Sixty years ago this month, Johnny Horton’s song “The Battle of New Orleans” began its improbable trek to the top of the Billboard pop music charts. The opening lines — for which we apologize in ...

Johnny Horton was an American country and rockabilly singer known for his energetic storytelling songs. He became famous in the late 1950s with hits like The Battle of New Orleans and North to Alaska.

The Number Ones is a new column where I’ll review every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart’s beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present.

Cash’s son discovered the recordings in a vault at the House of Cash studios. Among the tracks were Tin Pan Alley songs, new originals, and covers of Cash’s favorites. These included songs by the ...