1988 in country music

none September 2020 April 2015 April 2015 This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1988. 1988 country music Events May 21 – Country music stars highlight a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Featured: Alabama, The Judds, George Strait and Randy Travis. December – Record producer Jimmy Bowen establishes the Universal Records label.December 9, 1988 Universal Label Makes Big Nashville Splash Radio & Records 1, 30 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/1980s/1988/RR-1988-12-09.pdf LS Records releases "Spelling on the Stone", a song about Elvis Presley without an artist credit. The song's lyrics, which call the singer's 1977 death into question, are sung by a vocalist whom many believe to be Presley himself.https://www.newspapers.com/image/909208193/ Is 'The King' back? New song may be by Elvis or may be a 'very cruel hoax' The Jersey Journal December 23, 1988 March 8, 2023 Dan Rosenfeld 15 No dates Time-Life Records releases the first volume of its "Country USA" series. The series, which would eventually include 23 volumes, each chronicles one year per volume – 1950 through 1972. Each volume – offered on two record albums, or one cassette or compact disc – contains liner notes from some of country music's most respected historians. In many cases, the songs offered on each volume represented the first time they had ever been re-released on compact disc. "Country USA" was offered through television and magazine advertisements. The Country Music Association Awards introduced a new award, Vocal Event of the Year, awarding collaborative efforts by two or more artists who normally don't work together (previously such efforts had to be included with Best Duo or Group nominations). The first recipient was the group of Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt for their Trio album. MTM Records is sold and disestablished after four years. During its short stay in the music business, two songs released by MTM will top the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart: Judy Rodman's "Until I Met You" (1986) and S-K-O's "Baby's Got a New Baby" (1987). Real Country, a 24-hour satellite music network focusing on classic country and neotraditional country, is planned for a 1989 launch by country star Buck Owens out of his Phoenix Arizona radio studios and carried by the Satellite Music Network. It is heard primarily in smaller- and medium-sized markets. Real Country was later sold to ABC Disney which then moved the operations to its radio headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Real Country was later sold to Citadel and is now owned and distributed by Cumulus Media. Top hits of the year List of number-one country singles of 1988 (U.S.) List of number-one country hits of 1988 (Canada) Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist11AddictedDan Seals95Always Late with Your KissesDwight Yoakam8—AmericanaMoe Bandy5—Another Place, Another TimeDon Williams13Baby BlueGeorge Strait21Baby I'm YoursSteve Wariner1533The Best I Know HowThe Statler Brothers1018Blue LoveThe O'Kanes58Blue to the BoneSweethearts of the Rodeo12The Bluest Eyes in TexasRestless Heart1010Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country BluesCharlie Daniels Band44Button Off My ShirtRonnie Milsap912Chill FactorMerle Haggard63Chiseled in StoneVern Gosdin11Cry, Cry, CryHighway 10148Crying ShameMichael Johnson11DarleneT. Graham Brown75DesperatelyDon Williams413Do You Believe Me NowVern Gosdin11(Do You Love Me) Just Say YesHighway 10112Don't Close Your EyesKeith Whitley10—Don't Give Candy to a StrangerLarry Boone11Don't We All Have the RightRicky Van Shelton11Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen RosesKathy Mattea5218Every Step of the WayThe Wagoneers113Everybody's SweetheartVince Gill11Face to FaceAlabama63The FactoryKenny Rogers11Fallin' AgainAlabama11Famous Last Words of a FoolGeorge Strait42The GiftThe McCarters21Give a Little LoveThe Judds88Givers and TakersS-K-B13Goin' GoneKathy Mattea11Gonna Take a Lot of RiverThe Oak Ridge Boys711Goodbye TimeConway Twitty413Heaven Can't Be FoundHank Williams Jr.11He's Back and I'm BlueThe Desert Rose Band1412High Ridin' HeroesDavid Lynn Jones with Waylon Jennings11Honky Tonk MoonRandy Travis11I Can't Get Close EnoughExile11I Couldn't Leave You If I TriedRodney Crowell1214I Didn't (Every Chance I Had)Johnny Rodriguez834I Don't Have Far to FallSkip Ewing2816I Give You MusicThe McCarters744I Have YouGlen Campbell11I Know How He FeelsReba McEntire21I Should Be with YouSteve Wariner1218I Still BelieveLee Greenwood11I Told You SoRandy Travis11I Wanna Dance with YouEddie Rabbitt1841I Want a Love Like ThatJudy Rodman719I Will Whisper Your NameMichael Johnson52I