From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page indexes the individual year in country music pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point.
Pre-1920s -
1920s -
1930s -
1940s -
1950s -
1960s -
1970s -
1980s -
1990s -
2000s -
2010s -
2020s -
Pre-1920s
1920s
1920 in country music
1921 in country music
1922 in country music , First commercial recordings of country music by
Eck Robertson for
Victor Records .
1923 in country music , First radio "
barn dance " WBAP in
Fort Worth, Texas . "Sally Gooden" by
A.C. (Eck) Robertson top country record.
[1]
1924 in country music , "
It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo' "
[2] by
Wendell Hall top country record. "
The Prisoner's Song " recorded by
Vernon Dalhart in August sells 1.3 million records by end of decade.
[3]
1925 in country music , WSM signs on; first
WSM Barn Dance . "
The Prisoner's Song "
[4] by
Vernon Dalhart top country record.
Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers recorded the successful "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" and "The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee" on July 27.
[5]
1926 in country music , Formation of
The Skillet Lickers . "
The Prisoner's Song "
[6] by
Vernon Dalhart second chart run Top Country Record.
1927 in country music , The
Carter Family ,
Jimmie Rodgers make their first recordings. "
Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow "
[7] by the Carter Family Top Country Record.
1928 in country music , "
Blue Yodel " recorded by
Jimmie Rodgers "
Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas) "
[8]
[9] Top Country Record, and one of several million sellers by Rodgers.
[6]
1929 in country music , "
Wildwood Flower "
[10]
[9] by the
Carter Family top country record and sells one million copies.
Gene Autry makes his first recordings.
1930s
1930 in country music ,
Ken Maynard becomes first singing screen cowboy. ""
Anniversary Yodel (Blue Yodel No. 7) ""
[11] by
Jimmie Rodgers Top Country Record.
1931 in country music , "
Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues) "
[12] recorded by
Jimmie Rodgers Top Country Record.
1932 in country music , "Why Should I Be Lonely"
[13] by
Jimmie Rodgers with Lani McIntire's Hawaiians Top Country Record.
1933 in country music ,
Jimmie Rodgers dies in May 1933. "
Yellow Rose Of Texas "
[14] by
Gene Autry and Jimmy Long Top Country Record.
1934 in country music , "
Tumbling Tumbleweeds "
[15]
[9] recorded by the
Sons of the Pioneers Top Country Record.
1935 in country music , First recordings by
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys . "
Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By) "
[16] by the
Carter Family Top Country Record.
1936 in country music , First recordings by
Ernest Tubb ; formation of the
Monroe Brothers (
Charlie and
Bill ) and the
Blue Sky Boys . "
Mexicali Rose "
[16] by
Gene Autry Top Country Record.
1937 in country music , Beginning of
Renfro Valley Barn Dance . "
Steel Guitar Rag "
[17] recorded by
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys Top Country Record.
1938 in country music , "
Wabash Cannonball "
[18]
[9] recorded by
Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans Top Country Record.
1939 in country music ,
Bill Monroe formed the
Blue Grass Boys . "It Makes No Difference Now"
[19]
[20] by
Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers Top Country Record. Billboard prints its first "Hillbilly...Hits" charts. These charts will continue, primarily on a monthly basis, until 1942.
1940s
1940 in country music , "
You Are My Sunshine "
[21] by
Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes Top Country Record.
1941 in country music ,
Gene Autry 's "
You Are My Sunshine "
[22] Top Country Record and sells one million copies. Ernest Tubb records and releases "
Walking the Floor Over You ."
1942 in country music ,
Musicians' strike bans all recording starting August;
Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. , is incorporated in Tennessee.. "
There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere "
[23] by
Elton Britt Top Country Record and earns Gold record.
1943 in country music ,
Al Dexter and His Troopers's "
Pistol Packin' Mama "
[24] Top Country Record, and becomes first Country record to also top Popular music chart.
1944 in country music ,
Billboard magazine creates national chart to track popularity of country music records.
Al Dexter and His Troopers's "
So Long Pal "
[24] Top Country Record.
1945 in country music , "
Shame on You " by
Spade Cooley and His Western Band Top Country Record.
Lester Flatt and
Earl Scruggs join the
Blue Grass Boys . Often considered the beginning of
Bluegrass music .
