For the week starting Feb. 10, 1979, Eddie Rabbitt hit No. 1 on the charts with “Every Which Way But Loose.” Co-written by Steve Dorff, Snuff Garrett and Milton Brown, the mid-tempo, pedal steel-adorned song stars a protagonist who can’t shake the memory of someone from his head.

In fact, the narrator of “Every Which Way But Loose” feels closer to his crush than ever — the woman is “turning [him] every which way but loose” — and feels compelled to rekindle their romance. “My mind tells me to move along / But my body begs me to stay,” sings Rabbitt. “And now I feel the need to hold you close / And love the night away.”

“Every Which Way But Loose” leads the soundtrack LP for the hit 1978 film of the same name. The song mirrors the movie’s plot somewhat: Clint Eastwood stars as a trucker traveling from California to Colorado in pursuit of a crush, alongside his trusty companions: his brother, Orville, and a pet orangutan named Clyde.

Eddie Rabbitt Every Which Way But Loose
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Despite the somewhat-absurd premise, Every Which Way But Loose grossed more than $85 million in the U.S. Another tune from the soundtrack, Mel Tillis’ “Coca-Cola Cowboy,” also hit No. 1 later in 1979.

“Every Which Way But Loose” was a big hit upon its release. It entered the country singles chart at No. 18, which was the highest debut ever on that chart at the time. Garth Brooks equaled that No. 18 debut with 2005’s “Good Ride Cowboy,” although Keith Urban smashed the record by landing a No. 17 debut in 2006 with “Once in a Lifetime.”

“Every Which Way But Loose” was Rabbitt’s third straight single to top the country charts, and spent three weeks overall at No. 1. The song also crossed over and peaked at a modest No. 30 on the Billboard pop singles chart, but it remains a country favorite. Blake Shelton even covered the tune in late 2018.

Top 10 Country Artists of the 1970s:

No. 10: Ronnie Milsap
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No. 10: Ronnie Milsap
Milsap was one of the influencing voices of country music in the 1970s — and he was one of the genre’s most versatile artists, scoring crossover hit after crossover hit. After initially working as a pop musician, he released his first country single in 1973; in 1974, Milsap earned his first No. 1 singles with “Pure Love” and “Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends,” the latter of which earned him a Grammys trophy. As the decade went on, he cemented his place as a country music staple, at one point scoring seven consecutive No. 1 hits. Milsap’s songs crossed over onto the pop and adult contemporary charts, and throughout the decade, he earned multiple Grammys and CMA Awards, including the latter awards show’s Entertainer of the Year trophy in 1977.
No. 9: Dottie West
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No. 9: Dottie West
Two things helped make West one of the leading country voices of the ‘70s: a Coca-Cola commercial and a partnership with Kenny Rogers. Her song for Coke, “Country Sunshine,” became a No. 2 hit in 1973 and re-launched her career while helping her net two Grammys nominations. West earned a Top 10 solo hit with “Last Time I Saw Him,” and then made the fateful decision to team up with Rogers. They became one of the biggest duos of that part of the decade, recording songs including “Every Time Two Fools Collide,” “All I Ever Need Is You” and “What Are We Doin’ in Love” and winning the CMA’s Vocal Duo of the Year trophy.
No. 8: Charley Pride
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No. 8: Charley Pride
Pride spent the 1960s getting established as a proper force in country music, but the biggest hit of his career, “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” came right at the start of the ‘70s. The song sold a million copies and helped Pride win the CMA Awards’ top prize of Entertainer of the Year; he also won the CMA for Top Vocalist in 1971 and 1972. While “Kiss an Angel” would be his biggest hit, Pride continued his success with a string of singles throughout the ‘70s, including “Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town” and “When I Stop Leavin’ (I’ll Be Gone).” Pride’s assertion of his place in country history throughout the ‘70s is part of what helped him become one of only three African-Americans inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
No. 7: John Denver
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No. 7: John Denver
Denver recorded two albums in 1970 — Take Me to Tomorrow and Whose Garden Was This — but it was 1971 when his true breakthrough happened. That year, he put out Poems, Prayers and Promises, which contained his best-known song of all time, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Riding the momentum of of that song’s success, Denver dominated the airwaves in mid-’70s. He notched three No. 1 albums and four consecutive No. 1 songs (“Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and “I’m Sorry”). His popularity as a singer helped him find success on television as well, with everything from his ABC special Rocky Mountain Christmas to hosting the Grammys to the Emmy-winning An Evening With John Denver concert.
No. 6: Tammy Wynette
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No. 6: Tammy Wynette
Wynette took the ‘70s by storm: She notched hit after hit, including the No. 1 singles “He Loves Me All the Way,” “The Wonders You Perform” and “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” At the same time that she was succeeding as a solo artist, though, she made an equally successful career as part of a duo with George Jones. The two dominated the charts with No. 1 singles such as “We’re Gonna Hold On” and “Golden Ring.” After the pair split (professionally and personally), Wynette released “‘Til I Can Make It on My Own,” a crossover hit. Along with Loretta Lynn, she was one of the strongest female voices (and voices, period) of the decade.
No. 5: Waylon Jennings
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No. 5: Waylon Jennings
Along with Willie Nelson, Jennings was the face and voice behind the 1970s’ brand-new outlaw country movement. He staked his own place in the movement with the 1972 album Ladies Love Outlaws and, from there, had a streak of hit albums: Lonesome, On’ry and Mean; Honky Tonk Heroes; This Time; Ramblin’ Man; Dreaming My Dreams; and Are You Ready for the Country. This Time features his first No. 1 single, Dreaming My Dreams was Jennings’ first gold album, and Are You Ready for the Country was a gold-certified chart-topper three times that year. At the same time, he and Nelson formed a successful duet partnership, releasing the outlaw albums Wanted! The Outlaws and Waylon & Willie.

