“Soul Song” is a song made famous by country music

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...

 singer Joe Stampley

Joe Stampley

Joe Stampley is an American country music singer.-Biography:He was born to R.C. Stampley, Jr. , and Mary E. Stampley...

. Originally released in 1972

1972 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1972.-Events:* March — For the first time since 1967, Sonny James fails to hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot Country Singles Chart with a single release. His hit, "Only Love " stops at No. 2...

, the song became his first No. 1 song and was the title track to Stampley’s album, released in early 1973.

The song also represented a first for co-writer Norro Wilson: a No. 1 hit as a producer. Wilson had previously written several songs that topped Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Singles

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—notably, David Houston

David Houston

David Houston may refer to:* David F. Houston, American politician* David Houston , sometime Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland* David Houston , country singer...

’s “Baby, Baby (I Know You’re a Lady)

Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)

"Baby, Baby " is a song made famous by country music singer David Houston.Originally released in 1969, the song represented a first and a last. The last was that it was Houston's seventh No...

,” and Tammy Wynette

Tammy Wynette

Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....

’s “He Loves Me All the Way” and “My Man (Understands).” During the next three decades, Wilson would produce numerous No. 1 hits (including two more by Stampley), including Margo Smith

Margo Smith

Margo Smith is an American Country Music Singer. In the 1970s, she was a popular female Country vocalist, acquiring two No. 1 hits on the Country charts during that time, "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" and "It Only Hurts for a Little While", both Country music remakes of previous Pop music...

, Charley Pride

Charley Pride

Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...

, Janie Fricke

Janie Fricke

Janie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....

, Chely Wright

Chely Wright

Richell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive"...

, Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney

Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...

 and Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

.

Prior to Stampley's hit version, Tanya Tucker

Tanya Tucker

Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...

recorded "Soul Song."

Chart performance

Chart (1972–1973)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	37
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	2

Sources

• [ Allmusic — Soul Song]
• Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2))
• Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.