1997 in country music

Events

July 12 - The song, "It's You Love," by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill becomes the first song in 20 years to spend six weeks atop Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The last song to do so was 1977's "Lukenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" by Waylon Jennings. In that span, more than 750 songs had reached No. 1 on the country chart, a majority of them for just one week. "It's Your Love" sparks a renewed wave of songs that spend at least five weeks at No. 1, thanks in part to newer chart tracking methods and programming changes at country radio stations. However, as of 2006, no No. 1 song has approached the mega-week No. 1 status (i.e., spend at least 10 weeks at No. 1), a feat that was common through the early 1960s.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(as certified by Billboard magazine)

Date	Song Name	Artist	Wks. No. 1	Spec. Note
January 11	Nobody Knows	Kevin Sharp	4
February 8	It's a Little Too Late	Mark Chesnutt	2
February 22	A Man This Lonely	Brooks & Dunn	1
March 1	Running Out of Reasons to Run	Rick Trevino	1
March 8	Me Too	Toby Keith	1
March 15	We Danced Anyway	Deana Carter	2
March 29	How Was I to Know	Reba McEntire	1
April 5	(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing	Trace Adkins	1
April 12	Rumor Has It	Clay Walker	2
April 26	One Night at a Time	George Strait	5
May 31	Sittin' on Go	Bryan White	1
June 7	It's Your Love	Tim McGraw (featuring Faith Hill)	6	^{1^{This song marks the first time since that a song has spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart since the Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson duet, "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)", achieved that same feat in 1977.}}
July 19	Carrying Your Love With Me	George Strait	4
August 16	Come Cryin' to Me	Lonestar	2
August 30	She's Got It All	Kenny Chesney	3
September 20	There Goes	Alan Jackson	1
September 27	How Your Love Makes Me Feel	Diamond Rio	3
October 18	How Do I Get There	Deana Carter	1
October 25	Everywhere	Tim McGraw	2
November 8	Love Gets Me Every Time	Shania Twain	5
December 13	From Here to Eternity	Michael Peterson	1
December 20	Longneck Bottle	Garth Brooks	3

¹ - No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard magazine

Other major hits

"455 Rocket" – Kathy Mattea
"All the Good Ones Are Gone" – Pam Tillis
"Amen Kind of Love" – Daryle Singletary
"Another You" – David Kersh
"Better Man Better Off" – Tracy Lawrence
"Big Love" – Tracy Byrd
"Come Some Rainy Day" - Wynonna
"Count Me In" – Deana Carter
"Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard" – Alabama
"Day in, Day Out" – David Kersh
"Did I Shave My Legs For This?" – Deana Carter
"(Don't Take Her) She's All I Got" – Tracy Byrd
"Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie" – Michael Peterson
"Emotional Girl" – Terri Clark
"Everybody Knows" – Trisha Yearwood
"Everything I Love" – Alan Jackson
"The Fool" – Lee Ann Womack
"Friends" – John Michael Montgomery
"A Girl's Gotta Do (What a Girl's Gotta Do)" – Mindy McCready
"Go Away" – Lorrie Morgan
"Good as I Was to You" – Lorrie Morgan
"Half Way Up" – Clint Black
"He Left a Lot to Be Desired" – Ricochet
"Her Man" – Gary Allan
"Holdin'" – Diamond Rio
"Honky Tonk Truth" – Brooks & Dunn
"How a Cowgirl Says Goodbye" – Tracy Lawrence
"How Do I Live" – LeAnn Rimes
"How Do I Live" – Trisha Yearwood
"How Was I to Know" – John Michael Montgomery
"I Left Something Turned on at Home" – Trace Adkins
"I Miss You a Little" – John Michael Montgomery
"I Only Get This Way With You" – Rick Trevino
"I Will, If You Will" - John Berry
"I'd Rather Ride Around With You" – Reba McEntire
"If She Don't Love You" – Buffalo Club
"In Another's Eyes" – Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood
"Is That a Tear" – Tracy Lawrence
"Land of the Living" – Pam Tillis
"Let It Rain" – Mark Chesnutt
"Let Me Into Your Heart" – Mary Chapin Carpenter
"The Light in Your Eyes" – LeAnn Rimes
"A Little More Love" – Vince Gill
"Little Things" – Tanya Tucker
"Love is the Right Place" – Bryan White
"Loved Too Much" – Ty Herndon
"Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It" – Tim McGraw
"Never Again, Again" – Lee Ann Womack
"Places I've Never Been" – Mark Wills
"Please" – The Kinleys
"Pretty Little Adriana" – Vince Gill
"Rest of Mine" - Trace Adkins
"Sad Lookin' Moon" – Alabama
"The Shake" – Neal McCoy
"She Drew a Broken Heart" – Patty Loveless
"She's Sure Taking It Well" – Kevin Sharp
"She's Taken a Shine" - John Berry
"Shut Up and Drive" – Chely Wright
"Six Days on the Road" – Sawyer Brown
"Thank God For Believers" – Mark Chesnutt
"This Night Won't Last Forever" – Sawyer Brown
"Today My World Slipped Away" – George Strait
"Unchained Melody" – LeAnn Rimes
"We Were in Love" – Toby Keith
"What If It's You" – Reba McEntire
"What the Heart Wants" – Collin Raye
"Whatever Comes First" – Sons of the Desert
"When I Close My Eyes" – Kenny Chesney
"When Love Starts Talkin'" – Wynonna
"When You Love Somebody" – Kevin Sharp
"Where Corn Don't Grow" – Travis Tritt
"Who's Cheatin' Who" – Alan Jackson
"Why Would I Say Goodbye" – Brooks & Dunn
"You And You Alone" – Vince Gill
"You Don't Seem to Miss Me" – Patty Loveless and George Jones
"You Light Up My Life" – LeAnn Rimes

