1985 in country music

"See also:"
1984 in country music,
1985 in music,
other events of 1985,
1986 in country 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.
* The Country Music Association Awards introduced a new award, "Music Video of the Year". The first recipient was Hank Williams, Jr.'s video for, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight."

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"
*¹ - No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard magazine.
*^A - First "Billboard" No. 1 hit for that artist.
*^B - Last "Billboard" No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
*^C - Only "Billboard" No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Other major hits

* "America" Waylon Jennings (#6)
* "Angel in Your Arms" Barbara Mandrell (#8)
* "Between Blue Eyes and Jeans" Conway Twitty (#3)
* "Blue Highway" John Conlee (#15)
* "Burned Like a Rocket" Billy Joe Royal (#10)
* "California" Keith Stegall (#13)
* "The Cowboy Rides Away" George Strait (#5)
* "Cry Just a Little Bit" Sylvia (#9)
* "Doncha" T.G. Sheppard (#8)
* "Don't Call It Love" Dolly Parton (#3)
* "Drinkin' and Dreamin'" Waylon Jennings (#2)
* "Fallin' in Love" Sylvia (#2)
* "Fooled and Fell In Love" T.G. Sheppard (#21)
* "The Fireman" George Strait (#5)
* "Have I Got a Deal for You" Reba McEntire (#6)
* "Heart Don't Do This to Me" Loretta Lynn (#19)
* "Heart Trouble" Steve Wariner (#8)
* "Hello Mary Lou" The Statler Brothers (#3)
* "I Wanna Hear It From You" Eddy Raven (#8)
* "I Want Everyone to Cry" Restless Heart (#10)
* "I'm Gonna Leave You Tomorrow" John Schneider (#10)
* "If It Weren't for Him" Vince Gill feat. Rosanne Cash (#10)
* "In a New York Minute" Ronnie McDowell (#5)
* "It's a Short Walk from Heaven to Hell" John Schneider (#10)
* "It's Time for Love" Don Williams (#20)
* "Lasso the Moon" Gary Morris (#9)
* "Let it Roll (Let it Rock)" Mel McDaniel (#9)
* "Let the Heartache Ride" Restless Heart (#23)
* "Lie to You for Your Love" The Bellamy Brothers (#2)
* "A Long and Lasting Love" Crystal Gayle (#5)
* "(Love Always) Letter to Home" Glen Campbell (#14)
* "Love Talks" Ronnie McDowell (#9)
* "Major Moves" Hank Williams, Jr. (#10)
* "My Baby's Got Good Timing" Dan Seals (#2)
* "My Old Yellow Car" Dan Seals (#9)
* "My Toot Toot" Rockin' Sidney (#19)
* "Nobody Wants to Be Alone" Crystal Gayle (#3)
* "Oklahoma Borderline" Vince Gill (#9)
* "Old Hippie" The Bellamy Brothers (#2)
* "Old School" John Conlee (#5)
* "Only in My Mind" Reba McEntire (#5)
* "Operator, Operator" Eddy Raven (#9)
* "Pretty Lady" Keith Stegall (#10)
* "Rollin' Lonely" Johnny Lee (#9)
* "Save the Last Chance" Johnny Lee (#12)
* "She's Comin' Back to Say Goodbye" Eddie Rabbitt (#6)
* "She's Single Again" Janie Fricke (#2)
* "Somebody Else's Fire" Janie Fricke (#4)
* "That's What You Do (When You're in Love) The Forester Sisters (#10)
* "There's No Love in Tennessee" Barbara Mandrell (#7)
* "They Never Had to Get Over You" Johnny Lee (#19)
* "This Ain't Dallas" Hank Williams, Jr. (#4)
* "Time Don't Run Out On Me" Anne Murray (#2)
* "Used to Blue" Sawyer Brown (#3)
* "Walkin' a Broken Heart" Don Williams (#2)
* "Warning Sign" Eddie Rabbitt (#4)
* "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" George Jones (#3)
* "Working Man" John Conlee (#7)
* "A World Without Love" Eddie Rabbitt (#10)
* "You Make Me Feel Like a Man" Ricky Skaggs (#7)
* "You Should Have Been Gone By Now" Eddy Raven (#3)
* "You're Goin' Out of My Mind" T.G. Sheppard (#10)
* "You've Got a Good Love Comin'" Lee Greenwood (#9)

Top new album releases

* "40-Hour Week" — Alabama (RCA)
* "The Ballad of Sally Rose" — Emmylou Harris (Warner Bros.)
* "Greatest Hits" — George Strait (MCA)
* "Have I Got a Deal for You" — Reba McEntire (MCA)
* "Highwayman" — The Highwaymen (Columbia)
* "I Have Returned"- Ray Stevens (MCA)
* "Me and Paul" — Willie Nelson (Columbia)
* "Real Love" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Rhythm & Romance" — Roseanne Cash (Columbia)
* "Rockin' with the Rhythm" — The Judds (RCA)
* "Turn the Page" — Waylon Jennings (RCA)
* "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?" — George Jones (Epic)

Other top albums

*"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)
*"Get to the Heart" - Barbara Mandrell (MCA)
*"Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
*"Hang On to Your Heart" - Exile (Epic)
*"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)
*"Rockin' With the Rhythm" - The Judds (RCA/Curb)
*"Sawyer Brown" - Sawyer Brown (Capitol/Curb)
*"Somebody Else's Fire" - Janie Fricke (Epic)
*"Step On Out" - Oak Ridge Boys

Christmas albums

* "Alabama Christmas" – Alabama (RCA)

On television

Regular series

* "Hee Haw" (1969-1993, syndicated)

pecials

Births

Deaths

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 -- "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" - Hank Williams, Jr. (Director: John Goodhue)

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

* [http://www.cmaawards.com/2004/hof/default.asp Country Music Hall of Fame]