1980 in country music
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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1980.
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Events
- January 25 — At age 84, octogenerian comedian George Burns becomes by far the oldest performer (to that time) to have a single in the top 40 of Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart with "I Wish I Was 18 Again." The song peaks at No. 15 in March.
- March 2 — The Public Broadcasting Company (PBS) telecasts the Grand Ole Opry for the third time, and this telecast lasts longer than any of the other telecasts. The telecast featured Tom T. Hall, Ronnie Milsap, Roy Acuff, Hank Snow, Minnie Pearl, Porter Wagoner, Billy Grammer, George Hamilton IV, Marty Robbins, and many others. Sissy Spacek also appeared on this telecast with Loretta Lynn, promoting the new movie Coal Miner's Daughter, which opened the next week.
- March — Alabama, a southern rock-influenced band from Fort Payne, Alabama, signs a recording contract with RCA Records, and records its first album, My Home's in Alabama. The album is released in May, and by late in the year, the band was on its way to superstardom.
- April 19 — For the first time in chart history, the top 5 positions on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart are held (or co-held) by female artists. The list:
- "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye" by Crystal Gayle
- "A Lesson in Leavin'" by Dottie West
- "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again" by Debby Boone
- "Beneath Still Waters" by Emmylou Harris
- "Two Story House" by Tammy Wynette (Duet with George Jones)
- July 5 — George Jones' classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today" reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.
- November 18 — The country-variety TV series, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, debuts.
Country music goes Hollywood
- Country music had a major impact on the motion picture industry throughout the year, with no less than four major box office hits released during the year:
- March 7 — Coal Miner's Daughter, the biography of Loretta Lynn told in film, opens. Sissy Spacek wins that year's Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Lynn; Tommy Lee Jones and Beverly D'Angelo also play leading roles. The movie is a huge success with critics and at the box office, and briefly sparks Spacek's singing career.
- June 6 — The movie Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, opens in American theaters. The movie — which showcases Mickey Gilley's nightclub, Gilley's — is a huge success at the box office ($54 million), and its soundtrack includes several major hits and makes stars out of several of the artists (most notably Johnny Lee), and will have a major impact on the direction of country music of the early 1980s.
- July 18 — Honeysuckle Rose, starring Willie Nelson, opens.
- December 19 — 9 to 5 – with Dolly Parton in one of the leading roles – opens.
Top hits of the year
Singles released by American artists
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 59 | After Hours | Joe Stampley |
| 18 | 21 | Always | Patsy Cline |
| 1 | 20 | Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again | Debby Boone |
| 7 | 7 | Baby, You're Something | John Conlee |
| 6 | — | Back to Back | Jeanne Pruett |
| 1 | 1 | Bar Room Buddies | Merle Haggard and Clint Eastwood |
