Years in Country Music - 1980s

1980s

• 1989 in country music, chart debuts of Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Travis Tritt and Alan Jackson; death of Keith Whitley; Ronnie Milsap has last No. 1 hit, "A Woman in Love."
• 1988 in country music, chronicling the history of country music on compact disc (among the first being the Country USA series); Merle Haggard's last No. 1 hit.
• 1987 in country music, Reba McEntire wins unprecedented fourth Female Vocalist of the Year award from the Country Music Association; K. T. Oslin becomes a star in her late 40s, a first for a country female vocalist.
• 1986 in country music, Debuts of Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam and others reinvigorate country music; Buck Owens leaves Hee Haw; no multi-week No. 1 songs on Billboard country chart.
• 1985 in country music, New York Times declares country music "dead"; Alabama sets a new Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles record for most consecutive No. 1 singles without a miss.
• 1984 in country music, Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias duet "To All the Girls I've Loved Before"; Hank Williams Jr. records video for "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight."
• 1983 in country music, CMT, The Nashville Network premiere on cable television; The Judds sign national recording contract; Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet "Islands in the Stream" becomes a crossover smash.
• 1982 in country music, Alabama wins first CMA "Entertainer of the Year" award; Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" is a major crossover hit.
• 1981 in country music, Rise of neotraditional country with debuts of George Strait and Ricky Skaggs; The Oak Ridge Boys release their biggest hit song, "Elvira," while Eddie Rabbitt enjoys crossover success with "I Love a Rainy Night" and "Step By Step" during second peak wave of songs crossing over to pop charts. Barbara Mandrell becomes first artist to win back to back Entertainer of the Year award 1980-1981 from CMA & ACM.
• 1980 in country music, Debuts of movies about country music and/or country singers in leading roles (Coal Miner's Daughter, Urban Cowboy); nomination of two country songs for Academy Award for Best Original Song; Alabama signs with RCA Records and begins long-term success.