1946 in country music , "
Guitar Polka " by
Al Dexter and His Troopers Top Country Record.
1947 in country music ,
Hank Williams has first national hit;
Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys - "
I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) No. 1 record of 1947.
1948 in country music ,
Eddy Arnold has five of the year's six new No. 1 songs, with "
Bouquet of Roses " and "Anytime" the biggest of the lot. "Bouquet of Roses" No. 1 hit of all time based on total chart performance.
1949 in country music ,
Hank Williams ' first giant hit, "
Lovesick Blues " Top Country Record.
1950s
1950 in country music , 21 weeks at No. 1 for
Hank Snow 's "
I’m Moving On ."
1951 in country music , The year of "
Hank and
Lefty " (as
Merle Haggard would sing in song more than 25 years later);
Hank Snow and
Eddy Arnold were equally dominating; chart debut of
Carl Smith .
1952 in country music , The fall of
Hank Williams ;
Kitty Wells has first solo female No. 1 song with "
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels ." Carl Smith becomes only country artist to have two records tied at No. 1 on the modern Billboard country charts ("
Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way " and "
Don't Just Stand There ")
1953 in country music , Death of
Hank Williams ,
Betty Jack Davis ; crash that kills Davis will also sideline duet partner
Skeeter Davis ' career until the end of the 1950s.
1954 in country music ,
Elvis Presley makes first recordings, one and only appearance on
Grand Ole Opry ; the rise of the
pedal steel guitar ;
Hank Snow "s "
I Don't Hurt Anymore " and the
Red Foley -
Kitty Wells duet "
One by One " are ranked 1-2 for 19 consecutive weeks on Billboard magazine's country "
Best Sellers in Stores " chart.
1955 in country music ,
Johnny Cash ,
George Jones ,
Elvis Presley and
Porter Wagoner each have first national hits;
Webb Pierce spends 40 combined weeks at No. 1 on Billboard country chart's "
Best Sellers in Stores " chart with "
In the Jailhouse Now " (20 weeks), "
I Don't Care " (12 weeks) and "
Love Love Love " (eight weeks).
Ozark Jubilee premieres on ABC-TV.
1956 in country music ,
Ray Price ,
Marty Robbins and
Johnny Horton emerge, resurrect traditional country music after the influx of
rock and roll threatens the heart of country music.
1957 in country music , Rock-flavored acts —
Elvis Presley ,
Jerry Lee Lewis ,
Everly Brothers and
Ricky Nelson — dominate charts;
Patsy Cline debuts on the charts.
1958 in country music , The
Nashville sound becomes country music's response to continued encroachment of genre by rock artists;
Billboard magazine consolidates best-sellers and disc jockeys' charts into one all-encompassing "Hot C&W Sides" chart.
1959 in country music , Chart debut of
Buck Owens and rise of trademark
Bakersfield Sound ; peak of the saga song, through songs such as "
The Battle of New Orleans ," "
Long Black Veil " and "
El Paso ."
1960s
1960 in country music , Only four songs reach No. 1 on
Billboard magazine country chart during the entire year; chart debut of
Loretta Lynn ; death of
Johnny Horton in car accident; premiere of "
The Porter Wagoner Show ."
1961 in country music ,
Country Music Association announces creation of
Country Music Hall of Fame ;
Patsy Cline has first No. 1 hit ("
I Fall to Pieces ").
1962 in country music ,
Ray Charles releases
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music .
1963 in country music , Tragedies befall country music, with deaths of
Patsy Cline ,
Cowboy Copas and
Hawkshaw Hawkins (plane crash);
Jack Anglin (car accident, en route to Cline's funeral) and
Texas Ruby (house fire) all in less than a month's span.
1964 in country music , Plane crash kills
Jim Reeves ; chart debut of
Hank Williams Jr.
Connie Smith begins her eight-week stay at number one with "
Once a Day ".
1965 in country music , Return of
Eddy Arnold goes along with
crossover hit "
Make the World Go Away "; multi-Grammy winner with
Roger Miller 's "
King of the Road "
1966 in country music , Chart debuts of
Lynn Anderson ,
Tammy Wynette and
Charley Pride , the latter who goes on to become the most successful black performer in country music; first
Academy of Country Music awards show airs (shown on tape-delay on the fading
The Jimmy Dean Show ).