| 18 | 43 | Bedroom Ballad | Gene Watson |
| 1 | 2 | Beneath Still Waters | Emmylou Harris |
| 6 | 9 | The Best of Strangers | Barbara Mandrell |
| 7 | 49 | Blue Heartache | Gail Davies |
| 8 | 4 | The Blue Side | Crystal Gayle |
| 21 | 8 | Bombed, Boozed and Busted | Joe Sun |
| 13 | 8 | The Boxer | Emmylou Harris |
| 20 | — | Bring It on Home | Big Al Downing |
| 9 | 14 | Broken Trust | Brenda Lee with The Oak Ridge Boys |
| 22 | 14 | The Champ | Moe Bandy |
| 5 | 27 | Charlotte's Web | The Statler Brothers |
| 20 | 21 | Cheatin' on a Cheater | Loretta Lynn |
| 7 | 1 | Clyde | Waylon Jennings |
| 24 | 7 | Coal Miner's Daughter | Sissy Spacek |
| 16 | 35 | Come to My Love | Cristy Lane |
| 15 | 26 | Couldn't Do Nothin' Right | Rosanne Cash |
| 1 | 1 | Coward of the County | Kenny Rogers |
| 1 | 10 | Cowboys and Clowns | Ronnie Milsap |
| 10 | 8 | The Cowgirl and the Dandy | Brenda Lee |
| 3 | 6 | Crackers | Barbara Mandrell |
| 14 | 53 | Crying | Stephanie Winslow |
| 32 | 8 | Dallas | Floyd Cramer |
| 1 | 4 | Dancin' Cowboys | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 1 | 15 | Do You Wanna Go to Heaven | T. G. Sheppard |
| 3 | 1 | Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer | Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes |
| 17 | — | Drinkin' and Drivin' | Johnny Paycheck |
| 1 | 2 | Drivin' My Life Away | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 3 | 3 | Faded Love | Willie Nelson and Ray Price |
| 14 | — | Free to Be Lonely Again | Debby Boone |
| 2 | 3 | Friday Night Blues | John Conlee |
| 1 | 7 | Gone Too Far | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 2 | 3 | Good Ole Boys Like Me | Don Williams |
| 7 | 16 | Hard Times | Lacy J. Dalton |
| 1 | 2 | He Stopped Loving Her Today | George Jones |
| 17 | 28 | He Was There (When I Needed You) | Tammy Wynette |
| 17 | 20 | He's Out of My Life | Johnny Duncan with Janie Fricke |
| 3 | 3 | Heart of Mine | The Oak Ridge Boys |
| 4 | 1 | Help Me Make It Through the Night | Willie Nelson |
| 7 | 7 | Holding the Bag | Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley |
| 1 | 1 | Honky Tonk Blues | Charley Pride |
| 1 | 1 | I Ain't Living Long Like This | Waylon Jennings |
| 1 | 1 | I Believe in You | Don Williams |
| 18 | 38 | I Can See Forever in Your Eyes | Reba McEntire |
| 5 | — | I Can't Get Enough of You | Razzy Bailey |
| 20 | — | I Don't Want to Lose You | Con Hunley |
| 15 | 8 | I Wish I Was Eighteen Again | George Burns |
| 1 | 1 | I'd Love to Lay You Down | Conway Twitty |
| 1 | 23 | I'll Be Coming Back for More | T. G. Sheppard |
| 8 | 8 | I'll Even Love You (Better Than I Did Then) | The Statler Brothers |
| 5 | 25 | I'm Already Blue | The Kendalls |
| 17 | 48 | I'm Gonna Love You Tonight (In My Dreams) | Johnny Duncan |
| 2 | 4 | I'm Not Ready Yet | George Jones |
| 6 | 7 | I've Never Seen the Likes of You | Conway Twitty |
| 1 | 3 | If You Ever Change Your Mind | Crystal Gayle |
| 13 | 62 | In America | Charlie Daniels |
| 10 | 4 | It's Hard to Be Humble | Mac Davis |
| 1 | 1 | It's Like We Never Said Goodbye | Crystal Gayle |
| 14 | 35 | It's Over | Rex Allen, Jr. |
| 9 | — | It's Too Late | Jeanne Pruett |
| 5 | 2 | It's True Love | Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty |
| 12 | 8 | Kaw-Liga | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 1 | 2 | Lady | Kenny Rogers |
| 12 | 39 | The Last Cowboy Song | Ed Bruce |
