1984 in country music
See also: 1983 in country music, 1984 in music, other events of 1984, 1985 in country music, 1980s in music and the List of years in Country Music
Events
- July 28 - With his No. 1 hit "Angel in Disguise," Earl Thomas Conley becomes the first artist in any genre to have four Billboard magazine chart-topping songs from the same album. The album in question is Don't Make it Easy For Me, and in addition to "Angel in Disguise" and the the title track, Conley also hit with 1983's "Your Love's on the Line" and "Holding Her and Loving You." The feat is part of Conley's impressive 1980s streak, where he enjoyed 16 No. 1 hits through 1989.
Top hits of the year
Number one hits
(As certified by Billboard magazine)
- January 7 - "You Look So Good in Love" - George Strait
- January 14 - "Slow Burn" - T.G. Sheppard
- January 21 - "In My Eyes" - John Conlee
- January 28 - "The Sound of Goodbye" - Crystal Gayle
- February 4 - "Show Her" - Ronnie Milsap
- February 11 - "That's the Way Love Goes" - Merle Haggard
- February 18 - "Don't Cheat in Our Hometown" - Ricky Skaggs
- February 25 - "Stay Young" - Don Williams
- March 3 - "Woke Up in Love" - Exile
- March 10 - "Going, Going, Gone" - Lee Greenwood
- March 17 - "Elizabeth" - Statler Brothers
- March 24 - "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" - Alabama
- March 31 - "Let's Stop Talkin' About It" - Janie Fricke
- April 7 - "Don't Make it Easy For Me" - Earl Thomas Conley
- April 14 - "Thank God for the Radio" - The Kendalls
- April 21 - "The Yellow Rose (Theme from the TV Series)" - Johnny Lee and Lane Brody
- April 28 - "Right or Wrong" - George Strait
- May 5 - "I Guess it Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes" - Oak Ridge Boys
- May 12 - "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" - Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias
- May 26 - "As Long as I'm Rockin' With You" - John Conlee
- June 2 - "Honey (Open That Door)" - Ricky Skaggs
- June 9 - "Someday When Things are Good" - Merle Haggard
- June 16 - "I Got Mexico" - Eddy Raven
- June 23 - "When We Make Love" - Alabama
- June 30 - "I Can Tell By The Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)" - Vern Gosdin
- July 7 - "Somebody's Needing Somebody" - Conway Twitty
- July 14 - "I Don't Wanna Be a Memory" - Exile
- July 21 - "Just Another Woman in Love" - Anne Murray
- July 28 - "Angel in Disguise" - Earl Thomas Conley
- August 4 - "Mama He's Crazy" - The Judds
- August 11 - "That's the Thing About Love" - Don Williams
- August 18 - "Still Losing You" - Ronnie Milsap
- August 25 - "Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- September 1 - "Let's Fall to Pieces Together" - George Strait
- September 8 - "Tennessee Homesick Blues" - Dolly Parton
- September 15 - "You're Getting To Me Again" - Jim Glaser
- September 22 - "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room" - Merle Haggard
- September 29 - "Turning Away" - Crystal Gayle
- October 6 - "Everyday" - Oak Ridge Boys
- October 13 - "Uncle Pen" - Ricky Skaggs
- October 20 - "I Don't Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song)" - Conway Twitty
- October 27 - "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You've Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" - Alabama
- November 3 - "City of New Orleans" - Willie Nelson
- November 10 - "I've Been Around Enough to Know" - John Schneider
- November 17 - "Give Me One More Chance" - Exile
- November 24 - "You Could've Heard a Heart Break" - Johnny Lee
- December 1 - "You're Heart's Not in It" - Janie Fricke
- December 8 - "Chance of Lovin' You" - Earl Thomas Conley
- December 15 - "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" - Anne Murray and Dave Loggins
- December 22 - "Why Not Me" - The Judds
Other major hits
Top new album releases
- Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind - George Strait (MCA)
- The Great Pretender - Dolly Parton (RCA)
- Greatest Hits - John Anderson (Warner Bros.)
- It's All in the Game - Merle Haggard (Epic)
- Ladies' Choice - George Jones (Epic)
- Let Me Be the First - Deborah Allen (RCA)
- My Kind of Country – Reba McEntire (MCA)
- Never Could Toe the Mark - Waylon Jennings (RCA)
- One More Try For Love – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
- Rhinestone (Original Movie Soundtrack) - Dolly Parton (RCA)
- Roll On - Alabama (RCA)
- Too Good to Stop – John Schneider (MCA)
- Why Not Me - The Judds (RCA)
On television
Regular series
- Hee Haw (1969-1993, syndicated)
Specials
Births
Deaths
- January 28 - Al Dexter, 81, early honky tonk stylist best known for "Pistol Packin' Mama."
- September 6 - Ernest Tubb, 70, the "Texas Trubador" and a superstar since the 1940s (emphysema).
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
- Ralph S. Peer (1892-1960)
- Floyd Tillman (1914-2003)
Major Awards
Grammy awards
- Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "In My Dreams" - Emmylou Harris
- Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "That's The Way Love Goes" - Merle Haggard
- Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- "Mama He's Crazy" - The Judds
- Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Wheel Hoss" - Ricky Skaggs
- Best Country Song -- "City Of New Orleans" - Steve Goodman, songwriter
Academy of Country Music
- Entertainer Of The Year -- Alabama
- Song Of The Year -- "Why Not Me" - The Judds - Harlan Howard, Brent Maher, Sonny Throckmorton
- Single Of The Year -- "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" - Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias
- Album Of The Year -- Roll On - Alabama
- Top Male Vocalist -- George Strait
- Top Female Vocalist -- Reba McEntire
- Top Vocal Duo -- The Judds
- Top Vocal Group -- Alabama
- Top New Male Vocalist -- Vince Gill
- Top New Female Vocalist -- Nicolette Larson
- Video Of The Year -- "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" - Hank Williams Jr. (Director: John Goodhue)
Country Music Association
- Instrumental Group of the Year -- Ricky Skaggs Band
- Instrumentalist of the Year -- Chet Atkins
- Entertainer of the Year -- Alabama
- Male Vocalist of the Year -- Lee Greenwood
- Female Vocalist of the Year -- Reba McEntire
- Horizon Award -- The Judds
- Vocal Group of the Year -- Statler Brothers
- Vocal Duo of the Year -- Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
- Album of the Year -- Anne Murray
- Song of the Year -- Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
- Single of the Year -- Anne Murray
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.