1985 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1985.

1985 in music
By location
By genre
By topic
List of years in country music (table)
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Events
  • January — In radio, the United Stations Programming Network’s "Solid Gold Country," a country music spinoff of the oldies-focused "Solid Gold Scrapbook," switches from a three-hour-a-week show to a five-day-a-week program (with the option to air all five hours in as a weekly program). Under the new format, each hourly program covered a different topic, such as a profile on a singer, songwriter or producer; a look back at the popular songs from the current week in a past year, gold records from the current month and other topics under virtually every conceivable topic. The new program will run 8-1/2 years.
  • May 8 - 20th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, George Strait, and Reba McEntire win
  • 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
See also: List of number-one country singles of 1985 (U.S.) and List of number-one country hits of 1985 (Canada)

Singles released by American artists
US CAN Single Artist
1 1 40 Hour Week (For a Livin') Alabama
1 1 Ain't She Somethin' Else Conway Twitty
8 8 All Tangled Up in Love Gus Hardin
8 22 Angel in Your Arms Barbara Mandrell
1 1 Baby Bye Bye Gary Morris
1 1 Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On Mel McDaniel
1 1 The Best Year of My Life Eddie Rabbitt
5 5 Betty's Bein' Bad Sawyer Brown
3 7 Between Blue Eyes and Jeans Conway Twitty
15 13 Blue Highway John Conlee
15 — Break Away Gail Davies
13 11 California Keith Stegall
1 1 Can't Keep a Good Man Down Alabama
9 11 Carolina in the Pines Michael Martin Murphey
1 1 The Chair George Strait
1 1 Country Boy Ricky Skaggs
1 1 Country Girls John Schneider
5 3 The Cowboy Rides Away George Strait
1 1 Crazy Kenny Rogers
1 1 Crazy for Your Love Exile
9 8 Cry Just a Little Bit Sylvia
15 20 Desperados Waiting for a Train The Highwaymen
20 16 Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music) Vern Gosdin
1 1 Dixie Road Lee Greenwood
1 10 Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind George Strait
8 5 Doncha? T. G. Sheppard
1 1 Don't Call Him a Cowboy Conway Twitty
3 5 Don't Call It Love Dolly Parton
2 26 Drinkin' and Dreamin' Waylon Jennings
20 17 Eye of a Hurricane John Anderson
2 1 Fallin' in Love Sylvia
5 10 The Fireman George Strait
7 5 The First Word in Memory Is Me Janie Fricke
1 1 Forgiving You Was Easy Willie Nelson
17 5 The Girl Most Likely To B. J. Thomas
1 1 Girls Night Out The Judds
7 15 Got No Reason Now for Goin' Home Gene Watson
15 13 Hallelujah, I Love You So George Jones with Brenda Lee
1 1 Hang On to Your Heart Exile
6 10 Have I Got a Deal for You Reba McEntire
1 2 Have Mercy The Judds
19 42 Heart Don't Do This to Me Loretta Lynn
8 15 Heart Trouble Steve Wariner
3 3 Hello Mary Lou The Statler Brothers
2 2 High Horse Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1 1 Highwayman The Highwaymen
1 1 Honor Bound Earl Thomas Conley
1 6 How Blue Reba McEntire
1 1 I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me Rosanne Cash
1 1 I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose) Lee Greenwood
1 3 I Fell in Love Again Last Night The Forester Sisters
1 4 I Need More of You The Bellamy Brothers
10 6 I Never Made Love (Till I Made It with You) Mac Davis
8 6 I Wanna Hear It from You Eddy Raven
5 3 I Wanna Say Yes Louise Mandrell
10 9 I Want Everyone to Cry Restless Heart
20 — I'd Dance Every Dance with You The Kendalls
1 1 I'll Never Stop Loving You Gary Morris
1 5 I'm for Love Hank Williams Jr.
10 7 I'm Gonna Leave You Tomorrow John Schneider
10 10 I'm the One Mama Warned You About Mickey Gilley
20 19 If It Ain't Love Ed Bruce
12 22 If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone) The Whites
10 5 If It Weren't for Him Vince Gill
15 15 If That Ain't Love Lacy J. Dalton
16 45 If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me Jimmy Buffett
5 1 In a New York Minute Ronnie McDowell