| 13 | — | Lay Back in the Arms of Someone | Randy Barlow |
| 13 | — | Leavin's for Unbelievers | Dottie West |
| 1 | 1 | Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight | The Oak Ridge Boys |
| 1 | 23 | A Lesson in Leavin' | Dottie West |
| 6 | 17 | Let's Get It While the Getting's Good | Eddy Arnold |
| 10 | 15 | Let's Keep it That Way | Mac Davis |
| 17 | — | A Little Getting Used To | Mickey Gilley |
| 27 | 16 | Long Haired Country Boy | Charlie Daniels |
| 1 | 18 | Lookin' for Love | Johnny Lee |
| 14 | 57 | Losing Kind of Love | Lacy J. Datlon |
| 1 | 1 | Love Me Over Again | Don Williams |
| 4 | 1 | Love the World Away | Kenny Rogers |
| 3 | 30 | Lovers Live Longer | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 1 | 10 | Loving Up a Storm | Razzy Bailey |
| 6 | 12 | Lying Time Again | Mel Tillis |
| 2 | 38 | Making Plans | Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton |
| 12 | — | Man Just Doesn't Know What a Woman Goes Through | Charlie Rich |
| 7 | 12 | Men | Charly McClain |
| 6 | 1 | Midnight Rider | Willie Nelson |
| 3 | 4 | Misery and Gin | Merle Haggard |
| 2 | 2 | Missin' You | Charley Pride |
| 5 | 46 | Morning Comes Too Early | Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |
| 1 | 13 | My Heart | Ronnie Milsap |
| 1 | 1 | My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys | Willie Nelson |
| 17 | — | My Home's in Alabama | Alabama |
| 30 | 11 | Naked in the Rain | Loretta Lynn |
| 18 | 10 | New York Wine and Tennessee Shine | Dave & Sugar |
| 20 | 11 | Night Games | Ray Stevens |
| 20 | 9 | Night Life | Willie Nelson with Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass |
| 13 | 22 | No One Will Ever Know | Gene Watson |
| 17 | 16 | North of the Border | Johnny Rodriguez |
| 4 | 3 | Nothing Sure Looked Good on You | Gene Watson |
| 11 | 26 | Numbers | Bobby Bare |
| 6 | 40 | Oh, How I Miss You Tonight | Jim Reeves and Deborah Allen |
| 1 | 2 | Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You | Dolly Parton |
| 6 | 58 | Old Habits | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 9 | 9 | The Old Side of Town | Tom T. Hall |
| 1 | 2 | On the Road Again | Willie Nelson |
| 1 | 10 | One Day at a Time | Cristy Lane |
| 1 | 8 | One in a Million | Johnny Lee |
| 13 | — | One of a Kind | Moe Bandy |
| 10 | — | Over | Leon Everette |
| 10 | 18 | Over the Rainbow | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 19 | 59 | A Pair of Old Sneakers | George Jones and Tammy Wynette |
| 22 | 12 | Pass Me By | Janie Fricke |
| 10 | 7 | Pecos Promenade | Tanya Tucker |
| 17 | 31 | Play Another Slow Song | Johnny Duncan |
| 5 | 3 | Pour Me Another Tequila | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 35 | 13 | Pregnant Again | Loretta Lynn |
| 9 | 5 | Put It Off Until Tomorrow | The Kendalls |
| 21 | 18 | Rainy Days and Stormy Nights | Billie Jo Spears |
| 15 | — | Raisin' Cane in Texas | Gene Watson |
| 38 | 20 | The Real Buddy Holly Story | Sonny Curtis |
| 20 | 17 | Real Cowboy (You Say You're) | Billy Crash Craddock |
| 8 | — | Save Your Heart for Me | Jacky Ward |
| 2 | 11 | She Can't Say That Anymore | John Conlee |
| 13 | 60 | She Just Started Liking Cheatin' Songs | John Anderson |
| 23 | 13 | Shotgun Rider | Joe Sun |
| 7 | 2 | Shriner's Convention | Ray Stevens |
| 13 | 21 | The Shuffle Song | Margo Smith |
| 1 | 8 | Smoky Mountain Rain | Ronnie Milsap |
