After “Once A Day” was shipped, radio station request lines lit up immediately. No one knew who this fresh, young singer was, but they couldn’t wait to get her record. Customers came into record stores simply asking for “that once a day song.” When the clerk would ask who the artist was, more often than not, the customer wouldn’t know.
It was simply unheard of that any female singer could have such huge success so quickly. Connie’s debut reached the #1 position on Billboard’s country singles chart on November 28, 1964 and stayed at the summit for eight weeks, capping one of Music City’s most remarkable “Cinderella” stories.
“Once A Day” set records as the first debut single by a female country artist to top the Billboard chart (which didn’t happen again until Trisha Yearwood’s “She’s In Love With The Boy” in 1991), and the most weeks at #1 (eight) by a female country artist. This latter record held for over 48 years until it was officially broken in 2013 when a bizarre rule change by Billboard Magazine combined with incorrect marketing allowed a decidedly non-country piece (in fact, it was pure rock) by pop star Taylor Swift to break Connie’s mark.
It’s been said that “all records are made to be broken,” but it’s sad this one ended because of an unfortunate fluke. To me and all fans of true country music and truly great vocalists, Connie Smith’s “Once A Day” will always be the real record-holder for most weeks at number one by a female country artist. Case closed.
