
Billboard #1 Hits: #312: “The Most Beautiful Girl”- Charlie Rich. December 15, 1973. #1 for 2 weeks in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single: The Most Beautiful Girl”- Charlie Rich
- Record Company-Epic
- Genre: Country
- Written by Rory Bourke, Billy Sherrill and Noro Wilson
- Time: 2:43
- B-side:” I Feel Like Goin’ Home”
- Album- Behind Closed Doors
- Grade: B
- Peaked at #1 2 weeks in Billboard Hot 100. #2 in UK Singles Chart, #1 in Australia, Belgium and Canada.
“The Most Beautiful Girl” reached #1 on three Billboard singles charts -the pop, country and adult contemporary charts. The song is a merger of two songs written by co-writer Noro Wilson- the two songs being “Hey Mister” and “Mama McCluskie.” Charlie Rich had started back at Sun Records in the late 1950’s- and his best work wasn’t considered commercial- he was in his 40’s when his more commercial work with producer Billy Sherrill came out-and he enjoyed some late career success. He died in 1995 at the age of 62.
I like it. Like it a lot- and I love that now that I think of it, AM hit radio back then included a fair bit of country music though I don’t know we thought of it that way then.