Skeeter Davis discography
The discography of Skeeter Davis, an American country artist, consists of thirty-one studio albums, fifteen compilation albums, four tribute/cover albums, five collaborative albums, fifty-seven singles, two charting b-sides, and four singles with other artists.
| Skeeter Davis discography | |
|---|---|
 A trade ad for Skeeter Davis' single "What Am I Gonna Do Without You", October 1964. | |
| Studio albums | 31 |
| Compilation albums | 15 |
| Singles | 57 |
| B-sides | 2 |
| Tribute albums | 4 |
| Collaborative albums | 5 |
| Singles with other artists | 4 |
Born Mary Frances Penick, she was first a member of the country music pair the Davis Sisters. In 1956 Davis disbanded the group following the death of her co-member Betty Jack Davis. She began a solo career the following year, releasing her first single in 1957 for RCA Victor. Her first charting single (and first major hit) came a year later with "Lost to a Geisha Girl", an answer song to a Hank Locklin hit. Her 1959 single "Set Him Free" reached the top five on the Billboard Country Songs chart, becoming her first top-ten hit.[1] The single spawned her first studio album I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too (1959) that consisted of Davis singing her own harmony parts.[2] Between 1959 and 1962, Davis had a series of top-ten and twenty hits on the Billboard Country Songs chart including "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" (1960), "My Last Date (With You)" (1961), and "Where I Ought to Be" (1962).[3] Some of these latter recordings were answer songs to popular country recordings of the time, prompting the release of her second studio effort Here's the Answer (1961).[4] It was in 1963 that Davis' most successful single was released entitled "The End of the World".[2] The song reached number two on both the Billboard country songs chart and the Hot 100. It did however top the adult contemporary chart. The single also reached the top-twenty in the United Kingdom, Davis' first entry there. An album featuring the song reached the Billboard 200 list in 1963.[1] Becoming one of the few country pop artists, she continued releasing crossover singles over the next several years. This included "I Can't Stay Mad at You" which became her second top-ten Hot 100 hit in 1963.[3] During this time, more studio albums by Davis were released, including an album of duets with both Porter Wagoner and Bobby Bare.[2] A cover album of standards as well as a tribute album of Buddy Holly material was released during this period.[1] Her 1963 studio release Cloudy, with Occasional Tears reached number eleven on the Top Country Albums chart and her 1966 release My Heart's in the Country reached number fourteen.[3]
After a series of minor country hits, her 1967 singles "Fuel to the Flame" (co-written by Dolly Parton) and "What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied)" both became major hits. The latter peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and an album of the same reached number seventeen on the Top Country Albums list. In 1968, Davis released a cover album of Flatt and Scruggs music entitled I Love Flatt and Scruggs which reached the top-forty on the country albums chart.[3] In 1969, "I'm a Lover (Not a Fighter)" was a top-ten Billboard country hit, followed by the top-thirty track "Bus Fare to Kentucky" and a minor hit with George Hamilton IV followed soon after.[1] Her studio album It's Hard to Be a Woman (1970) addressed the feminist movement.[2] In 1972 cover of "One Tin Soldier" was a top-ten hit on the Canadian RPM country and adult contemporary charts. The same year, she released a tribute album to Dolly Parton entitled Skeeter Sings Dolly, which peaked on the country albums list.[2][3] In 1973, "I Can't Believe That It's All Over" became Davis' final major hit and an album of the same name became her final charting album.[1][3] In 1976 she recorded for Mercury Records, where her single "I Love Us" became her final chart appearance.[1] In the early 1980s, Davis released two new studio albums and also toured Europe and Asia. In 1985 the country rock band NRBQ recorded a duet album with Davis entitled, She Sings They Play, released on Red Rooster Records. The release received critical acclaim.[2] At the end of the 1980s, Davis released her final studio album You Were Made for Me, a duets release with Norwegian country artist Teddy Nelson.[5]
Albums
1950s and 1960s studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] |
US [6] | ||
| I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too |
|
— | — |
| Here's the Answer |
|
— | — |
| Skeeter Davis Sings The End of the World |
