1987 in country music

"See also:"
1986 in country music,
1987 in music,
other events of 1987,
1988 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

* June 13 — Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen" spends three weeks at No. 1 of the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart. It is the first multi-week chart-topping song since "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" by Ronnie Milsap spent two weeks atop the chart in September 1985; in that time span, 85 songs would rotate in and out of the chart's top spot. Incidentally, only three other songs during the entire 1980s decade — all of them in 1980 — would spend more than two weeks at No. 1, owing much to how "Billboard" compiled the chart data at the time.
* September — Dolly Parton's much anticipated TV variety series, "Dolly", premieres on ABC in September. Despite a promising start (due to strong ratings in its early weeks), the show was panned by critics and its audience began to lose interest. After a continual decline on viewership, the series was cancelled at the end of the 1987-1988 season.

No dates

* 46-year-old singer-songwriter K.T. Oslin becomes the success story of the year with her hit "80s Ladies," a Grammy Award-winner which told the story of three friends from childhood who stayed together through an era of social change. The song spawned an award-winning video as well and despite only reaching No. 7 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart, was one of the most played songs of the year. Oslin's rise to fame in her mid-40s came at a time when mainstream country radio was beginning to shun older female artists in lieu of younger, more attractive stars.

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

*"80s Ladies" – K.T. Oslin (#7)
*"Another World" – Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris (#4)
*"Are You Still In Love With Me?" - Anne Murray (#20)
*"Baby's Got a Hold On Me" – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#2)
*"Bad Love" - Pake McEntire (#12)
*"The Bed You Made For Me" – Highway 101 (#4)
*"Bonnie Jean (Little Sister)" – David Lynn Jones (#10)
*"Brilliant Conversationalist" - T. Graham Brown (#9)
*"The Carpenter" - John Conlee (#9)
*"Chains of Gold" - Sweethearts of the Rodeo (#4)
*"Child Support" - Barbara Mandrell (#13)
*"Cinderella" – Vince Gill (#5)
*"Crazy From the Heart" – Bellamy Brothers (#3)
*"Crime of Passion" – Ricky Van Shelton (#7)
*"Crazy Over You" - Foster & Lloyd (#4)
*"Daddies Need to Grow Up Too" The O'Kanes (#9)
*"Domestic Life" - John Conlee (#5)
*"Don't Be Cruel" – The Judds (#10)
*"A Face in the Crowd" – Holly Dunn and Michael Martin Murphey (#4)
*"Falling For You For Years" – Conway Twitty (#2)
*"Fallin' Out" – Waylon Jennings (#8)
*"Fire in the Sky" – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#7)
*"First Time Caller" - Juice Newton (#24)
*"Forever" - Statler Brothers (#7)
*"Full Grown Fool" - Mickey Gilley (#16)
*"Girls Ride Horses Too" – Judy Rodman (#7)
*"Give Back My Heart" - Lyle Lovett (#13)
*"God Will" - Lyle Lovett (#18)
*"Goodbye's All We Got Left" - Steve Earle (#8)
*"Gotta Get Away" - Sweethearts of the Rodeo (#10)
*"Gotta Have You" - Eddie Rabbitt (#9)
*"Half Past Forever ('Til I'm Blue in the Heart)" - T.G. Sheppard (#2)
*"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" - Glen Campbell and Steve Wariner (#6)
*"Hard Livin'" - Keith Whitley (#10)
*"He's Letting Go" - Baillie & the Boys (#13)
*"Heart vs. Heart" - Pake McEntire (#25)
*"Homecoming '63" - Keith Whitley (#9)
*"House of Blue Lights" - Asleep at the Wheel (#17)
*"I Want to Know You Before We Make Love" – Conway Twitty (#2)
*"If There's Any Justice" - Lee Greenwood (#9)
*"I'll Be the One - Statler Brothers - (#10)
*"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – Judy Rodman (#5)
*"I'll Come Back As Another Woman" – Tanya Tucker (#2)
*"I'll Never Be In Love Again" – Don Williams (#4)
*"I'm Tired" - Ricky Skaggs (#18)
*"It's Only Over for You" - Tanya Tucker (#8)
*"Julia" – Conway Twitty (#2)
*"Let the Music Lift You Up" – Reba McEntire (#4)
*"Let's Do Something" - Vince Gill (#16)
*"Little Sister" - Dwight Yoakam (#7)
*"Little Ways" - Dwight Yoakam (#8)
*"Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This" - Sharon White and Ricky Skaggs (#10)
*"Love Me Like You Used To" – Tanya Tucker (#2)
*"Love Reunited" - Desert Rose Band (#6)
*"Love Someone Like Me - Holly Dunn (#2)
*"Love, You Ain't Seen the Last of Me" - John Schneider (#6)
*"Love's Gonna Get You Someday" - Ricky Skaggs (#5)
*"Mama's Rockin' Chair - John Conlee (#12)
*"Members Only" -- Donna Fargo and Billy Joe Royal (#23)
*"Midnight Girl/Sunset Town"- Sweethearts of the Rodeo (#4)
*"No Place Like Home" – Randy Travis (#2)
*"Nobody Should Have to Love This Way - Crystal Gayle (#16)
*"Nowhere Road" - Steve Earle (#17)
*"Oh Heart" - Baillie & the Boys (#9)
*"Only When I Love" – Holly Dunn (#4)
*"On and On" - Anne Murray (#23)
*"Plain Brown Wrapper" - Gary Morris (#9)
*"Right Hand Man" – Eddy Raven (#3)
*"The Right Left Hand" – George Jones (#8)
*"Senorita" - Don Williams (#9)
*"Someone" – Lee Greenwood (#6)
*"Take the Long Way Home" - John Schneider (#10)
*"Talkin' To the Moon" – Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Band (#4)
*"Tar Top" – Alabama (#7)
*"Telling Me Lies" - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt (#3)
*"Those Memories of You" - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt (#5)
*"Till I'm Too Old to Die Young" - Moe Bandy (#6)
*"Too Many Rivers" – Forester Sisters (#5)
*"Train of Memories" - Kathy Mattea (#6)
*"Twenty Years Ago" – Kenny Rogers (#2)
*"Whiskey, If You Were a Woman" - Highway 101 (#2)
*"Why I Don't Know" - Lyle Lovett (#15)
*"You're My First Lady" - T.G. Sheppard (#2)
*"You're Never Too Old For Young Love" – Eddy Raven (#3)
*"You're the Power" – Kathy Mattea (#5)

