"City Lights" is an American country music song written by Bill Anderson on August 27, 1957. He recorded it on a small Texas label called TNT Records in early 1958 to little acclaim. The song was first cut by Anderson in 1957 at the campus of the University of Georgia. In June 1958, Ray Price recorded it and his version hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs singles chart in August 1958. Mickey Gilley's version also hit number 1 in June 1975.
"City Lights" | ||||
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Single by Bill Anderson | ||||
B-side | "No Song to Sing" | |||
Released | 1958 | |||
Recorded | 1957 | |||
Studio | University of Georgia | |||
Genre | Country[1] | |||
Label | TNT | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bill Anderson | |||
Producer(s) | Bob Ritter | |||
Bill Anderson singles chronology | ||||
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"City Lights" | ||||
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Single by Ray Price | ||||
B-side | "Invitation to the Blues" | |||
Released | June 1958 (U.S.) | |||
Recorded | May 29, 1958 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:59 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bill Anderson | |||
Ray Price singles chronology | ||||
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"City Lights" | ||||
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Single by Mickey Gilley | ||||
from the album City Lights | ||||
B-side | "Fraulein" | |||
Released | November 1974 (U.S.) | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | Playboy 6015 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bill Anderson | |||
Producer(s) | Eddie Kilroy | |||
Mickey Gilley singles chronology | ||||
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"City Lights" was one of Anderson's earliest major successes. Released in June 1958, Price's version of "City Lights" stalled at #2 on the Billboard magazine Most Played C&W by Disc Jockeys chart later that summer. When Billboard introduced its all-encompassing chart for country music (called "Hot C&W Sides") on October 20, "City Lights" was the new chart's first #1 song. It remained atop the chart for 13 weeks, its last week being January 12, 1959. The song spent a total of 34 weeks on the chart. The song was popular enough to cross over to US Hot 100, where it peaked at #71.[2]