1985 in country music

See also: 1984 in country music, 1985 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in country music, 1980s in music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

• A story published in the New York Times declares that country music is "dead." However, a number of new acts – Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam among them – are working behind the scenes to change the trend.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

• January 5 – "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" – George Strait
• January 12 – "The Best Year of My Life" – Eddie Rabbitt
• January 19 – "How Blue" – Reba McEntire
• January 26 – "(There's a) Fire in the Night" – Alabama
• February 2 – "A Place to Fall Apart" – Merle Haggard and Janie Fricke
• February 9 – "Ain't She Something Else" – Conway Twitty
• February 16 – "Make My Life With You" – Oak Ridge Boys
• February 23 – "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" – Mel McDaniel
• March 2 – "Baby Bye-Bye" – Gary Morris
• March 9 – "My Only Love" – Statler Brothers
• March 16 – "Crazy For Your Love" – Exile
• March 23 – "Seven Spanish Angels" – Ray Charles and Willie Nelson
• March 30 – "Crazy" – Kenny Rogers
• April 6 – "Country Girls" – John Schneider
• April 13 – "Honor Bound" – Earl Thomas Conley
• April 20 – "I Need More of You" – Bellamy Brothers
• April 27 – "Girls Night Out" - The Judds
• May 4 – "There's No Way" – Alabama
• May 11 – "Somebody Should Leave" – Reba McEntire
• May 18 – "Step That Step" – Sawyer Brown
• May 25 – "Radio Heart" – Charly McClain
• June 1 – "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" – Conway Twitty
• June 8 – "Natural High" – Merle Haggard
• June 15 – "Country Boy" – Ricky Skaggs
• June 22 – "Little Things" – Oak Ridge Boys
• June 29 – "She Keeps the Home Fires Burning" – Ronnie Milsap
• July 6 – "She's a Miracle" – Exile
• July 13 – "Forgiving You Was Easy" – Willie Nelson
• July 20 – "Dixie Road" – Lee Greenwood
• July 27 – "Love Don't Care (Whose Heart It Breaks)" – Earl Thomas Conley
• August 3 – "Forty Hour Week (For a Livin')" – Alabama
• August 10 – "I'm For Love" – Hank Williams Jr.
• August 17 – "Highwayman" – The Highwaymen (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash)
• August 24 – "Real Love" – Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
• August 31 – "Love is Alive" – The Judds
• September 7 – "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" – Rosanne Cash
• September 14 – "Modern Day Romance" – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• September 21 – "I Fell in Love Again Last Night" – Forester Sisters
• September 28 – "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" – Ronnie Milsap
• October 12 – "Meet Me in Montana" – Dan Seals and Marie Osmond
• October 19 – "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine" – Juice Newton
• October 26 – "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend" – Oak Ridge Boys
• November 2 – "Some Fools Never Learn" – Steve Wariner
• November 9 – "Can't Keep a Good Man Down" – Alabama
• November 16 – "Hang On to Your Heart" – Exile
• November 23 – "I'll Never Stop Loving You" – Gary Morris
• November 30 – "Too Much on My Heart" – Statler Brothers
• December 7 – "I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)" – Lee Greenwood
• December 14 – "Nobody Falls Like a Fool" – Earl Thomas Conley
• December 21 – "The Chair" – George Strait
• December 28 – "Have Mercy" – The Judds

Top new album releases

• Amber Waves of Grain - Merle Haggard (Epic)
• Chasin' Rainbows - Conway Twitty (Warner Bros.)
• Don't Call Him a Cowboy - Conway Twitty (Warner Bros.)
• First Time Live - George Jones (Epic)
• Forty Hour Week – Alabama (RCA)
• Get to the Heart - Barbara Mandrell (MCA)
• Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
• Hang On to Your Heart - Exile (Epic)
• Have I Got a Deal For You - Reba McEntire (MCA)
• Highwayman - Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash (Columbia)
• Kern River - Merle Haggard (Epic)
• One Good Night Deserves Another - Steve Wariner (MCA)
• Partners, Brothers and Friends - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Warner Bros.)
• Radio Heart - Charly McClain (Epic)
• Real Love - Dolly Parton (RCA)
• Rhythm and Romance - Rosanne Cash (Columbia)
• Rockin' With the Rhythm - The Judds (RCA/Curb)
• Sawyer Brown - Sawyer Brown (Capitol/Curb)
• Somebody Else's Fire - Janie Fricke (Epic)
• Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes - George Jones (Epic)

Christmas albums

• Alabama Christmas – Alabama (RCA)

On television

Regular series

• Hee Haw (1969-1993, syndicated)

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

• Lester Flatt (1914-1979), Earl Scruggs (1924-), and The Foggy Mountain Boys

Major Awards

Grammy awards

• Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" - Rosanne Cash
• Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)" - Ronnie Milsap
• Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- "Why Not Me" - Judds (Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd)
• Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist) -- "Cosmic Square Dance" - Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
• Best Country Song -- "Highwayman" - Jimmy L. Webb, songwriter

Academy of Country Music

• Entertainer Of The Year -- Alabama
• Song Of The Year -- "Lost In The Fifties" - Ronnie Milsap - Fredericke Darris, Michael Reid, Troy Seals
• Single Of The Year -- "Highwayman" - Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson
• Album Of The Year -- Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind - George Strait
• Top Male Vocalist -- George Strait
• Top Female Vocalist -- Reba McEntire
• Top Vocal Duo -- The Judds
• Top Vocal Group -- Alabama
• Top New Male Vocalist -- Randy Travis
• Top New Female Vocalist -- Judy Rodman
• Video Of The Year -- "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" - George Jones (Director: Marc Ball)

Country Music Association

• Instrumental Group of the Year -- Ricky Skaggs Band
• Instrumentalist of the Year -- Chet Atkins
• Entertainer of the Year -- Ricky Skaggs
• Male Vocalist of the Year -- George Strait
• Female Vocalist of the Year -- Reba McEntire
• Horizon Award -- Sawyer Brown
• Vocal Group of the Year -- The Judds
• Vocal Duo of the Year -- Dave Loggins and Anne Murray
• Album of the Year -- George Strait
• Song of the Year -- Lee Greenwood
• Single of the Year -- The Judds
• Music Video of the Year -- Hank Williams, Jr.

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.

Other links

• Country Music Association
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

External links

• Country Music Hall of Fame