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
Other major hits
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)
Specials
Births
Deaths
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
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.