Alabama (band)

Alabama is a country music band that was started in 1969 but did not get a recording contract until 1977. They were the first successful country group act in modern times, thanks to their blend of contemporary and traditional country along with southern rock. they remain the most successful country group of all time, with 42 No. 1 singles on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart.

No. 1 singles

Alabama was so dominant in the early- and mid-1980s that 21 of their single releases in a row reached No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart (this is discounting their 1982 Christmas single, "Christmas in Dixie," which was released in between their eighth and ninth chart-topping singles).

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In August 1985, with their "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')," Alabama surpassed country singer Sonny James's old No. 1 streak of 16 in a row from 1967-1971. The No. 1 hits continued through April 1987, when "(You've Got) 'The Touch'" became their 21st straight chart-topper. After "Tar Top" peaked at No. 7 in the fall of 1987, Alabama started a new No. 1 string of six straight, and went on to have five more No. 1 hits through 1993's "Reckless."

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For the record, the No. 1 songs according to Billboard magazine's country singles chart are as follows:

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• 1980: "Tennessee River"; "Why Lady Why."
• 1981: "Old Flame"; "Feels So Right"; "Love in the First Degree."
• 1982: "Mountain Music"; "Take Me Down"; "Close Enough to Perfect."
• 1983: "Dixieland Delight"; "The Closer You Get"; "Lady Down on Love."
• 1984: "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)"; "When We Make Love"; "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You've Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)."
• 1985: "(There's A) Fire in the Night"; "There's No Way"; "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')"; "Can't Keep a Good Man Down."
• 1986: "She and I"; "Touch Me When We're Dancing."
• 1987: "You've Got the Touch."
• 1988: "Face to Face" (duet with K.T. Oslin); "Fallin' Again."
• 1989: "Song of the South"; "If I Had You"; "High Cotton."
• 1990: "Southern Star"; "Jukebox in My Mind"; "Forever's as Far as I'll Go."
• 1991: "Down Home."
• 1992: "I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)."
• 1993: "Reckless."

The list of other significant songs is also lengthy. Alabama first hit the Billboard country chart's Top 40 in November 1979 with "I Wanna Come Over"; the song peaked at No. 33. The follow-up, their signature song, "My Home's in Alabama," reached the Top 20 in March 1980; both songs are on their first album, My Home's in Alabama. Then came their unprecedented dominance in country music.

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