album · September 1, 1959
Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
Crazy Warthog MediaSee this day
countryfolk
This 1959 album has been called one of the most influential Western concept albums of all time. It features the iconic hit 'El Paso.'
- The album was recorded in just three sessions in January and February 1959 at Columbia's Nashville studio. It features the same musicians who played on many of Robbins' other hits. It reached number 7 on the Billboard country albums chart and number 31 on the Billboard 200 pop albums chart.
- 'El Paso' was a surprise number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, and won a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. It was the first song to win a Grammy in that category. The song itself tells a story, and the album's songs are unified by their Western theme.
- The album was re-recorded and re-released in 1962 as 'Marty Robbins' Saga of the Old West' on Columbia Records' budget Harmony label. A 1966 follow-up album, 'Greatest Hits of the West,' compiled more of his Western-themed songs, though it did not include 'El Paso.'
Marty Robbins was a country music singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for his Western ballads and pop-style vocals. At the time of "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs," Robbins was a successful artist at Columbia Records, known for his range beyond traditional country.
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