Top new album releases

* "Always & Forever" — Randy Travis (Warner Bros.)
* "Baillie & the Boys" — Baillie & the Boys (RCA)
* "Cornerstone" — Holly Dunn (MTM)
* "Greatest Hits Vol. 2" — George Strait (MCA)
* "Heart and Soul" — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
* "Heartland" — The Judds (RCA)
* "Highway 101" — Highway 101 (Warner Bros.)
* "Hillbilly Deluxe" — Dwight Yoakam (Reprise)
* "Just Us" — Alabama (RCA)
* "King's Record Shop" — Roseanne Cash (Columbia)
* "The Last One to Know" — Reba McEntire (MCA)
* "Love Me Like You Used To" — Tanya Tucker (Capitol)
* "A Man Called Hoss" — Waylon Jennings (MCA)
* "Ocean Front Property" — George Strait (MCA)
* "Too Wild Too Long" — George Jones (Epic)
* "Trio" — Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt (Warner Bros)
* "Wild-Eyed Dream" — Ricky Van Shelton (Columbia)

Other

*"80s Ladies" - K.T. Oslin (RCA)
*"After All This Time" - Charley Pride (16th Avenue)
*"Borderline" - Conway Twitty (MCA)
*"Chill Factor" - Merle Haggard (Epic)
*"Greatest Hits" - Steve Wariner (MCA)
*"Hank Live" - Hank Williams Jr. (Warner Bros./Curb)
*"Hard Times on Easy Street" - David Lynn Jones (Mercury/Polygram)
*"Heartbeat" - Oak Ridge Boys (MCA)
*"Hits" - Gary Morris (Warner Bros.)
*"Hold On" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Warner Bros.)
*"Maple Street Memories" - Statler Brothers (Mercury/Polygram)
*"The Royal Treatment" Billy Joe Royal (Atlantic)
*"Seashores of Old Mexico" - Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson (Epic)
*"Somewhere in the Night" - Sawyer Brown (Capitol/Curb)
*"Shelter From the Night" - Exile (Epic)
*"Sure Feels Good" - Barbara Mandrell (EMI America / Capitol)
*"Untasted Honey" - Kathy Mattea (Mercury/Polygram)

Christmas albums

*"Christmastime With the Judds" - The Judds (RCA/Curb)

On television

Regular series

* "Dolly" (1987-1988, ABC)
* "Hee Haw" (1969-1993, syndicated)

pecials

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Rod Brasfield (1910-1958)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

*Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "80's Ladies" - K.T. Oslin
*Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "Always & Forever" - Randy Travis
*Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- "Trio" - Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris
*Best Country Vocal Performance, Duet -- "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" - Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers
*Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist) -- "String Of Pars" - Asleep At The Wheel
*Best Country Song -- "Forever And Ever, Amen" - Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Hank Williams Jr.
*Song Of The Year -- "Forever And Ever Amen" - Randy Travis - Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz
*Single Of The Year -- "Forever And Ever Amen" - Randy Travis
*Album Of The Year -- "Trio" - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt
*Top Male Vocalist -- Randy Travis
*Top Female Vocalist -- Reba McEntire
*Top Vocal Duo -- The Judds
*Top Vocal Group -- Highway 101 (band)
*Top New Male Vocalist -- Ricky Van Shelton
*Top New Female Vocalist -- K.T. Oslin
*Video Of The Year -- "80's Ladies" - K.T. Oslin (Director: Jack Cole)

Country Music Association

*Instrumentalist of the Year -- Johnny Gimble
*Entertainer of the Year -- Hank Williams, Jr.
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Randy Travis
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Reba McEntire
*Horizon Award -- Holly Dunn
*Vocal Group of the Year -- The Judds
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White
*Album of the Year -- Randy Travis
*Song of the Year -- Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz
*Single of the Year -- Randy Travis
*Music Video of the Year -- "My Name is Bocephus" - Hank Williams, Jr. (Directors: Bill Fishman and Preacher Ewing)

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]