1967 in country music , First
Country Music Association awards (non-televised this year only);
Dolly Parton 's chart debut, becomes regular on
The Porter Wagoner Show .
1968 in country music ,
Johnny Cash records
At Folsom Prison ; crossover successes of "
Honey ," "
Harper Valley PTA "; Tammy Wynette records "
Stand by Your Man "; final No. 1 hit for
Eddy Arnold ; death of
Red Foley .
1969 in country music , Premieres of
Hee Haw ,
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour ,
The Johnny Cash Show . Marriage of
George Jones and
Tammy Wynette , known as "The First Couple of Country Music."
1970s
1970 in country music ,
Loretta Lynn and
Conway Twitty — who each release their
signature songs during the year (she with "
Coal Miner's Daughter ," he with "
Hello Darlin' ") — record their first duet, "
After the Fire is Gone ".
1971 in country music , Television's
rural purge ;
African-American singer
Charley Pride named CMA Entertainer of the Year;
Lynn Anderson 's international
crossover hit "
Rose Garden ".
1972 in country music ,
Fan Fair debuts;
Opryland USA opens;
Will the Circle be Unbroken album issued; 13-year-old
Tanya Tucker becomes an overnight sensation.
1973 in country music ,
Grand Ole Opry moves from the
Ryman Auditorium to its new house in Opryland; murder of
Stringbean ; premiere of "
American Country Countdown ";
Johnny Rodriguez becomes the first
Hispanic country star.
1974 in country music , Rise of British-Australian pop singer
Olivia Newton-John and her surprise win of the
Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year award; veteran country performers respond with the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers in attempt to keep country music "country;"
Dolly Parton leaves
The Porter Wagoner Show .
1975 in country music , Continued backlash over
pop-influenced country after
John Denver is named
CMA Entertainer of the Year; country music records chart highly on the
Billboard Hot 100 ;
Willie Nelson becomes major star 15 years after his first recordings with album
Redheaded Stranger ; divorce of
George Jones and
Tammy Wynette ; deaths of
Bob Wills ,
Lefty Frizzell and
George Morgan .
1976 in country music ,
CB radio -song craze hits its peak;
Wanted! The Outlaws released;
Loretta Lynn 's autobiography becomes a
New York Times best seller.
1977 in country music , Death of
Elvis Presley ; six weeks at No. 1 for
Waylon Jennings ' "
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) ";
Kenny Rogers makes comeback as solo country singer;
Dolly Parton begins recording
pop-oriented music instead of merely country.
1978 in country music ,
Barbara Mandrell 's decade-old career hits new heights with her first No. 1 record;
Kenny Rogers releases "
The Gambler ";
Bob Kingsley becomes host of "
American Country Countdown " (after several years of producing show). Deaths of
Bob Luman ,
Johnny Bond and
Mel Street .
1979 in country music ,
Kenny Rogers releases second signature story song, "
Coward Of The County ," becomes top
crossover artist.
1980s
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. Death of
Red Sovine .
1981 in country music , Rise of
neotraditional country with debuts of
George Strait ,
John Anderson , 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.
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; death of
Marty Robbins .
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.
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 ".
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.
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;
Columbia Records drops
Johnny Cash after 28 years.
Conway Twitty has last No. 1 hit, "
Desperado Love ".
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.
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.
1989 in country music , The rise and 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 ."
1990s
1990 in country music , Resurgence in multi-week No. 1s ("
Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart ", "
Love Without End, Amen ").
1991 in country music , Debuts of
Diamond Rio ,
Trisha Yearwood ,
Hal Ketchum ,
Davis Daniel ,
Brooks & Dunn ,
B. B. Watson ,
Sammy Kershaw and
Tracy Lawrence ;
Ropin' the Wind by
Garth Brooks debuts at No. 1 on pop album chart, deaths of
Dottie West ,
Webb Pierce and
Tennessee Ernie Ford .
1992 in country music ,
Hee Haw ends first-run production; the rise of
line dancing and related hit singles, particularly "
Achy Breaky Heart " and "
Boot-Scootin' Boogie ". Deaths of
Roy Acuff and
Roger Miller . Chart debut of
John Michael Montgomery and
Tim McGraw .