12 31 It Ain't Gonna Worry My Mind Ray Charles and Mickey Gilley
19 12 It Should Have Been Love by Now Barbara Mandrell & Lee Greenwood
10 6 It's a Short Walk from Heaven to Hell John Schneider
15 18 It's All Over Now John Anderson
20 49 It's Time for Love Don Williams
10 10 Kern River Merle Haggard
4 — A Lady Like You Glen Campbell
9 8 Lasso the Moon Gary Morris
19 21 The Legend and the Man Conway Twitty
16 — Leona Sawyer Brown
6 6 Let It Roll (Let It Rock) Mel McDaniel
16 33 Let Me Down Easy Jim Glaser
23 20 Let the Heartache Ride Restless Heart
2 3 Lie to You for Your Love The Bellamy Brothers
1 1 Little Things The Oak Ridge Boys
5 5 A Long and Lasting Love Crystal Gayle
1 1 Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night) Ronnie Milsap
14 — (Love Always) Letter to Home Glen Campbell
1 1 Love Don't Care (Whose Heart It Breaks) Earl Thomas Conley
1 1 Love Is Alive The Judds
9 14 Love Talks Ronnie McDowell
10 14 Major Moves Hank Williams Jr.
1 1 Make My Life with You The Oak Ridge Boys
8 23 Maybe My Baby Louise Mandrell
4 1 Me Against the Night Crystal Gayle
14 6 Me and Paul Willie Nelson
1 19 Meet Me in Montana Marie Osmond (with Dan Seals)
20 32 The Mississippi Squirrel Revival Ray Stevens
1 2 Modern Day Romance Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2 2 My Baby's Got Good Timing Dan Seals
9 9 My Old Yellow Car Dan Seals
1 3 My Only Love The Statler Brothers
19 — My Toot-Toot Rockin' Sidney
1 2 Natural High Merle Haggard
1 1 Nobody Falls Like a Fool Earl Thomas Conley
3 4 Nobody Wants to Be Alone Crystal Gayle
2 1 Old Hippie The Bellamy Brothers
4 3 One Owner Heart T. G. Sheppard
5 6 Only in My Mind Reba McEntire
9 8 Operator, Operator Eddy Raven
1 1 A Place to Fall Apart Merle Haggard featuring Janie Fricke
10 12 Pretty Lady Keith Stegall
1 1 Radio Heart Charly McClain
1 1 Real Love Dolly Parton (duet with Kenny Rogers)
9 9 Rollin' Lonely Johnny Lee
12 12 Save the Last Chance Johnny Lee
1 1 Seven Spanish Angels Ray Charles (with Willie Nelson)
1 1 She Keeps the Home Fires Burning Ronnie Milsap
11 11 She Used to Love Me a Lot David Allan Coe
1 1 She's a Miracle Exile
6 22 She's Comin' Back to Say Goodbye Eddie Rabbitt
9 5 She's Gonna Win Your Heart Eddy Raven
2 1 She's My Rock George Jones
2 2 She's Single Again Janie Fricke
19 11 Size Seven Round (Made of Gold) George Jones with Lacy J. Dalton
10 7 Slow Burning Memory Vern Gosdin
1 1 Some Fools Never Learn Steve Wariner
4 4 Somebody Else's Fire Janie Fricke
1 8 Somebody Should Leave Reba McEntire
26 14 Someone Like You Emmylou Harris
2 1 Something in My Heart Ricky Skaggs
6 24 Sometimes When We Touch Mark Gray & Tammy Wynette
5 3 Stand Up Mel McDaniel
1 1 Step That Step Sawyer Brown
10 — (That's What You Do) When You're in Love The Forester Sisters
1 1 (There's A) Fire in the Night Alabama
7 24 There's No Love in Tennessee Barbara Mandrell
1 2 There's No Way Alabama
19 37 They Never Had to Get Over You Johnny Lee
14 14 Thing About You Southern Pacific with Emmylou Harris
4 22 This Ain't Dallas Hank Williams Jr.
1 1 Too Much on My Heart The Statler Brothers
1 1 Touch a Hand, Make a Friend The Oak Ridge Boys
14 18 Two Old Cats Like Us Ray Charles with Hank Williams Jr.
3 1 Used to Blue Sawyer Brown
2 3 Walkin' a Broken Heart Don Williams
10 14 Waltz Me to Heaven Waylon Jennings
4 3 Warning Sign Eddie Rabbitt
3 1 What I Didn't Do Steve Wariner
8 6 What She Wants Michael Martin Murphey
17 46 When Givin' Up Was Easy Ed Bruce
14 6 White Line Emmylou Harris
3 2 Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes George Jones
5 9 With Just One Look in Your Eyes Charly McClain (with Wayne Massey)
7 6 Working Man John Conlee
10 27 A World Without Love Eddie Rabbitt
2 2 Years After You John Conlee
20 20 You Can't Run Away from Your Heart Lacy J. Dalton
7 8 You Make Me Feel Like a Man Ricky Skaggs
1 1 You Make Me Want to Make You Mine Juice Newton
3 3 You Turn Me On (Like a Radio) Ed Bruce
10 8 You're Going Out of My Mind T. G. Sheppard
9 6 You've Got a Good Love Comin' Lee Greenwood
10 7 You've Got Something on Your Mind Mickey Gilley