| 6 | 7 | Smooth Sailin' | T. G. Sheppard |
| 1 | 3 | Stand by Me | Mickey Gilley |
| 15 | 9 | Standing Tall | Billie Jo Spears |
| 17 | 41 | Starting Over | Tammy Wynette |
| 1 | 2 | Starting Over Again | Dolly Parton |
| 9 | — | Steppin' Out | Mel Tillis |
| 1 | 2 | Sugar Daddy | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 12 | 13 | Sugarfoot Rag | Jerry Reed |
| 15 | — | Sure Thing | Freddie Hart |
| 8 | 16 | Sweet Sexy Eyes | Cristy Lane |
| 10 | — | Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me | Jim Reeves and Deborah Allen |
| 5 | 12 | Take Me to Your Lovin' Place | Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band |
| 12 | 15 | Taking Somebody with Me When I Fall | Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band |
| 11 | 15 | Tell Ole I Ain't Here, He Better Get on Home | Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley |
| 5 | 25 | Temporarily Yours | Jeanne Pruett |
| 1 | 1 | Tennessee River | Alabama |
| 18 | 43 | The Tennessee Waltz | Lacy J. Dalton |
| 9 | 40 | Texas in My Rear View Mirror | Mac Davis |
| 6 | 3 | That Lovin' You Feelin' Again | Roy Orbison and Emmylou Harris |
| 1 | 9 | That's All That Matters | Mickey Gilley |
| 7 | — | That's the Way a Cowboy Rocks and Rolls | Jacky Ward |
| 10 | 50 | That's What I Get for Loving You | Eddy Arnold |
| 1 | 2 | Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) | Waylon Jennings |
| 18 | 36 | There's Another Woman | Joe Stampley |
| 19 | — | They Never Lost You | Con Hunley |
| 13 | — | Too Old to Play Cowboy | Razzy Bailey |
| 1 | 1 | True Love Ways | Mickey Gilley |
| 1 | 1 | Trying to Love Two Women | The Oak Ridge Boys |
| 10 | — | Tumbleweed | Sylvia |
| 2 | 1 | Two Story House | George Jones and Tammy Wynette |
| 2 | 1 | The Way I Am | Merle Haggard |
| 7 | 1 | Wayfaring Stranger | Emmylou Harris |
| 18 | 15 | We're Number One | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers |
| 19 | 33 | What'll I Tell Virginia | Johnny Rodriguez |
| 15 | 17 | When | Slim Whitman |
| 11 | 15 | When Two Worlds Collide | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 1 | 2 | Why Don't You Spend the Night | Ronnie Milsap |
| 1 | 3 | Why Lady Why | Alabama |
| 18 | 23 | Women Get Lonely | Charly McClain |
| 5 | 9 | Women I've Never Had | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 1 | 1 | Years | Barbara Mandrell |
| 10 | 6 | Yesterday Once More | Moe Bandy |
| 4 | 5 | You Almost Slipped My Mind | Charley Pride |
| 9 | 5 | You Know Just What I'd Do | Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty |
| 19 | 19 | You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me | Con Hunley |
| 8 | 22 | (You Lift Me) Up to Heaven | Reba McEntire |
| 1 | 2 | You Win Again | Charley Pride |
| 5 | 17 | You'd Make an Angel Wanna Cheat | The Kendalls |
| 22 | 8 | You're Gonna Love Yourself | Charlie Rich |
| 60 | 12 | You're Only Lonely | J. D. Souther |
| 3 | 32 | Your Body Is an Outlaw | Mel Tillis |
| 15 | 39 | Your Lying Blue Eyes | John Anderson |
| 5 | 5 | Your Old Cold Shoulder | Crystal Gayle |
Singles released by Canadian artists
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | 10 | All Her Letters | Terry Carisse |
| — | 10 | The Ballad of Lucy Jordan | Marie Bottrell |
| — | 14 | The Ballad of T.J.'s | Dick Damron |
| — | 15 | Brown Eyed Girl | The Good Brothers |
| — | 1 | But It's Cheating | Family Brown |
| — | 13 | Casey's Last Ride | Bytown Bluegrass |
