Legacy
- No less than 43 number-one country hits
- Tens of millions of records sold worldwide
- Country Music Hall of Fame inductee (2000)
- Grand Ole Opry Member inductee (1993)
- #8 on Billboard's 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time (2024)
- Cash Box'sTop Male Country Artist of the Decade (1970s)
- Twelve (12) #1 albums on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart
- RIAA Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)
- Trumpet Award Outstanding African-American Achievement (1996)
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1999)
- #18 on CMT’s 40 Greatest Men in Country Music (2003)
- Texas Cultural Trust Texas Medal of Arts (2003)
- The Cowboy of Color Hall of Fame inductee (2006)
- Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience Hall of Fame
inductee (2018) - Life-size bronze statue on Ryman Auditorium's Icon Walk (2023)
Awards Show Wins & Honors
THE RECORDING ACADEMY
a/k/a National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS)
- GRAMMY Awards
- Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel) (1971)
- Best Sacred Performance (1971)
- Best Country Vocal Performance, Male (1972)
- GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
- GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
- Crossroads Of American Music Award, inaugural (2019)
- GRAMMY Hall Of Fame®
- Kiss An Angel Good Mornin', inductee (2024)
COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA)
- CMA Awards
- Entertainer of the Year (1971)
- Male Vocalist of the Year (1971)
- Male Vocalist of the Year (1972)
- Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM)
- ACM Awards
- ACM Pioneer Award (1994)
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
- AMA Awards
- Favorite Male Artist (1974)
- Favorite Album (1974)
- Favorite Male Artist (1977)
MUSIC CITY NEWS
- Music City News Awards
- Most Promising Established Male (1967)
- Award Of Honor (1967)
- Male Vocalist Of The Year (1968)
- Male Vocalist Of The Year (1969)
- Male Artist of the Year (1970)
- Male Artist of the Year (1971)
- Male Artist of the Year (1972)
- Male Artist of the Year (1973)
- TNN / Music City News Awards
- Living Legend (1997)
Other notable awards and honors
- Country Song Roundup Most Promising Male Artist (1967)
- K-Bar-T Country Roundup Best New Male Artist (1967)
- SESAC Awards Single Of The Year for "Crystal Chandeliers" (1969)
Number-One US Country Singles
Charley scored no less than 43 number-one country hits and his 1969 live version of "Kaw-Liga" earned Charley his first number-one country single in the Cash Box magazine issue dated 4/5/1969. "Kaw Liga" peaked at #3 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and Charley would have to wait until July 1969 before topping that Billboard chart for the first time with "All I Have To Offer You (Is Me)."
Primarily due to its longevity and the exhaustive research of music historian Joel Whitburn, Billboard magazine is often quoted as if it were the sole authoritative source for US single chart positions. But that's a disservice to a multitude of artists because career-making #1 signature hits on the Cash Box, Record World and other competing charts have often barely missed topping the Billboard charts — and vice-versa!
Over the years the US record industry has embraced many different major music charts that have striven to accurately gauge popular music trends. Pop music fans from the 1980s may recall that the The Dick Clark National Music Survey on the Mutual Broadcasting System utilized Cash Box data to compile its Top-30 pop song countdown, whereas Casey Kasem utilized Billboard Top-40 chart data for his syndicated American Top-40 countdown show.
Minor differences between the competing music charts were not unusual due to each of the sponsoring trade magazines utilizing a slightly different chart methodology or list of radio station playlists to develop their music popularity charts. Methodologies would also sometimes take into account both radio airplay and sales data rather than solely airplay.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Nashville-based country music labels tended to focus on Cash Box as the main singles chart for their radio promotional efforts. Billboard and Record World were also highly-regarded weekly charts for country and many other music genres at the time. Radio & Records (R & R), The Gavin Report. Country Aircheck and CDX would gain importance with their country music airplay charts in later years.
The chart positions below reflect the following charts depending on the official name of each chart at the time a single was active.
- Billboard Hot Country Singles
- Cash Box Country Top 60
- Cash Box Country Top 75
- Cash Box Top 100 Country
- Record World Country Singles (publication ceased in 1982)
| Chart-Topping US Radio Single | Airplay peak | Billboard | Cash Box | Record World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kaw-Liga | Apr 1969 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2. | All I Have To Offer You Is Me | Jul 1969 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3. | (I'm So Afraid Of Losing You Again | Dec 1969 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4. | Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone | May 1970 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5. | Wonder Could I Live There Anymore | Jul 1970 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6. | I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me | Nov 1970 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7. | I'd Rather Love You | Mar 1971 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 8. | I'm Just Me | Aug 1971 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 9. | Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' | Dec 1971 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10. | All His Children | Apr 1972 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 11. | It's Gonna Take A Little Bit Longer | Aug 1972 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 12. | She's Too Good To Be True | Nov 1972 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 13. | A Shoulder To Cry On | Apr 1973 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 14. | Don't Fight The Feelings Of Love | Jul 1973 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 15. | Amazing Love | Dec 1973 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16. | We Could | Jun 1974 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 17. | Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town | Nov 1974 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 18. | Then Who Am I | Feb 1975 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19. | I Ain't All Bad | Jun 1975 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 20. | Hope You're Feeling Me (Like I'm Feelin' You) | Oct 1975 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 21. | The Happiness Of Having You | Feb 1976 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
| 22. | My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You | May 1976 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 23. | A Whole Lotta Things To Sing About | Nov 1976 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 24. | She's Just An Old Love Turned Memory | Mar 1977 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 25. | I'll Be Leaving Alone | Jul 1977 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 26. | More To Me | Nov 1977 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 27. | Someone Loves You Honey | Apr 1978 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 28. | When I Stop Leavin' (I'll Be Gone) | Sep 1978 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 29. | Burgers & Fries | Dec 1978 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30. | Where Do I Put Her Memory | Apr 1979 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 31. | You're My Jamaica | Sep 1979 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 32. | Missin' You | Dec 1979 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 33. | Honky Tonk Blues | Apr 1980 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 34. | You Win Again | Jul 1980 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 35. | You Almost Slipped My Mind | Dec 1980 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 36. | Never Been So Loved (In All My Life) | Oct 1981 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 37. | Mountain Of Love | Mar 1982 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 38. | I Don't Think She's In Love Anymore | Jul 1982 | 2 | 1 | n/a |
| 39. | You're So Good When You're Bad | Nov 1982 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| 40. | Why Baby Why | Feb 1983 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| 41. | Night Games | Sep 1983 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| 42. | Every Heart Should Have One | Jan 1984 | 2 | 1 | n/a |
| 43. | Have I Got Some Blues For You | May 1987 | 14 | 1 | n/a |