1993 in country music , Deaths of
Conway Twitty and
David Houston ; marriage of
Shania Twain to
Robert Lange ; Chart debut of
Toby Keith .
1994 in country music , The push for more
pop-influenced country (tied to the success of
Garth Brooks and rise of newcomers
Faith Hill and
Tim McGraw ); the comeback of
Johnny Cash . Chart debut of
Kenny Chesney .
1995 in country music , The rise of
Shania Twain ; death of
Charlie Rich ;
Great American Country premieres.
1996 in country music , Marriage of
Tim McGraw and
Faith Hill ; deaths of
Gus Hardin and
Faron Young .
1997 in country music , Six weeks at No. 1 for "
It's Your Love ";
Shania Twain 's
Come On Over is released;
Barbara Mandrell retires. Deaths of
Bobby Helms and
John Denver .
1998 in country music , Deaths of
Tammy Wynette ,
Eddie Rabbitt ,
Carl Perkins and
Gene Autry . "
This Kiss " by
Faith Hill , "
You're Still the One " by
Shania Twain become major
crossover hits, rekindling debate over
pop-influenced country music .
1999 in country music ,
Lonestar 's "
Amazed " spends eight weeks at No. 1, and becomes a major pop hit. Deaths of
Hoyt Axton ,
Rex Allen and
Hank Snow .
2000s
2000 in country music ,
Toby Keith 's breakthrough;
Vince Gill and
Amy Grant marry;
Kenny Rogers becomes the oldest singer to have a No. 1 song;
Garth Brooks announces plans for retirement;
Rascal Flatts '
debut album released;
RFD-TV , a cable/satellite TV network focusing on farming and rural living but also features reruns of classic country music TV programming, is launched.
2001 in country music , Tributes to those killed in the
September 11 attacks . Death of
Johnny Russell .
2002 in country music ,
Toby Keith /
Natalie Maines feud; comeback albums from
Shania Twain ,
Faith Hill and the
Dixie Chicks ,
The Statler Brothers final concert and retirement. Death of
Waylon Jennings .
2003 in country music ,
Rascal Flatts ' "
I Melt " video and
Dixie Chicks controversies; deaths of
Don Gibson ,
Johnny Paycheck ,
Johnny Cash and
June Carter Cash ; 70-year-old
Willie Nelson has No. 1 hit.
2004 in country music , Invasion of the
MuzikMafia ; death of Opry star
Skeeter Davis .
2005 in country music ,
Carrie Underwood wins
American Idol ;
Garth Brooks marries
Trisha Yearwood ;
Walk the Line biopic released; death of
Chris LeDoux .
2006 in country music ,
George Strait 's 41st number one hit on the Billboard charts; new host for "
American Country Countdown "; deaths of
Buck Owens ,
Johnny Duncan and
Freddie Fender .
2007 in country music , Country music's big night at the
Grammys ;
Garth Brooks '
record-breaking hit single ; deaths of
Henson Cargill ,
Del Reeves ,
Porter Wagoner and
Hank Thompson .
2008 in country music ,
George Strait sets new record with 56 number one singles; deaths of
Eddy Arnold and
Jerry Reed ; rise of
Taylor Swift as a major
crossover artist;
Shania Twain and
Robert John "Mutt" Lange separate after 14 years of marriage.
2009 in country music ,
Brooks & Dunn announces their break up;
Garth Brooks comes out of retirement;
Taylor Swift -
Kanye West conflict at
an MTV awards show ; deaths of
Ernest Ashworth ,
Vern Gosdin ,
Dan Seals and Opry star
Hank Locklin .
2010s
2010 in country music ,
Taylor Swift wins four
Grammy Awards including
Album of the Year ;
Carrie Underwood becomes the first woman in history to win the
ACM 's Entertainer of the Year award twice;
Flooding on the
Cumberland River in
Nashville damages parts of the city including the
Grand Ole Opry House ; deaths of
Hank Cochran ,
Carl Smith and
Jimmy Dean ; "
Need You Now " by
Lady Antebellum becomes
crossover smash.
