Country Music 1985
Events
- An article in the New York Times declares country music "dead".
- The Country Music Association is presenting the Music Video of the Year award for the first time . Hank Williams, Jr. is the first prize winner for his video "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight"
Top hits of the year
Number 1 Hits (Billboard)
- January 5th - "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" - George Strait
- January 12th - "The Best Year of My Life" - Eddie Rabbitt
- January 19th - "How Blue" - Reba McEntire
- Jan 26 - (There's A) Fire in the Night - Alabama
- February 2nd - "A Place to Fall Apart" - Merle Haggard , Janie Fricke
- February 9th - "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 2nd - "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 , Willie Nelson
- March 30th - "Crazy" - Kenny Rogers
- April 6 - "Country Girls" - John Schneider
- April 13 - Honor Bound - Earl Thomas Conley
- April 20th - "I Need More of You" Bellamy Brothers
- April 27th - "Girls Night Out" - The Judds
- May 4th - There's No Way - Alabama
- May 11th - "Somebody Should Leave" - Reba McEntire
- May 18 - "Step That Step" - Sawyer Brown
- May 25 - "Radio Heart" - Charly McClain
- June 1st - "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" - Conway Twitty
- June 8th - "Natural High" - Merle Haggard
- June 15th - "Country Boy" - Ricky Skaggs
- June 22nd - "Little Things" - Oak Ridge Boys
- June 29th - "She Keeps the Home Fires Burning" - Ronnie Milsap
- July 6th - "She's a Miracle" - Exile
- July 13 - "Forgiving You Was Easy" - Willie Nelson
- July 20 - "Dixie Road" - Lee Greenwood
- July 27th - "Love Don't Care" - Earl Thomas Conley
- August 3 - "40 Hour Week (For a Livin ')" - Alabama
- August 10 - "I'm For Love" - Hank Williams Jr.
- Aug 17 - " Highwayman " - Waylon Jennings , Willie Nelson , Kris Kristofferson , Johnny Cash
- August 24th - "Real Love" - Kenny Rogers , Dolly Parton
- August 31st - "Love is Alive" - The Judds
- September 7th - "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" - Rosanne Cash , Vince Gill
- September 14th - "Modern Day Romance" - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- September 21st - "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 12th - "Meet Me in Montana" - Dan Seals , Marie Osmond
- October 19 - "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine" - Juice Newton
- October 26th - "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend" - Oak Ridge Boys
- November 2nd - "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 23rd - "I'll Never Stop Loving You" - Gary Morris
- November 30th - Too Much on My Heart - Statler Brothers
- December 7th - "I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)" - Lee Greenwood
- December 14th - "Nobody Falls Like a Fool" - Earl Thomas Conley
- December 21 - "The Chair" - George Strait
- December 28th - "Have Mercy" The Judds
More hits
- "America" Waylon Jennings (# 6)
- "Angel in Your Arms" Barbara Mandrell (# 8)
- "Between Blue Eyes and Jeans" Conway Twitty (# 3)
- "Burned Like a Rocket" Billy Joe Royal (# 10)
- "California" Keith Stegall (# 13)
- "Cry Just a Little Bit" Sylvia Kirby (# 9)
- "Don't Call It Love" Dolly Parton (# 3)
- "Drinkin 'and Dreamin'" Waylon Jennings (# 2)
- "Fallin 'in Love" Sylvia Kirby (# 2)
- "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)
- "I Wanna Hear It From You" Eddy Raven (# 8)
- "I Want Everyone to Cry" Restless Heart (# 10)
- "I'm Going to Leave You Tomorrow" John Schneider (# 10)
- "If It Weren't for Him" Vince Gill , Rosanne Cash (# 10)
- "Lasso the Moon" Gary Morris (# 9)
- "Lie to You for Your Love" Bellamy Brothers (# 2)
- "A Long and Lasting Love" Crystal Gayle (# 5)
- "(Love Always) Letter to Home" Glen Campbell (# 14)
- "Major Moves" Hank Williams Jr. (# 10)
- "My Toot Toot" Rockin 'Sidney (# 19)
- "Nobody Wants to Be Alone" Crystal Gayle (# 3)
- "Oklahoma Borderline" Vince Gill (# 9)
- "Old Hippie" Bellamy Brothers (# 2)
- "Only in My Mind" Reba McEntire (# 5)
- "Operator, Operator" Eddy Raven (# 9)
- "Pretty Lady" Keith Stegall (# 10)
- "There's No Love in Tennessee" Barbara Mandrell (# 7)
- "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)
- "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" George Jones (# 3)
- "Working Man" John Conlee (# 7)
- "You Should Have Been Gone By Now" Eddy Raven (# 3)
Albums (selection)
- 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 - Rosanne Cash (Columbia)
- Rockin 'With the Rhythm - The Judds (RCA)
- Turn the Page - Waylon Jennings (RCA)
- Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes? - George Jones (Epic)
New Country Music Hall of Fame members
The most important 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" - The Judds
- 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)