Wish That I Could Fall in Love TodayBarbara Mandrell110I Won't Take Less Than Your LoveTanya Tucker with Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet97I Wouldn't Be a ManDon Williams11I'll Always Come BackK. T. Oslin612I'll Give You All My Love TonightThe Bellamy Brothers11I'll Leave This World Loving YouRicky Van Shelton517I'll Pin a Note on Your PillowBilly Joe Royal11I'm Gonna Get YouEddy Raven1333I'm Gonna Love Her on the RadioCharley Pride34I'm Gonna Miss You, GirlMichael Martin Murphey186I'm TiredRicky Skaggs21I've Been Lookin'Nitty Gritty Dirt Band1—If It Don't Come EasyTanya Tucker109If My Heart Had WindowsPatty Loveless1637If Ole Hank Could Only See Us NowWaylon Jennings822If the South Woulda WonHank Williams Jr.11If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')George Strait11If You Change Your MindRosanne Cash679If You're Gonna Tell Me LiesRosemary Sharp1715It Keeps Right on Hurtin'Billy Joe Royal85It's Only Make BelieveRonnie McDowell11It's Such a Small WorldRodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash11Joe Knows How to LiveEddy Raven59Just Lovin' YouThe O'Kanes93Just One KissExile44The Last ResortT. Graham Brown97Letter HomeThe Forester Sisters11Life Turned Her That WayRicky Van Shelton18—A Little Bit CloserTom Wopat2—A Little Bit in LovePatty Loveless20—Louisiana RainJohn Wesley Ryles39Love Helps ThosePaul Overstreet43Love of a LifetimeLarry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers11Love Will Find Its Way to YouReba McEntire55Lyin' in His Arms AgainThe Forester Sisters54Mama KnowsShenandoah1416Midnight HighwaySouthern Pacific1311MoneyK. T. Oslin115My Baby's GoneSawyer Brown21New Shade of BlueSouthern Pacific72No More One More TimeJo-El Sonnier227Nobody's AngelCrystal Gayle5—Oh What a LoveNitty Gritty Dirt Band212Old FolksRonnie Milsap & Mike Reid11One FriendDan Seals215One Step ForwardThe Desert Rose Band45One True LoveThe O'Kanes1118Only Love Can Save Me NowCrystal Gayle107Out of Sight and on My MindBilly Joe Royal62Please, Please BabyDwight Yoakam94Real Good Feel Good SongMel McDaniel919Rebels Without a ClueThe Bellamy Brothers12Runaway TrainRosanne Cash52Santa FeThe Bellamy Brothers511Satisfy YouSweethearts of the Rodeo919Saturday Night SpecialConway Twitty12Set 'Em Up JoeVern Gosdin936She Doesn't Cry AnymoreShenandoah178She's No LadyLyle Lovett819She's Sittin' PrettyBilly Parker529Shouldn't It Be Easier Than ThisCharley Pride1632Some Old Side RoadKeith Whitley83Spanish EyesWillie Nelson with Julio Iglesias547Still Within the Sound of My VoiceGlen Campbell736Strangers AgainHolly Dunn11Streets of BakersfieldDwight Yoakam & Buck Owens12Strong Enough to BendTanya Tucker22Summer WindThe Desert Rose Band59Sunday Kind of LoveReba McEntire88Sure ThingFoster & Lloyd1623Talkin' to Myself AgainTammy Wynette41Talkin' to the Wrong ManMichael Martin Murphey (with Ryan Murphey)95Tear-Stained LetterJo-El Sonnier82Tell Me TrueJuice Newton12A Tender LieRestless Heart11Tennessee Flat Top BoxRosanne Cash18—Texas in 1880Foster & Lloyd1710Thanks AgainRicky Skaggs64That's My JobConway Twitty98That's ThatMichael Johnson56That's What Your Love Does to MeHolly Dunn21This Missin' You Heart of MineSawyer Brown56Timeless and True LoveThe McCarters11Too Gone Too LongRandy Travis53Touch and Go CrazyLee Greenwood521True HeartThe Oak Ridge Boys15Turn It LooseThe Judds11Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky StarMerle Haggard413Untold StoriesKathy Mattea11The WandererEddie Rabbitt11We Believe in Happy EndingsEarl Thomas Conley with Emmylou Harris72We Must Be Doin' Somethin' RightEddie Rabbitt617What Do You Want from Me This TimeFoster & Lloyd12What She Is (Is a Woman in Love)Earl Thomas Conley11WheelsRestless Heart2616When You Put Your Heart in ItKenny Rogers11When You Say Nothing at AllKeith Whitley11Where Do the Nights GoRonnie Milsap97Wilder DaysBaillie & the Boys68WildflowersDolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris46Workin' Man (Nowhere to Go)Nitty Gritty Dirt Band7210You Are My AngelBilly Parker2021You Can't Fall in Love When You're Cryin'Lee Greenwood22Young CountryHank Williams Jr.17—Your Memory Wins AgainSkip Ewing Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—8AngelinaGeorge Fox—7Cheater's MoonCarroll Baker—15Cinderella/Gingerbread ManDick Damron—18The Circle of WoodWayne Pronger6110Do You Have Any DoubtsAlibi—8Fifty Years AgoIan Tyson—17The GiftIan Tyson—12Give InTerry Carisse—8Gone So LongThe Good Brothers—10Highway to HeavenStoker Bros—14I Still Think of YouColleen Peterson & Gilles Godard217I'm Down to My Last Cigarettek.d. lang—17If You're Up for LoveRonnie Prophet—10Isn't That the Strangest ThingAnita Perras & Tim Taylor—9LeannaKen Harnden—15Listening to the SingerCindi Cain—15The