48 Years Ago Today: Waylon Jennings Goes #1 With “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”

Waylon Jennings earned his fourth number one on the country charts as a solo artist with “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.”

The legendary Waylon Jennings released his song “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” in August 1975 as the first single off his album Dreaming My Dreams.

Crafted as a tribute to the enduring impact of the legendary Hank Williams on country music, he penned the song while expressing a critical view of the burgeoning glitzy era in the 1970s. Within the lyrics, he takes aim at the rising trend of “rhinestone suits and new shiny cars” that characterized the period.

Adding a poignant layer to the homage, Jennings transformed this composition into a duet on multiple occasions, sharing the stage with none other than Hank Williams’ own son. Few individuals can grasp the legacy left behind by Hank Williams better than Hank Jr., who launched his career by mirroring the footsteps of his iconic father.

The song reached the top spot on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since its release in 1975, plenty of people have covered the song including Alabama, The Highwaymen, The Mavericks, and newcomer Kameron Marlowe, just to name a few.

Watch Waylon perform “Are You Sure Hank Done It That Way” at the US Festival in 1983 below.