Dot Records issued the song as Williams’ first single under a new recording contract, and when it appeared on the chart, the label took out a congratulatory ad in Billboard Magazine which read: “Don, we here at Dot Records believe that your first single for our label is the greatest. ‘I Wouldn’t Want To Live If You Didn’t Love Me’ will be a giant record. We believe in it, and we believe in you.” That last line is almost prophetic, since “I Believe In You” became his biggest career hit five years later.
The ad proved correct in the short run, too. After debuting at a meager #90 on July 6, 1974, “I Wouldn’t Want To Live If You Didn’t Love Me” ascended to #1 in its twelfth week. Williams went on to log sixteen more number one hits, and appeared on the national charts through 1992. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2010.