No. 4: Merle Haggard
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No. 4: Merle Haggard
By the time the ‘70s rolled around, Haggard had already amassed 24 No. 1 hits and was wildly famous. Oddly enough, one of his first big hits of the 1970s, “If We Make It Through December,” came from his Christmas album, and would eventually become one of his best-known and most-loved songs. Haggard was everywhere during this decade: He scored a No. 1 hit writing the theme song for NBC’s Movin’ On and earned an incredible nine No. 1 singles in a row (including “Kentucky Gambler,” “Movin’ On” and “Always Wanting You”), sealing his place in outlaw country history.
No. 3: Loretta Lynn
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No. 3: Loretta Lynn
Lynn spent the 1960s establishing herself as a powerhouse, groundbreaking artist: She became the first woman to win the CMA Awards’ Female Vocalist of the Year honor and the first woman in country music to score a gold album. She then spent the 1970s cementing her place in country music history: She released the autobiographical hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter;” wrote her best-selling autobiography; and continued to produced songs, such as “Rated X” and “The Pill,” that were equally successful and controversial. The ‘70s also saw Lynn begin a musical partnership with Conway Twitty, which led to a streak of five consecutive No. 1 hits. The duo earned a Grammy, four CMA Awards for Vocal Duo of the Year and four ACM Awards for Best Vocal Duet.
No. 2: Willie Nelson
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No. 2: Willie Nelson
The ‘70s saw Nelson invent himself as a leading voice in the outlaw country movement, with his own a Texas-flavored twist. He first found real commercial success in 1975 with Red Headed Stranger, which earned Nelson his first No. 1 single (a cover of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”). Around the same time, Nelson and Waylon Jennings (along with Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser) teamed up to release an album of outlaw country tracks, bringing the then mini-movement to the forefront. The quartet’s Wanted! The Outlaws was the first platinum album in country history. During the remainder of the decade, Nelson and Jennings released their album of duets, Waylon & Willie, and Nelson made the critically acclaimed albums Stardust and . His chart-topping hits during this decade included “Uncloudy Day” and “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time.”
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No. 1: Dolly Parton
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No. 1: Dolly Parton
After some minor success in the late 1960s, Parton charted her first No. 1 single, “Joshua,” in 1971. From there, she was off: As a solo artist, she produced some of her best-known songs during this decade, including “My Tennessee Mountain Home” and an early signature song, “Coat of Many Colors.” She then had back-to-back smashes with soon-to-be standards “Jolene” (1973) and “I Will Always Love You” (1974). In the latter half of the 1970s, Parton charted eight more No. 1 hits, launched her own televised variety show and took home a Grammys trophy. In 1978, she also became one of six women to ever win the CMA Award’s highest prize, Entertainer of the Year.