|
— | 61 |
| Cloudy, with Occasional Tears |
|
11 | — |
| Let Me Get Close to You |
|
— | — |
| Written by the Stars |
|
— | — |
| Skeeter Davis Sings Standards |
|
— | — |
| Singin' in the Summer Sun |
|
— | — |
| My Heart's in the Country |
|
14 | — |
| Hand in Hand with Jesus |
|
— | — |
| Skeeter Davis Sings Buddy Holly |
|
— | — |
| What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied) |
|
17 | — |
| Why So Lonely? |
|
33 | — |
| I Love Flatt and Scruggs |
|
39 | — |
| The Closest Thing to Love |
|
— | — |
| "Maryfrances" |
|
— | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
1970s and 1980s studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] | ||
| A Place in the Country |
|
— |
| It's Hard to Be a Woman |
|
— |
| Skeeter |
|
— |
| Love Takes a Lot of My Time |
|
— |
| Bring It on Home |
|
— |
| Skeeter Sings Dolly |
|
45 |
| The Hillbilly Singer |
|
— |
| I Can't Believe That It's All Over |
|
25 |
| Live Wire |
|
— |
| Heart Strings |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
Collaborative albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] | ||
| Porter Wagoner and Skeeter Davis Sing Duets (with Porter Wagoner) |
|
— |
| Tunes for Two (with Bobby Bare) |
|
8 |
| Your Husband, My Wife (with Bobby Bare) |
|
— |
| She Sings, They Play (with NRBQ) |
|
— |
| You Were Made for Me (with Teddy Nelson) |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
1960s and 1970s compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] | ||
| I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know |
|
— |
| The Best of Skeeter Davis |
|
— |
| Blueberry Hill |
|
— |
| Easy to Love |
|
— |
| Foggy Mountain Top |
|
— |
| The End of the World |
|
— |
| The Best of Skeeter Davis, Vol. 2 |
|
48 |
| He Wakes Me with a Kiss |
|
— |
| The Versatile Skeeter Davis |
|
— |
| Best of the Best |
|
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||
1990s and 2000s compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Essential Skeeter Davis |
|
| Skeeter Davis Best Collection |
|
| RCA Country Legends: Skeeter Davis |
|
| The Pop Hits Collection |
|
| The Pop Hits Collection, Volume Two |
|
Singles
1950s and 1960s singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [7] |
US AC [7] |
US R&B [7] |
CAN Country [8] |
AUS [9] |
UK [10] | |||
| "He Left His Heart with Me" | 1957 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A |
| "Lost to a Geisha Girl" | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Walk Softly Darling" | 1958 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too | |
| "The Slave" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |
| "Set Him Free" | 1959 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too |
| "Homebreaker" | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |
| "Am I That Easy to Forget" | 1960 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | I'll Sing You a Song and Harmonize Too |
| "(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too" | 2 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | Here's the Answer | |
| "My Last Date (With You)" | 4 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Hands You're Holding Now" | 1961 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A |
| "Optimistic" | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Where I Ought to Be" | 1962 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "The Little Music Box" | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The End of the World" | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — | 32 | 18 | Skeeter Davis Sings The End of the World | |
| "I'm Saving My Love" | 1963 | 9 | 41 | 13 | — | — | — | — | Cloudy, with Occasional Tears |
| "I Can't Stay Mad at You" | 14 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | Let Me Get Close to You | |
| "He Says the Same Things to Me" | 1964 | 17 | 47 | 15 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" | 8 | 48 | 15 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Let Me Get Close to You"[A] | 45 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "What Am I Gonna Do with You"[A] | 38 | 123 | — | — | — | — | — | I Can't Believe That It's All Over | |
| "I Can't Help It"[A] | 1965 | — | 126 | — | — | — | — | — | Written by the Stars |
| "Sun Glasses"[A] | 30 | 120 | — | — | — | — | — | Singin' in the Summer Sun | |
| "I Can't See Me Without You" | 1966 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied) |
| "If I Ever Get to Heaven (I Won't See You)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | My Heart's in the Country | |
| "Goin' Down the Road (Feelin' Bad)" | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Fuel to the Flame" | 1967 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied) |