Singles released by Canadian artists
US CAN Single Artist
— 12 Blue Moon Cafe Albert Hall
— 13 Counting the I Love Yous Terry Carisse
73 10 Heaven Knows Audie Henry
— 12 Hold On to What You Got Gilles Godard
7 4 I Don't Think I'm Ready for You Anne Murray
— 18 I Just Didn't Love You Very Well John Winters
— 9 I'll Take Her Love Anytime George Carone
— 10 I'm Glad We're Bad at Something Ronnie Prophet & Glory-Anne Carriere
— 9 If You Can't Stand the Heat Carroll Baker
95 5 It Always Hurts the First Time Carroll Baker
— 19 The Loneliest Star in Texas Terry Sumsion
— 7 Love Is the Reason Mercey Brothers
— 9 Magic in the Music C-Weed Band
— 11 She Saves Her Love for Me Stoker Bros
— 18 She's No Lady Paul Weber
— 17 Sonny's Dream Valdy
— 10 Sweet Blue Terry Carisse
71 10 Sweet Salvation Audie Henry
— 10 Take Me Home Mississippi Jamie Warren
— 15 That's When You Know It's Over Terry Sumsion
2 1 Time Don't Run Out on Me Anne Murray
— 17 Two Broken Hearts Terry Carisse
— 12 We Can Only Pretend George Carone
— 7 We Won't Ever Say Goodbye Gilles Godard
— 10 You Lifted Me High Enough Mercey Brothers

Top new album releases
See also: List of number-one country albums of 1985 (U.S.)
US Album Artist Record Label
1 40-Hour Week Alabama RCA
8 Alabama Christmas Alabama RCA
25 Amber Waves of Grain Merle Haggard Epic
1 Anything Goes Gary Morris Warner Bros.
8 The Ballad of Sally Rose Emmylou Harris Warner Bros.
7 Centerfield John Fogerty Warner Bros.
22 Darlin', Darlin' David Allan Coe Columbia
7 Don't Call Him a Cowboy Conway Twitty Warner Bros.
24 Favorite Country Hits Ricky Skaggs Epic
1 Five-O Hank Williams Jr. Curb/Warner Bros.
4 The Forester Sisters The Forester Sisters Warner Bros.
4 Greatest Hits George Strait MCA
25 Get to the Heart Barbara Mandrell MCA
1 Greatest Hits Earl Thomas Conley RCA
4 Greatest Hits Lee Greenwood MCA
1 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Ronnie Milsap RCA
10 Half Nelson Willie Nelson Columbia
1 Greatest Hits Volume 2 Hank Williams Jr. Curb/Warner Bros.
2 Hang On to Your Heart Exile Epic
1 The Heart of the Matter Kenny Rogers RCA
23 High Country Snows Dan Fogelberg Full Moon/Epic
1 Highwayman The Highwaymen Columbia
10 Howard & David The Bellamy Brothers Curb/MCA
1 I Have Returned Ray Stevens MCA
8 Kern River Merle Haggard Epic
7 Last Mango in Paris Jimmy Buffett MCA
4 Let It Roll Mel McDaniel Capitol
22 Life Highway Steve Wariner MCA
1 Live in London Ricky Skaggs Epic
1 Lost in the Fifties Tonight Ronnie Milsap RCA
17 Love Is What We Make It Kenny Rogers Liberty
3 Me and Paul Willie Nelson Columbia
1 A Memory Like You John Schneider MCA
13 My Toot Toot Rockin' Sidney Epic
17 Nobody Wants to Be Alone Crystal Gayle Warner Bros.
12 Old Flame Juice Newton RCA
24 Old Ways Neil Young Geffen
20 One Good Night Deserves Another Steve Wariner MCA
19 One Step Closer Sylvia RCA
1 Pardners in Rhyme The Statler Brothers Mercury/PolyGram
9 Partners, Brothers and Friends Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Warner Bros.
15 Radio Heart Charly McClain Epic
9 Real Love Dolly Parton RCA
10 Restless Heart Restless Heart RCA
1 Rhythm & Romance Rosanne Cash Columbia
1 Rockin' with the Rhythm The Judds Curb/RCA
2 Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown Capitol/Curb
3 Shakin' Sawyer Brown Capitol/Curb
21 Somebody Else's Fire Janie Fricke Columbia
1 Something Special George Strait MCA
25 Southern Pacific Southern Pacific Warner Bros.
25 Stand Up Mel McDaniel Capitol
3 Step On Out The Oak Ridge Boys MCA
1 Streamline Lee Greenwood MCA
6 Sweet Dreams–The Life and
Times of Patsy Cline (Soundtrack)		 Patsy Cline MCA
16 There's No Stopping Your Heart Marie Osmond Capitol/Curb
24 Tokyo, Oklahoma John Anderson Warner Bros.
15 Tryin' to Outrun the Wind John Schneider MCA
23 Turn the Page Waylon Jennings RCA
6 Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes? George Jones Epic
1 Won't Be Blue Anymore Dan Seals Capitol