2011 in country music , marriage of
Blake Shelton and
Miranda Lambert ;
Glen Campbell announcement that he has
Alzheimer's , plans to retire; deaths of
Mel McDaniel and
Billie Jo Spears ;
Lady Antebellum wins five
Grammy Awards including
Record and
Song of the Year ;
Scotty McCreery wins
American Idol . “
Red Solo Cup ” by
Toby Keith becomes a viral and crossover hit upon release.
2012 in country music ,
George Jones and
George Strait announce plans to retire from touring;
Garth Brooks elected to
Country Music Hall of Fame ; Billboard makes changes to the
Hot Country Songs chart; death of
Kitty Wells .
2013 in country music ,
Nash FM debuts; deaths of
Mindy McCready ,
George Jones ,
Tompall Glaser ,
Jack Greene ,
Claude King ,
Cal Smith and
Ray Price ; Price's brief feud with
Blake Shelton ; "
Cruise " by
Florida Georgia Line breaks chart records.
2014 in country music ,
George Strait retires from touring;
Garth Brooks releases
new album and begins
world tour ;
Carrie Underwood announces pregnancy;
Taylor Swift begins making
pop orientated music ; deaths of
George Hamilton IV ,
Jimmy C. Newman ,
Dawn Sears ,
Kevin Sharp and Phil Everly of
The Everly Brothers .
2015 in country music ,
Keith Hill controversy;
Cledus T. Judd retires;
Blake Shelton and
Miranda Lambert divorce; deaths of
Lynn Anderson ,
Jim Ed Brown ,
Little Jimmy Dickens and
Daron Norwood .
2016 in country music , Release of "
Forever Country "; deaths of
Joey Martin Feek ,
Holly Dunn ,
Glenn Frey ,
Merle Haggard and
Jean Shepard .
2017 in country music , Landmark chart accomplishments for
Luke Bryan (most No. 1 hits from a single album) and
Sam Hunt (longest run for a song at No. 1); deaths of
Glen Campbell ,
Don Williams , Troy Gentry (of
Montgomery Gentry ) and
Mel Tillis ;
Las Vegas shooting ,
Loretta Lynn suffers a stroke at home in
Hurricane Mills, TN .
2018 in country music , "
Meant to Be " sets No. 1 longevity bar at 50 weeks; deaths of
Lari White ,
Daryle Singletary ,
Freddie Hart and
Roy Clark .
2019 in country music ,
Kacey Musgraves wins four
Grammy Awards , including
Album of the Year ; "
Old Town Road " chart controversy and related rise of trap country;
Hal Ketchum announces he has Alzheimer's; deaths of
Sanger D. Shafer ,
Jim Glaser ,
Earl Thomas Conley and
Bob Kingsley .
2020s
2020 in country music , Deaths of
Billy Joe Shaver ,
Kenny Rogers ,
Joe Diffie ,
Charlie Daniels ,
Mac Davis ,
John Prine ,
Jan Howard ,
Johnny Bush ,
Doug Supernaw ,
Hal Ketchum ,
Charley Pride and
K. T. Oslin ; ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic impacts multiple events, concerts;
Lady A ,
The Chicks change to their new names following
racial unrest .
2021 in country music , Deaths of
Ed Bruce ,
Jamie O'Hara of
The O'Kanes , Misty Morgan of
Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan ,
B. J. Thomas ,
Tom T. Hall , Don Everly of
The Everly Brothers and
Stonewall Jackson ;
Taylor Swift begins to re-release her country albums and her re-recorded version of "
Love Story " returned to number one on the country charts.
2022 in country music , Deaths of
Dallas Frazier ,
Scotty Wray of
The Wrays ,
Warner Mack ,
Jimbeau Henson ,
Brad Martin ,
Jeff Carson ,
C. W. McCall ,
Shane Yellowbird ,
Naomi Judd of
The Judds ,
Mickey Gilley ,
Deborah McCrary ,
Joel Whitburn ,
Olivia Newton-John ,
Luke Bell ,
Loretta Lynn ,
Jerry Lee Lewis , and
Jeff Cook of
Alabama ;
Toby Keith diagnosed with
stomach cancer .
2023 in country music ,
Bill Anderson longevity on the Grand Ole Opry;
Jason Aldean controversy over lyrical and video content of "
Try That in a Small Town "; deaths of
Gordon Lightfoot and
Claude Gray .
2024 in country music , Death of
Toby Keith .
References