1980 in country music
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See also: 1979 in country music, 1980 in music, other events of 1980, 1981 in country music, 1980s in music and the List of years in Country Music
Contents |
[edit] Events
- Country music had a major impact on the motion picture industry, with the film Urban Cowboy, which included a number of top country acts on its soundtrack. Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson also made their film debuts in Nine to Five and Honeysuckle Rose, respectively.
[edit] Top hits of the year
[edit] Number one hits
(As certified by Billboard magazine)
- January 5 – "Coward of the County" – Kenny Rogers
- January 26 – "I'll Be Coming Back For More" – T.G. Sheppard
- February 9 – "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" – Oak Ridge Boys
- February 16 – "Love Me Over Again" – Don Williams
- February 23 – "Years" – Barbara Mandrell
- March 1 – "Ain't Livin' Long Like This" – Waylon Jennings
- March 8 – "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" – Willie Nelson
- March 22 – "Why Don't You Spend the Night" – Ronnie Milsap
- March 29 – "I'd Love to Lay You Down" – Conway Twitty
- April 5 – "Sugar Daddy" – Bellamy Brothers
- April 12 – "Honky Tonk Blues" – Charley Pride
- April 19 – "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye" – Crystal Gayle
- April 26 – "A Lesson in Leavin'" – Dottie West
- May 3 – "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again" – Debby Boone
- May 10 – "Beneath Still Waters" – Emmylou Harris
- May 17 – "Gone Too Far" – Eddie Rabbitt
- May 24 – "Starting Over Again" – Dolly Parton
- May 31 – "My Heart" – Ronnie Milsap
- June 21 – "One Day at a Time" – Cristy Lane
- June 28 – "Trying to Love Two Women" – Oak Ridge Boys
- July 5 – "He Stopped Loving Her Today" – George Jones
- July 12 – "You Win Again" – Charley Pride
- July 19 – "Bar Room Buddies" – Merle Haggard and Clint Eastwood
- July 26 – "True Love Ways" – Mickey Gilley
- August 2 – "Dancin' Cowboys" – Bellamy Brothers
- August 9 – "Stand By Me" – Mickey Gilley
- August 16 – "Tennessee River" – Alabama
- August 23 – "Drivin' My Life Away" – Eddie Rabbitt
- August 30 – "Cowboys and Clowns" – Ronnie Milsap
- September 6 – "Lookin' For Love" – Johnny Lee
- September 27 – "Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You" – Dolly Parton
- October 4 – "Do You Wanna Go to Heaven" – T.G. Sheppard
- October 11 – "Loving Up a Storm" – Razzy Bailey
- October 18 – "I Believe in You" – Don Williams
- November 1 – "Theme from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' (Good Ol' Boys)" – Waylon Jennings
- November 8 – "On the Road Again" – Willie Nelson
- November 15 – "Could I Have This Dance" – Anne Murray
- November 22 – "Lady" – Kenny Rogers
- November 29 – "If You Ever Change Your Mind" – Crystal Gayle
- December 6 – "Smoky Mountain Rain" – Ronnie Milsap
- December 13 – "Why Lady Why" – Alabama
- December 20 – "That's All That Matters" – Mickey Gilley
- December 27 – "One in a Million" – Johnny Lee
[edit] Other major hits
- "Blue Heartache" -- Gail Davies
- "The Blue Side" -- Crystal Gayle
- "Broken Trust" -- Brenda Lee (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
- "Charlotte's Web" -- Statler Brothers
- "Crackers" -- Barbara Mandrell
- "Clyde" -- Waylon Jennings
- "The Cowboy and the Dandy" -- Brenda Lee
- "Daydream Believer" -- Anne Murray
- "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer" -- Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes
- "Faded Love" -- Willie Nelson and Ray Price
- "Friday Night Blues" -- John Conlee
- "Good Ol' Boys Like Me" -- Don Williams
- "Hard Times" -- Lacy J. Dalton
- "Holding the Bag" -- Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
- "I Don't Want to Lose You" - Con Hunley
- "I'm Already Blue" -- The Kendalls
- "I'm Not Ready Yet" -- George Jones
- "It's Hard to Be Humble" -- Mac Davis
- "It's True Love" -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
- "Let's Get It While the Getting's Good" -- Eddy Arnold
- "Let's Keep It That Way" -- Mac Davis
- "Love the World Away" -- Kenny Rogers
- "Lying Time Again" -- Mel Tillis
- "Making Plans" -- Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
- "Men" -- Charly McClain
- "Midnight Rider" -- Willie Nelson
- "Misery and Gin" -- Merle Haggard
- "Old Habits" -- Hank Williams Jr.
- "Over" -- Leon Everette
- "Pour Me Another Tequila" -- Eddie Rabbitt
- "Save Your Heart For Me" -- Jacky Ward
- "She Just Started Liking Cheating Songs" -- John Anderson
- "Smooth Sailing" -- T.G. Sheppard
- "Take Me to Your Lovin' Place" -- Larry Gatlin
- "Tell Ole I AIn't Here" -- Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
- "Temporarily Yours" -- Jeanne Pruett
- "That Lovin' You Feelin Again" -- Roy Orbison and Emmylou Harris
- "That's What I Get For Loving You" -- Eddy Arnold
- "They Never Lost You" - Con Hunley
- "Tumbleweed" -- Sylvia
- "Two Story House" -- George Jones and Tammy Wynette
- "The Way I Am" -- Merle Haggard
- "Wayfaring Stranger" -- Emmylou Harris
- "Women I've Never Had" -- Hank Williams Jr.
- "You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me" - Con Hunley
- "You Know Just What I'd Do" -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
- "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven" -- Reba McEntire
- "Your Body is an Outlaw" -- Mel Tillis
[edit] Top new album releases
- Dolly, Dolly, Dolly — Dolly Parton (RCA)
- Greatest Hits Vol. 1 — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
- I Am What I Am — George Jones (Epic)
- Lonestar Cowboy — Donna Fargo
- Milsap Magic — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
- My Home's in Alabama — Alabama (RCA)
- Roses in the Snow — Emmylou Harris (Warner Bros.)
- The Way I Am — Merle Haggard (Epic)
[edit] Births
- 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").
[edit] Deaths
- April 4 -- Red Sovine, 61, best known for recitations of truck driving life (car accident resulting from a heart attack)
[edit] Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
- Johnny Cash (1932-2003)
- Connie B. Gay (1914-1989)
- Original Sons of the Pioneers
[edit] Major Awards
[edit] Grammy awards
- Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "Could I Have This Dance?" - Anne Murray
- Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones
- Best Country Performance Duo Or Group -- "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
[edit] Academy of Country Music
- Song Of The Year -- "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones - Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman
- Single Of The Year -- "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones
- Album Of The Year -- Movie Soundtrack Urban Cowboy
- Top Male Vocalist -- George Jones
- Top Female Vocalist -- Dolly Parton
- Top New Male Vocalist -- Johnny Lee
- Top New Female Vocalist -- Terri Gibbs
[edit] Country Music Association
- Instrumental Group of the Year -- Charlie Daniels Band
- Instrumentalist of the Year -- Roy Clark
- Entertainer of the Year -- Barbara Mandrell
- Male Vocalist of the Year -- George Jones
- Female Vocalist of the Year -- Emmylou Harris
- Vocal Group of the Year -- Statler Brothers
- Vocal Duo of the Year -- Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
- Album of the Year -- Beverly D'Angelo, Levon Helm, and Sissy Spacek
- Song of the Year -- "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones, Bobby Braddock, and Curly Putman
- Single of the Year -- "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones
[edit] 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.