Other top albums
US Album Artist Record Label
27 12 Greatest Hits Patsy Cline MCA
50 19 Hot Country Requests Various Artists Epic
59 19 Hot Country Requests–Vol. 2 Various Artists Epic
33 Atlanta Atlanta MCA
61 The Bama Band The Bama Band Compleat
29 The Best of Reba McEntire Reba McEntire Mercury/PolyGram
39 Big River–The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn		 Various Artists MCA
39 Biggest Hits Charly McClain Epic
33 Can't Run Away from Your Heart Lacy J. Dalton Columbia
29 Chasin' Rainbows Conway Twitty Warner Bros.
42 Christmas Present The Statler Brothers Mercury/PolyGram
29 Christmas to Christmas Lee Greenwood MCA
38 Cut from a Different Stone Razzy Bailey MCA
40 Dallas–The Music Story Various Artists Warner Bros.
28 Don't Make Me Wait on the Moon Shelly West Viva
64 Dreamland Express John Denver RCA
34 Eddie Rabbitt #1's Eddie Rabbitt Warner Bros.
42 From My Heart Kathy Mattea Mercury/PolyGram
27 Greatest Hits Barbara Mandrell MCA
33 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 John Conlee MCA
60 Greatest Hits, Volume 2 Charley Pride RCA
60 Greatest Hits Vol. IV Don Williams MCA
27 Have I Got a Deal for You Reba McEntire MCA
38 His Best Merle Haggard MCA
40 I Feel Good (About Lovin' You) Mickey Gilley Epic
32 It's Just a Matter of Time Glen Campbell Atlantic America
49 John McEuen John McEuen Warner Bros.
63 Just a Woman Loretta Lynn MCA
36 Keep Me Hangin' On Johnny Lee Warner Bros.
45 Keith Stegall Keith Stegall Epic
55 Lane Brody Lane Brody Capitol
53 Live! At Gilley's Mickey Gilley Epic
26 Livin' on the Edge T. G. Sheppard Columbia
62 Lone Justice Lone Justice Geffen
64 Love and Other Hard Times Eddy Raven RCA
60 Maybe My Baby Louise Mandrell RCA
27 Me and the Boys The Charlie Daniels Band Epic
35 Memories to Burn Gene Watson Epic
55 Music from Rustler's Rhapsody
and Other Songs		 Various Artists Warner Bros.
58 Old Friends Terri Gibbs Warner Bros.
40 Past the Point of No Return Jim Glaser MCA/Noble Vision
48 ...Say When Nicolette Larson MCA
35 Smile Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Columbia
32 Sometimes When We Touch Tammy Wynette Epic
63 Song in a Seashell Tom T. Hall Mercury/PolyGram
27 Songs You Know by Heart Jimmy Buffett MCA
42 The Spirit of Christmas Ray Charles Columbia
54 T. G. Sheppard T. G. Sheppard Warner Bros.
54 Tender Loving Care Tom Jones Mercury/PolyGram
45 Tennessee Christmas Various Artists MCA
63 The Things That Matter Vince Gill RCA
48 Till I Made It with You Mac Davis MCA
31 Time Stood Still Vern Gosdin Compleat
27 Two Heart Harmony The Kendalls Mercury/PolyGram
49 Unchained David Allan Coe Columbia
33 The Very Best of Janie Janie Fricke Columbia
64 Wall of Tears Gus Hardin RCA
52 Where's the Fire Leon Everette Mercury/PolyGram
42 Whole New World The Whites MCA

On television

Regular series

Births
  • January 20 – Brantley Gilbert, singer of the 2010s best known for "Country Must Be Country Wide" and "You Don't Know Her Like I Do"
  • May 20 – Jon Pardi, country singer of the 2010s
  • June 12 – Chris Young, winner on the fourth season of Nashville Star
  • August 26 – Brian Kelley, member of Florida Georgia Line, a duo of the 2010s.
  • September 1 — Charlie Worsham, singer/multi-instrumentalist honored by the Mississippi state senate[1]
  • September 19 — Chase Rice, country singer of the 2010s

Deaths

Hall of Fame inductees

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

Juno Awards

Academy of Country Music

Canadian Country Music Association

Country Music Association

See also

References
  1. "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 44" (PDF). Billstatus.ls.state.ms.us. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 44. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.

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 (ISBN 978-0679435563)
  • 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 (ISBN 978-0898201659)
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