Heartaches by the Number
Encyclopedia
"Heartaches by the Number" is a popular
and country
song
written by Harlan Howard
and published in 1959.
The biggest hit version was recorded by Guy Mitchell
on August 24, 1959. It reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100
for the weeks of December 14 and December 21, 1959. The recording was released by Columbia Records
as catalog number
41476. His recording of the song is featured in the videogame Fallout: New Vegas
.
Earlier in the year, the song also made the country music charts in a version by Ray Price
(Columbia 41374). Price's version reached number two and spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides
chart.
Sheet music for the song was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.
In 1961, a George Jones
version of the song was included on the Mercury label album George Jones Sings Country and Western Hits
(MG 20624/SR 60624).
Mercury also included a version of the song by Leroy Van Dyke on the album Walk on By (MG 20682/SR 60682).
A later version by Jack Reno
reached #26 on the same chart in 1972.
Other artists who have covered this song include: Johnny Tillotson
in 1965, Willie Nelson
in 1966, Waylon Jennings
in 1967, Jerry Lee Lewis
in 1969, Dwight Yoakam
in 1986, Connie Francis
, and Buck Owens
.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by Harlan Howard
Harlan Howard
Harlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...
and published in 1959.
The biggest hit version was recorded by Guy Mitchell
Guy Mitchell
Guy Mitchell, born Albert George Cernik, was an American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia...
on August 24, 1959. It reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for the weeks of December 14 and December 21, 1959. The recording was released by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
41476. His recording of the song is featured in the videogame Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
.
Earlier in the year, the song also made the country music charts in a version by Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
(Columbia 41374). Price's version reached number two and spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart.
Sheet music for the song was a best seller in both the US and Britain in January 1960.
In 1961, a George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
version of the song was included on the Mercury label album George Jones Sings Country and Western Hits
Sings Country and Western Hits
Sings Country and Western Hits is an album by American country music artist George Jones. This album was released in 1962 on the Mercury Records label...
(MG 20624/SR 60624).
Mercury also included a version of the song by Leroy Van Dyke on the album Walk on By (MG 20682/SR 60682).
A later version by Jack Reno
Jack Reno
Jack Reno was an American country singer.-Career:Born in Bloomfield, Iowa, Reno appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in the 1960s and played with Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton...
reached #26 on the same chart in 1972.
Other artists who have covered this song include: Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"...
in 1965, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
in 1966, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
in 1967, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
in 1969, Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
in 1986, Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
, and Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
.