Charlie Daniels’ Biggest Billboard Hits: ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ & More
Charlie Daniels passed away on July 6 at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee (just outside of Nashville), from a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83.
The iconic artist first reached a Billboard chart in 1973, entrenched in the popular Southern rock scene alongside such mainstays as The Allman Brothers Band and The Marshall Tucker Band. By the mid-1980s, however, he was considered a core country act thanks to a string of success on the Hot Country Songs survey.
In 1974, Daniels launched the Volunteer Jam, one of the first multi-artist festivals, which over the years attracted a wide range of acts, from Little Richard and Tammy Wynette to Steppenwolf and Billy Joel.
Daniels arrived with one of two top 10s that he scored on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100: “Uneasy Rider” (billed solely to Daniels), which reached No. 9 in 1973. His signature song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (by The Charlie Daniels Band) hit No. 3 in 1979.
On Hot Country Songs, Daniels charted 33 entries (the bulk by The Charlie Daniels Band), including at least one each in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and ’10s. Of those, three hit the top 10, with “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” marking his sole No. 1.
The Charlie Daniels Band’s Biggest Billboard Hits
1, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” No. 1 peak (one week), 1979
2, “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye,” No. 8, 1985
3, “Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues,” No. 10, 1988
4, “Simple Man,” No. 12, 1989
5, “In America,” No. 13, 1980
6, “Mississippi” No. 19, 1979
7, “Wichita Jail,” No. 22, 1976
8, “Long Haired Country Boy,” No. 27, 1980
9, “Still Hurtin’ Me,” No. 33, 1986
10, “All Night Long,” No. 31, 2000 (Montgomery Gentry feat. Daniels)
11, “Texas,” No. 36, 1976
12, “Cowboy Hat in Dallas,” No. 36, 1989
13, “Mister DJ,” No. 34, 1990
14, “This Ain’t No Rag, It’s a Flag,” No. 33, 2001
15, “Little Folks,” No. 47, 1991
The Charlie Daniels Band’s Biggest Billboard Hits are based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Country Songs chart, through the July 11, 2020, ranking. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning lesser values. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
Plus, solo and with his band, Daniels rolled up 25 entries on Top Country Albums, including five top 10s and one No. 1: 1979’s four-week leader Million Mile Reflections, which houses “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The set stands as Daniels’ lone top 10 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, where it rose to No. 5.