| "What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied)"[A] |
5 | 121 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Set Him Free"[B] | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Instinct for Survival" | 1968 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Skeeter |
| "There's a Fool Born Every Minute" | 16 | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | ||
| "Timothy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Can't Believe That It's All Over | |
| "The Closest Thing to Love (I've Ever Seen)" | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Closest Thing to Love | |
| "Keep Baltimore Beautiful" | 1969 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Teach Me to Love You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Maryfrances | |
| "I'm a Lover (Not a Fighter)" | 9 | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | A Place in the Country | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
1970s and 1980s singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [7] |
CAN Country [8] |
CAN AC [11] | |||
| "It's Hard to Be a Woman" | 1970 | 65 | — | — | — | It's Hard to Be a Woman |
| "We Need a Lot More of Jesus" | 69 | — | — | — | ||
| "Let's Get Together" (with George Hamilton IV) |
65 | — | — | — | A Place in the Country | |
| "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | — | — | — | — | It's Hard to Be a Woman | |
| "Bus Fare to Kentucky" | 1971 | 21 | — | 30 | — | Skeeter |
| "Love Takes a Lot of My Time" | 58 | — | — | — | Love Takes a Lot of My Time | |
| "One Tin Soldier" | 54 | — | 4 | 2 | Bring It on Home | |
| "Sad Situation" | 1972 | 46 | — | 6 | — | Skeeter |
| "A Hillbilly Song" | — | — | 76 | — | The Hillbilly Singer | |
| "I Can't Believe That It's All Over"[A] | 1973 | 12 | 101 | 11 | — | I Can't Believe That It's All Over |
| "Don't Forget to Remember" | 44 | — | 64 | — | N/A | |
| "One More Time" | 1974 | 65 | — | — | — | |
| "Come Mornin'" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Love Us" | 1976 | 60 | — | — | — | |
| "It's Love That I Feel" | 1977 | — | — | — | — | |
| "The End of the World"[B] | 1979 | — | — | — | — | Best of the Best |
| "The Rose" | 1980 | — | — | — | — | N/A |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Collaborative singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [7] |
CAN Country [12] | ||||
| "A Dear John Letter"[A] (with Bobby Bare) |
1965 | 11 | 114 | — | Tunes for Two | |
| "For Loving You" (with Don Bowman) |
1967 | 72 | — | 18 | N/A | |
| "Your Husband, My Wife" (with Bobby Bare) |
1970 | 22 | — | — | Your Husband, My Wife | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
As a featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] | |||
| "Chet's Tune" (as Some of Chet's Friends) |
1967 | 38 | N/A |
Charting b-sides
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
A-Side Single | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [7] |
US [7] | |||
| "Something Precious" | 1962 | 23 | — | "Where I Ought to Be" |
| "How Much Can a Lonely Heart Stand" | 1964 | — | 92 | "He Says the Same Things to Me" |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Notes
- A^ Songs that reached peaks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[7]
- B^ Re-recordings of the original single versions.[13]
References
- "Skeeter Davis Biography". Oldies.com. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- Coyne, Kevin John. "100 Greatest Women -- Skeeter Davis (#44)". Country Universe. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- "Skeeter Davis Awards > Billboard chart positions". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- Unterberger, Richie. "Here's the Answer > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- "You Were Made for Me > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- "Skeeter Davis awards > Billboard chart positions (albums and songs)". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- "Search results for "Skeeter Davis" under Country Singles". RPM. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- Kent, David (editor) (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Skeeter Davis – Peak chart positions". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- "Search results for "Skeeter Davis" under Adult Contemporary songs". RPM. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- "Search results for "Don Bowman" under Country Singles". RPM. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- "Skeeter Davis discography". Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies. Retrieved 6 January 2014.