Top new album releases

Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits – Collin Raye (Epic/Sony)
Carrying Your Love With Me – George Strait (MCA Nashville)
The Coast is Clear – Tracy Lawrence (Atlantic)
Come On Over – Shania Twain (Mercury Nashville)
Complicated – Tanya Tucker (Capitol Nashville)
Crazy Nights – Lonestar (BNA)
Dancin' On The Boulevard – Alabama (RCA)
Dream Walkin' - Toby Keith (Mercury Nashville)
Everywhere – Tim McGraw (Curb)
Evolution - Martina McBride (RCA)
Greatest Hits – Diamond Rio (Arista Nashville)
Greatest Hits – John Michael Montgomery (Atlantic)
The Greatest Hits Collection – Brooks & Dunn (Arista Nashville)
I Will Stand – Kenny Chesney (BNA)
If I Don't Stay the Night - Mindy McCready (BNA)
Labor of Love – Sammy Kershaw (Mercury Nashville)
Lee Ann Womack – Lee Ann Womack (Decca/MCA Nashville)
Let Me In - Chely Wright (MCA Nashville)
Lila – Lila McCann
Long Stretch of Lonesome – Patty Loveless (Epic/Sony)
Love Travels – Kathy Mattea (Mercury Nashville)
Michael Peterson – Michael Peterson
The Other Side – Wynonna Judd (Curb)
Rumor Has It – Clay Walker (Giant)
Sevens – Garth Brooks (Capitol Nashville)
Shakin' Things Up – Lorrie Morgan (BNA)
Three Chords and the Truth - Sara Evans (RCA)
Unchained Melody: The Early Years - LeAnn Rimes (Curb)
You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs – LeAnn Rimes (Curb)

Deaths

June 19 – Bobby Helms, 62, singer who enjoyed his peak popularity in 1957; best known for "Jingle Bell Rock."
October 12 – John Denver, 53, country crossover artist of the 1970s; also a singer and songwriter (plane crash).
December 31 – Floyd Cramer, 64, prolific session pianist

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major Awards

Grammy awards

Academy of Country Music

Entertainer Of The Year -- Garth Brooks
Song Of The Year -- "It's Your Love" - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill - Stephony Smith
Single Of The Year -- "It's Your Love" - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Album Of The Year -- Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait
Top Male Vocalist -- George Strait
Top Female Vocalist -- Trisha Yearwood
Top Vocal Duo -- Brooks & Dunn
Top Vocal Group -- Brooks & Dunn
Top New Male Vocalist -- Kenny Chesney
Top New Female Vocalist -- Lee Ann Womack
Top New Vocal Duo Or Group -- The Kinleys
Video Of The Year -- "It's Your Love" Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Director: Sherman Halsey)
Vocal Event Of The Year -- "It's Your Love" - Tim McGraw with Faith Hill

Country Music Association

Entertainer of the Year -- Garth Brooks
Male Vocalist of the Year -- George Strait
Female Vocalist of the Year -- Trisha Yearwood
Vocal Group of the Year -- Diamond Rio
Vocal Duo of the Year -- Brooks & Dunn
Horizon Award -- LeAnn Rimes
Musician of the Year -- Brent Mason
Vocal Event of the Year -- "It's Your Love," Tim McGraw (featuring Faith Hill)
Single of the Year -- "Strawberry Wine," Deanna Carter
Song of the Year -- "Strawberry Wine," Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison
Album of the Year -- Carrying Your Love With Me, George Strait
Music Video of the Year -- "455 Rocket," Kathy Mattea (director: Steven Goldmann)

External links

Country Music Hall of Fame