| — | 16 | Caught in the Middle | Jack Hennig |
| 1 | 1 | Could I Have This Dance | Anne Murray |
| 3 | 1 | Daydream Believer | Anne Murray |
| — | 20 | Dollars | Dick Damron |
| — | 4 | Don't Ask the Question | Canadian Zephyr |
| 80 | 8 | Dream Street Rose | Gordon Lightfoot |
| — | 8 | Evangeline | C-Weed Band |
| — | 6 | Flames of Evil Desire | Marie Bottrell |
| — | 1 | Guess I Went Crazy | Canadian Zephyr |
| — | 10 | Hard Times (Comin' Down Again) | Carlton Showband |
| — | 1 | Hollywood Love | Carroll Baker |
| — | 4 | I Think I'll Say Goodbye | Eddie Eastman |
| — | 15 | I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head | Mercey Brothers |
| — | 10 | I'd Rather Be in L.A. | Gurney Anderson |
| 23 | 10 | I'm Happy Just to Dance with You | Anne Murray |
| — | 9 | In My Eyes | Glory-Anne Carriere |
| — | 14 | Liftin' Me Up, Lettin' Me Down | Eddie Eastman |
| — | 1 | Love Was on Our Side | Family Brown |
| 9 | 4 | Lucky Me | Anne Murray |
| — | 7 | Meant to Be | R. Harlan Smith and Chris Nielsen |
| — | 10 | My Broken Old Heart | David Thompson |
| — | 3 | Phantom of the Opry | Ronnie Prophet |
| — | 20 | Rideau Street Queen | Wayne Rostad |
| — | 18 | Somebody's Woman | Ralph Carlson |
| — | 20 | Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right | Iris Larratt |
| — | 1 | Sparkle in Her Eyes | Terry Carisse |
| — | 3 | The Star | Marie Bottrell |
| — | 1 | Still Falling in Love | Carroll Baker |
| — | 9 | Sweet Mountain Music | Laura Vinson |
| — | 6 | Thanks for the Dance | Ralph Carlson |
| — | 10 | We Could Make Beautiful Music Together | Terry Carisse |
| — | 4 | We've Got the Magic | R. Harlan Smith |
| — | 16 | What's Forever For | Cliff Edwards |
| — | 7 | Your Used to Be | Eddie Eastman |
Top new album releases
| US | CAN | Album | Artist | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 Cylinder | 6 Cylinder | RCA | |
| 1 | 3 | 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs | Dolly Parton | RCA |
| 13 | 10th Anniversary | The Statler Brothers | Mercury | |
| 6 | All for the Love of a Song | Carroll Baker | RCA | |
| 24 | American Son | Levon Helm | MCA | |
| 2 | 1 | Anne Murray's Greatest Hits | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| 5 | 7 | Any Which Way You Can (Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Warner Bros. |
| 14 | Ask Me to Dance | Cristy Lane | United Artists | |
| 8 | Back to the Barrooms | Merle Haggard | MCA | |
| 12 | Back to the Sod | Carlton Showband | RCA | |
| 18 | Best Country Duets | Various Artists | Epic | |
| 57 | 21 | The Best of Jerry Jeff Walker | Jerry Jeff Walker | MCA |
| 18 | Best of the Family Brown | Family Brown | RCA | |
| 11 | Best of the Good Brothers | The Good Brothers | RCA | |
| 20 | Blue Pearl | Earl Thomas Conley | Sunbird | |
| 10 | Bronco Billy (Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Elektra | |
| 57 | 6 | The Champ | Moe Bandy | Columbia |
| 2 | 1 | Coal Miner's Daughter (Soundtrack) | Various Artists | MCA |
| 8 | Come with Me | Nana Mouskouri | Grand | |
| 7 | 2 | A Country Collection | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| 16 | Crying | Stephanie Winslow | Warner Bros./Curb | |
| 14 | Danny Davis & Willie Nelson with the Nashville Brass |
Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass & Willie Nelson |
RCA | |
| 7 | 1 | Dolly, Dolly, Dolly | Dolly Parton | RCA |
| 21 | 4 | Down & Dirty | Bobby Bare | Columbia |
