Glen Campbell’s Top 40 Biggest Billboard Hits: From ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ to ‘Wichita Lineman’ & Beyond
Glen Campbell's biggest hit songs -- from "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman" to "Southern Nights" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," and beyond.
The legendary Glen Campbell, who died Aug. 8 at age 81 — after a long and well-chronicled battle with Alzheimer’s disease after being diagnosed in 2011 — leaves behind a collection of hits that matches his iconic status.
Among those hits are 26 top 10s on the Hot Country Songs chart, including five No. 1s. His pop-crossover smash “Rhinestone Cowboy” is Campbell’s biggest hit ever on the Hot Country Songs chart and ranks at No. 1 on Billboard’s recap of Campbell’s biggest songs (see list, below).
Campbell’s top five hits are rounded out by “I Wanna Live” (a No. 1 hit in 1968 for three weeks), “Bonaparte’s Retreat” (No. 3; 1974), “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (No. 2; 1968) and the iconic “Wichita Lineman” (No. 1 for two weeks in 1968).
Related
Glen Travis Campbell, born April 22, 1936, in Delight, Arkansas, earned a reputation as an efficient guitarist, television host and even as an actor (he won a Golden Globe for his supporting actor role in the 1969 film True Grit).
Mainly, however, he will be known best as a country music superstar.
Campbell, who won male vocalist of the year honors from both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association and the coveted entertainer of the year award from the latter (1968), was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
Spanning 1966 and 2014, Campbell rolled up 72 Hot Country Songs appearances. The artist first appeared on the survey with “Burning Bridges” which peaked at No. 18 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated Feb. 11, 1967. His last charted title during his lifetime was the Academy Award-nominated “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” which climbed to No. 21 on the Nov. 1, 2014, dated chart.
A widely popular artist who transcended genres, two of Campbell’s tracks topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. The first was 1975’s “Rhinestone Cowboy,” followed by the chart-topping hit “Southern Nights” (1977). The latter tune ranks at No. 10 on our recap of his biggest hits.
Additionally, Campbell collected 19 top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart, including nine No. 1s. His final appearance on the list during his lifetime was one of those top 10s. On the chart dated July 1, 2017, Campbell’s last album, appropriately titled Adios, debuted and peaked at No. 7.
Set to be his final studio album, Adios was recorded in 2012 and 2013. The set was produced by Carl Jackson and features songs written by longtime collaborator Jimmy Webb, as well as Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, among others. Adios marked Campbell’s first top 10 album since the No. 6-peaking Ghost on the Canvas in 2011.
In 2016, when Billboard announced its list of the Greatest of All Time Country Artists, Campbell ranked at No. 23.
Here are Glen Campbell’s top 40 biggest Billboard hits:
Rank, Title, Peak Date, Peak Position
1, “Rhinestone Cowboy,” 8/23/75, No. 1 (3 weeks)
2, “I Wanna Live,” 5/18/68, No. 1 (3 weeks)
3, “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” 10/12/74, No. 3
4, “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” 1/13/68, No. 2
5, “Wichita Lineman,” 12/21/68, No. 1 (2 weeks)
6, “Galveston,” 4/19/69, No. 1 (3 weeks)
7, “A Lady Like You,” 3/9/85, No. 4
8, “She’s Gone, Gone, Gone,” 12/23/89, No. 5
9, “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.),” 12/20/75, No. 3
10, “Southern Nights,” 3/19/77, No. 1 (2 weeks)
11, “Still Within The Sound Of My Voice,” 1/16/88, No. 5
12, “Honey Come Back,” 2/14/70, No. 2
13, “It’s Only Make Believe,” 10/24/70, No. 3
14, “Try A Little Kindness,” 11/29/69, No. 2
15, “I Have You,” 8/20/88, No. 7
16, “Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife,” 9/7/68, No. 3
17, “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle,” 9/12/87, No. 6
18, “It’s Just A Matter Of Time,” 2/15/86, No. 7
19, “Sunflower,” 9/3/77, No. 4
20, “Don’t Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,” 6/5/76, No. 4
21, “Everything A Man Could Ever Need,” 9/5/70, No. 5
22, “Any Which Way You Can,” 2/14/81, No. 10
23, “All I Have To Do Is Dream” (with Bobbie Gentry), 4/4/70, No. 6
24, “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream),” 5/1/71, No. 7
25, “Manhattan Kansas,” 5/13/72, No. 6
26, “Faithless Love,” 9/8/84, No. 10
27, “True Grit,” 8/30/69, No. 9
28, “(Love Always) Letter To Home,” 8/3/85, No. 14
29, “I’m Gonna Love You,” 4/7/79, No. 13
30, “I Love My Truck,” 10/10/81, No. 15
31, “I Love How You Love Me,” 3/26/83, No. 17
32, “Can You Fool,” 12/2/78, No. 16
33, “Let It Be Me (with Bobbie Gentry),” 4/5/69, No. 14
34, “It’s A Sin When You Love Somebody,” 2/22/75, No. 16
35, “Oklahoma Sunday Morning,” 3/4/72, No. 15
36, “Hey Little One,” 3/16/68, No. 13
37, “See You On Sunday,” 9/4/76, No. 18
38, “Houston (I’m Comin’ To See You),” 3/16/74, No. 20
39, “Another Fine Mess,” 8/5/78, No. 21
40, “The Last Time I Saw Her,” 9/18/71, No. 21
Glen Campbell’s Top 40 Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Country Songs chart, through the Aug. 19, 2017, ranking. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
More From Pro
