On This Day in 2006, George Strait Broke Conway Twitty’s Longstanding Record To Solidify His Place as the King of Country Music

On this day (September 30) in 2006, George Strait reached the top of the Hot Country Songs chart with “Give It Away.” This gave Strait his 41^st No. 1 single, which broke the record that Conway Twitty held for more than two decades.

Fans and critics have been calling Strait the King of Country Music in the late 1980s. By the end of the decade, he had already notched 18 chart-toppers and eight top-10 hits. His neotraditional style allowed him to fit in perfectly with the biggest stars of the 1990s. Some of his traditional-leaning peers began to fall out of favor near the end of the decade. That wasn’t the case for Strait, though. He continued to send singles up the country chart through the early 2010s.

George Strait Broke Conway Twitty’s Longstanding Record

Conway Twitty started his career in the 1950s as a rockabilly artist. When he couldn’t find consistent chart success, he chose to follow his passion into country music. He notched his first country hit in 1966, when “Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart” went to No. 18. Two years later, he landed his first No. 1 on the country chart with “Next In Line.”

Over the next 18 years, Twitty sent 39 more singles to the top of the country chart. Among those are timeless hits like “Hello Darlin’,” “Slow Hand,” “Tight Fittin’ Jeans,” and “Linda on My Mind.” He notched his final No. 1 in 1986 with “Desperado Love.” It reached the top of the Hot Country Songs chart on September 6, and stayed there for a week.

[RELATED: 29 Years Ago, George Strait Was at No. 1 With an Album Built Around a Major Hit That Almost Went to Tim McGraw]

Almost exactly two decades later, George Strait landed his 41^st No. 1 with “Give It Away.” It retained the top slot for two weeks. He has since released three more No. 1 singles.

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