| 58 | 1 | Dream Street Rose | Gordon Lightfoot | Warner Bros. |
| 47 | 17 | Drunk & Crazy | Bobby Bare | Columbia |
| 22 | Ed Bruce | Ed Bruce | MCA | |
| 9 | Eddie Eastman | Eddie Eastman | Columbia | |
| 8 | 2 | Elvis Aron Presley | Elvis Presley | RCA |
| 14 | Encore | Mickey Gilley | Epic | |
| 18 | The Entertainer | Artie MacLaren | Broadland | |
| 16 | 11 | Friday Night Blues | John Conlee | MCA |
| 5 | 9 | Full Moon | Charlie Daniels | Epic |
| 1 | 1 | Gideon | Kenny Rogers | United Artists |
| 22 | Greatest Hits | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | Columbia | |
| 1 | 10 | Greatest Hits | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |
| 5 | 13 | Greatest Hits | The Oak Ridge Boys | MCA |
| 1 | 2 | Greatest Hits | Kenny Rogers | Liberty |
| 18 | Gypsy | Johnny Rodriguez | Epic | |
| 4 | 7 | Habits Old and New | Hank Williams, Jr. | Elektra/Curb |
| 18 | Hard Times | Lacy J. Dalton | Columbia | |
| 10 | 3 | Heart & Soul | Conway Twitty | MCA |
| 11 | 13 | Help Yourself | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | Columbia |
| 1 | 4 | Honeysuckle Rose | Willie Nelson | Columbia |
| 1 | 5 | Horizon | Eddie Rabbitt | Elektra |
| 7 | I Am What I Am | George Jones | Epic | |
| 2 | 3 | I Believe in You | Don Williams | MCA |
| 12 | I Wish I Was Eighteen Again | George Burns | Mercury | |
| 18 | Into a Mystery | Murray McLauchlan | True North | |
| 22 | Iris Larratt | Iris Larratt | RCA | |
| 3 | It's Hard to Be Humble | Mac Davis | Casablanca | |
| 23 | King of the Newfies | Michael T. Wall | Boot | |
| 11 | Lacy J. Dalton | Lacy J. Dalton | Columbia | |
| 4 | Live | The Good Brothers | Solid Gold | |
| 8 | 6 | Lookin' for Love | Johnny Lee | Asylum |
| 17 | Lookin' Good | Loretta Lynn | MCA | |
| 24 | 5 | Loretta | Loretta Lynn | MCA |
| 17 | Love Has No Reason | Debby Boone | Warner Bros./Curb | |
| 6 | 12 | Love Is Fair | Barbara Mandrell | MCA |
| 24 | M-M-Mel Live | Mel Tillis | MCA | |
| 12 | Make a Little Magic | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Liberty | |
| 3 | Milsap Magic | Ronnie Milsap | RCA | |
| 1 | 1 | Music Man | Waylon Jennings | RCA |
| 3 | 1 | My Home's in Alabama | Alabama | RCA |
| 9 | Porter & Dolly | Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton | RCA | |
| 12 | Razzy | Razzy Bailey | RCA | |
| 12 | 16 | Rest Your Love on Me | Conway Twitty | MCA |
| 23 | Rockabilly Blues | Johnny Cash | Columbia | |
| 2 | 2 | Roses in the Snow | Emmylou Harris | Warner Bros. |
| 1 | The Rovers | The Rovers | Attic | |
| 3 | 1 | San Antonio Rose | Willie Nelson & Ray Price | Columbia |
| 20 | She Don't Like the Highway | Dale Russell | Sunshine | |
| 4 | Shriner's Convention | Ray Stevens | RCA | |
| 10 | 11 | Smokey and the Bandit 2 (Soundtrack) | Various Artists | MCA |
| 19 | Smooth Sailin' | T. G. Sheppard | Warner Bros./Curb | |
| 15 | 1 | Somebody's Waiting | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| 25 | 24 | Songs I Love to Sing | Slim Whitman | Cleveland Int'l. |
| 18 | Sons of the Sun | The Bellamy Brothers | Warner Bros./Curb | |
| 22 | Southern Rain | Mel Tillis | Elektra | |
| 3 | The Star | Marie Bottrell | MBS | |
| 12 | Texas in My Rear View Mirror | Mac Davis | Casablanca | |
| 8 | That's All That Matters to Me | Mickey Gilley | Epic | |
| 1 | There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me | Charley Pride | RCA | |
