kitchen table.

• Artist: Debby Boone
• Year Released: 1977

Though "You Light Up My Life" was originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk as part of the soundtrack to a film with the same name, it was Debby Boone who went on to bring success to the tune. Both versions of the song were released in 1977. Boone's was the first single to her debut album and her version spent 10 astounding weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 4 on the country music charts and remains the singer's most popular song to date.

• Artist: Charlie Daniels Band
• Year Released: 1979

The story of a young fiddle player named Johnny who wins a deal against the devil for his soul makes up the spoken country and southern rock hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." The song, both written and recorded by the Charlie Daniels Band saw success on many charts. Most notably, the tune hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and the RPM Country Tracks in Canada. It also reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song saw success in countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK, and Australia as well.

• Artist: Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Year Released: 1994

As the first single from Carpenter's fifth studio album "Stones in the Road," this song would go on to become Carpenter's most popular and only No. 1 hit song in her career. Additionally, Carpenter wrote the song and it famously features Trisha Yearwood as backup vocalist. Outside of the Billboard Hot Country Songs list, "Shut Up and Kiss Me" saw success in the UK, Canada, and Scotland while reaching No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• Artist: C.W. McCall
• Year Released: 1975

Hitting No. 1 on 6 charts across the globe, "Convoy" tells the story of trucks crossing the country as told from the perspective of the drivers. Much of the song is recorded as a CB conversation which made the tune especially unique and popular. The artist, C.W. McCall, was also a fictional character co-created by Billie Dale Fries and Chip Davis, the creator of Manheim Steamroller. The two worked together to make the song which went on to inspire a 1978 movie of the same name.

• Artist: Johnny Paycheck
• Year Released: 1977

As the only No. 1 hit for Paycheck, "Take this Job and Shove It" was the first single from the singer's album of the same name. Paycheck released an astonishing 30 studio albums from the 1960s through the late 1990s. After his passing in 2003, one last album was produced that included unreleased studio recordings from Paycheck's earlier years. Beyond his most popular song, "Take This Job and Shove It" has also gone on to be a popular catchphrase in pop culture.

• Artist: The Wreckers
• Year Released: 2006

"Leave the Pieces" was The Wreckers' first single from their debut album entitled "Stand Still, Look Pretty." The song saw instant success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and landed in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release in 2006. Additionally, The Wreckers was a duo comprised of Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp. The two parted ways in 2007, leaving this song their only No. 1 hit.

• Artist: Jeannie C. Riley
• Year Released: 1968

Written by Tom Hall, "Harper Valley P.T.A." is a song telling the story of a single mother who is criticized by her daughter's school PTA for how she lives and raises her daughter. The mother then unexpectedly shows up to a PTA meeting to disclose private information about each member. The song was seen as incredibly relatable to listeners. It also went on to help Riley sell six million copies of the single. Additionally, it reached both the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.S. Hot Country Singles charts. It would go on to be Riley's only top-40 hit, however.

• Artist: Jamey Johnson
• Year Released: 2008

The heartfelt and soulful lyrics of "In Color" led to Johnson's first top-10 country hit in his career. Johnson co-wrote the song with James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller before recording it as a solo artist in 2008. Beyond topping the charts, "In Color" also earned Johnson Song of the Year at both the 2009 CMA Awards and ACM Awards. To date, this song is Johnson's most popular, though he continues to write songs for others and record music.

• Artist: Bob Carlisle
• Year Released: 1997

Carlisle's only No. 1 hit song, "Butterfly Kisses" saw success on several different charts. Originally written by Carlisle and Randy Thomas for Carlisle's daughter's 16th birthday, the song has gone on to be covered by several different artists over the years. After its release in 1997, "Butterfly Kisses" reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and the RPM Adult Contemporary chart in Canada. It also earned a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1998.

• Artist: Steve Azar
• Year Released: 2001

With seven studio albums released during his career, Steve Azar's most popular tune is "I Don't Have to Be Me ('til Monday)." The song was the singer's first single from his album entitled "Waitin' on Joe." It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart as well as No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. To date, the song is Azar's highest-ranking single. (For more reading, click here to see No. 1 hit songs that are all but forgotten now.)