His version, recorded at Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee,[1] scored number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959 (see 1959 in music).

1 song for 1959, it was very popular with teenagers in the late 1950s/early 1960s in an era mostly dominated by rock and roll music.

Horton's version began with the quoting of the first 12 notes of the song "Dixie" by Daniel Emmett.

[7] The melody is based on a well-known American fiddle tune "The 8th of January", which was the date of the Battle of New Orleans.

Johnny Horton's 1959 version is the best-known recording of the song, which omits the mild expletives and many of the historical references of the original.