| 6 | These Days | Crystal Gayle | Columbia | |
| 10 | 1 | Together | The Oak Ridge Boys | MCA |
| 22 | True Feelings | Sonny Sinclair | Rural Root | |
| 1 | 2 | Urban Cowboy (Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Asylum |
| 16 | The Way I Am | Merle Haggard | MCA | |
| 13 | We Could Make Beautiful Music Together | Terry Carisse | MBS | |
| 5 | With Love | Marty Robbins | Columbia | |
| 9 | You Can Get Crazy | The Bellamy Brothers | Warner Bros./Curb | |
| 25 | Your Body Is an Outlaw | Mel Tillis | Elektra | |
| 2 | Zephyr | Canadian Zephyr | RCA |
Other top albums
| US | CAN | Album | Artist | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | After Hours | Joe Stampley | Epic | |
| 27 | Always | Patsy Cline | MCA | |
| 28 | Autograph | John Denver | RCA | |
| 43 | The Best of Chet on the Road — Live | Chet Atkins | RCA | |
| 34 | The Best of the Kendalls | The Kendalls | Ovation | |
| 64 | But What Will the Neighbors Think | Rodney Crowell | Warner Bros. | |
| 49 | Cactus and a Rose | Gary Stewart | RCA | |
| 71 | Changes | Billy "Crash" Craddock | Capitol | |
| 47 | Christmas with Slim Whitman | Slim Whitman | Cleveland Int'l. | |
| 29 | Dallas | Floyd Cramer | RCA | |
| 51 | Don't It Break Your Heart | Con Hunley | Warner Bros. | |
| 45 | Double Trouble | George Jones & Johnny Paycheck | Epic | |
| 41 | Dreamlovers | Tanya Tucker | MCA | |
| 37 | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | Lynn Anderson | Columbia | |
| 55 | Eyes | Eddy Raven | Dimension | |
| 26 | Family Bible | Willie Nelson | MCA | |
| 37 | Favorites | Crystal Gayle | United Artists | |
| 44 | Following the Feeling | Moe Bandy | Columbia | |
| 59 | Greatest Country Hits of the 70's | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| 61 | I Don't Want to Lose | Leon Everette | Orlando | |
| 29 | I Don't Want to Lose You | Con Hunley | Warner Bros. | |
| 27 | I'll Be There | Gail Davies | Warner Bros. | |
| 28 | I'll Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry | Janie Fricke | Columbia | |
| 66 | I've Got Something to Say | David Allan Coe | Columbia | |
| 61 | In My Dreams | Johnny Duncan | Columbia | |
| 56 | Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce | Jerry Reed | RCA | |
| 61 | John Anderson | John Anderson | Warner Bros. | |
| 35 | Killer Country | Jerry Lee Lewis | Elektra | |
| 26 | A Legend and His Lady | Eddy Arnold | RCA | |
| 59 | Love So Many Ways | Ronnie McDowell | Epic | |
| 61 | Many Moods of Mel | Mel Street | Sunbird | |
| 48 | New York Town | Johnny Paycheck | Epic | |
| 47 | New York Wine Tennessee Shine | Dave Rowland & Sugar | RCA | |
| 45 | No One Will Ever Know | Gene Watson | Capitol | |
| 69 | Oklahoma Rose | Rex Allen, Jr. | Warner Bros. | |
| 52 | Once a Drifter | Charlie Rich | Elektra | |
| 35 | One Man, One Woman | Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius | RCA | |
| 37 | Only Lonely Sometimes | Tammy Wynette | Epic | |
| 70 | Standing Tall | Billie Jo Spears | United Artists | |
| 52 | A Sure Thing | Freddie Hart | Sunbird | |
| 30 | Take Me Back | Brenda Lee | MCA | |
| 43 | Texas Bound and Flyin' | Jerry Reed | RCA | |
| 56 | There's Always Me | Jim Reeves | RCA | |
| 26 | Together Again | George Jones & Tammy Wynette | Epic | |
| 32 | When Two Worlds Collide | Jerry Lee Lewis | Elektra | |
| 31 | Where Did the Money Go? | Hoyt Axton | Jeremiah | |
| 28 | Who's Cheatin' Who | Charly McClain | Epic | |
| 40 | A Woman's Heart | Crystal Gayle | Liberty | |
| 73 | Women Get Lonely | Charly McClain | Epic |
On television
Regular series
- Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters (1980-1982, NBC)
- Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)
- Pop! Goes the Country (1974-1982, syndicated)
- The Porter Wagoner Show (1960-1981, syndicated)
- That Nashville Music (1970-1985, syndicated)
Specials
Births
- April 1 – Kip Moore, country singer of the 2010s.
- April 2 – Bobby Estell, radio personality of the 2010s-onward who uses the on-air name Bobby Bones and host of his eponymously named show.
- July 3 – Sarah Buxton, singer-songwriter best known as co-writer of "Stupid Boy."
- October 18 — Josh Gracin, rose to fame as fourth-place contestant on American Idol in 2003; had a string of hits thereafter ("I Want to Live," "Nothin' to Lose").
Deaths
- March 17 - Hugh Farr, 76, member of the Sons of the Pioneers.
- April 4 — Red Sovine, 61, best known for recitations of truck driving life (car accident resulting from a heart attack).
- June 16 - Bob Nolan, 72, member of the Sons of the Pioneers.
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
- Johnny Cash (1932–2003)
- Connie B. Gay (1914–1989)
- Original Sons of the Pioneers (Roy Rogers 1911-1998, Bob Nolan 1908-1980, Lloyd Perryman 1917-1977, Tim Spencer 1908-1974, Hugh Farr 1903-1980 and Karl Farr 1909-1961)
Major awards
Grammy Awards
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Could I Have This Dance," Anne Murray
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," Emmylou Harris and Roy Orbison
- Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Orange Blossom Special/Hoedown," Gilley's Urban Cowboy Band
- Best Country Song — "On the Road Again," Willie Nelson (Performer: Willie Nelson)
Juno Awards
- Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Murray McLauchlan
- Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
- Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers
Academy of Country Music
- Entertainer of the Year — Barbara Mandrell
- Song of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman (Performer: George Jones)
- Single of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
- Album of the Year — Urban Cowboy, Soundtrack
- Top Male Vocalist — George Jones
- Top Female Vocalist — Dolly Parton
- Top New Male Vocalist — Johnny Lee
- Top New Female Vocalist — Terri Gibbs
Country Music Association
- Founding President's Award (formerly Connie B. Gay Award) — Charlie Daniels
- Entertainer of the Year — Barbara Mandrell
- Song of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman (Performer: George Jones)
- Single of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
- Album of the Year — Coal Miner's Daughter, Soundtrack
- Male Vocalist of the Year — George Jones
- Female Vocalist of the Year — Emmylou Harris
- Vocal Duo of the Year — Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
- Vocal Group of the Year — The Statler Brothers
- Instrumentalist of the Year — Roy Clark
- Instrumental Group of the Year — Charlie Daniels Band
Further reading
- Kingsbury, Paul, "The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories," Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995
- Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947-1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
- Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.