Music Still in MeCindi Cain—9One Smokey RoseAnita Perras—9The Rhythm of RomanceMichelle Wright—8She Knows I Can't Say NoKen Harnden—14Straight to Your HeartMercey Brothers—10Thank You for Being My FriendThe Ellis Family Band—8Thought Leaving Would Be EasyTerry Carisse—1Til I Find My LoveFamily Brown—7Town of TearsFamily Brown—14You Won't Fool This Fool This TimeThe Good Brothers—7You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'Carroll Baker Top new album releases List of number-one country albums of 1988 (U.S.) US Album Artist Record label 8 101² Highway 101 Warner Bros. 1 Alabama Live Alabama RCA 25 All Keyed Up Becky Hobbs MTM 4 Big Dreams in a Small Town Restless Heart RCA 1 Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room Dwight Yoakam Reprise 7 Chiseled in Stone Vern Gosdin Columbia 22 Come as You Were T. Graham Brown Capitol 12 Comin' Home to Stay Ricky Skaggs Epic 7 Copperhead Road Steve Earle MCA 8 Diamonds & Dirt Rodney Crowell Columbia 8 Don't Close Your Eyes Keith Whitley RCA 1 Greatest Hits The Judds Curb/RCA 16 Homesick Heroes The Charlie Daniels Band Epic 7 Honky Tonk Angel Patty Loveless MCA 20 I Should Be with You Steve Wariner MCA 1 If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' George Strait MCA 1 Loving Proof Ricky Van Shelton Columbia 9 Monongahela The Oak Ridge Boys MCA 1 Old 8×10 Randy Travis Warner Bros. 11 One Time, One Night Sweethearts of the Rodeo Columbia 12 Pontiac Lyle Lovett Curb/MCA 6 Rage On Dan Seals Capitol 1 Reba Reba McEntire MCA 11 River of Time Michael Martin Murphey Warner Bros. 9 Shadowland k.d. lang Sire 21 The Statlers Greatest Hits The Statler Brothers Mercury 9 Strong Enough to Bend Tanya Tucker Capitol 25 This Is My Country Lee Greenwood MCA 2 This Woman K. T. Oslin RCA 21 Tired of the Runnin' The O'Kanes Columbia 6 What a Wonderful World Willie Nelson Columbia 1 Wild Streak Hank Williams Jr. Curb/Warner Bros. Other top albums {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! US ! Album ! Artist ! Record label |- | align="center"| 51 | 10 | John Anderson | MCA |- | align="center"| 26 | Across the Rio Grande | Holly Dunn | MTM |- | align="center"| 46 | Alive & Well | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | Columbia |- | align="center"| 29 | All in Love | Marie Osmond | Capitol/Curb |- | align="center"| 29 | As I Am | Anne Murray | Capitol |- | align="center"| 36 | The Best of Eddy Raven | Eddy Raven | RCA |- | align="center"| 60 | Brand New | Gary Stewart | Hightone |- | align="center"| 52 | Chasing Rainbows | Mickey Gilley | Airborne |- | align="center"| 61 | A Christmas Tradition, Vol. II | Various Artists | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 29 | The Coast of Colorado | Skip Ewing | MCA |- | align="center"| 56 | Every Christmas | Gary Morris | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 33 | Exchange of Hearts | David Slater | Capitol |- | align="center"| 36 | Full Circle | Waylon Jennings | MCA |- | align="center"| 36 | The Gift | The McCarters | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 66 | Greatest Hits | Kenny Rogers | RCA |- | align="center"| 27 | Greatest Hits Volume Two | Lee Greenwood | MCA |- | align="center"| 33 | The Heart of It All | Earl Thomas Conley | RCA |- | align="center"| 49 | Higher Ground | John Denver | Windstar |- | align="center"| 37 | Hot Dog! | Buck Owens | Capitol |- | align="center"| 51 | I Guess I Just Missed You | Canyon | 16th Avenue |- | align="center"| 52 | I Never Made a Record I Didn't Like | Ray Stevens | MCA |- | align="center"| 34 | I Wanna Dance With You | Eddie Rabbitt | RCA |- | align="center"| 35 | I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight | Barbara Mandrell | Capitol |- | align="center"| 36 | I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio | Charley Pride | 16th Avenue |- | align="center"| 45 | I'm Still Missing You | Ronnie McDowell | Curb |- | align="center"| 33 | If My Heart Had Windows | Patty Loveless | MCA |- | align="center"| 64 | Just Enough Love | Ray Price | Step One |- | align="center"| 58 | Light Years | Glen Campbell | MCA |- | align="center"| 27 | Little Love Affairs | Nanci Griffith | MCA |- | align="center"| 60 | Live at the Opry | Patsy Cline | MCA |- | align="center"| 62 | Making Believe | Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn | MCA |- | align="center"| 64 | New Faces of Country | Various Artists | K-Tel |- | align="center"| 28 | No Regrets | Moe Bandy | Curb |- | align="center"| 63 | Nobody's Angel | Crystal Gayle | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 51 | ''Now You're Talkin| Mel McDaniel | Capitol |- | align="center"| 43 | One Fair Summer Evening | Nanci Griffith | MCA |- | align="center"| 45 | Rebels Without a Clue | The Bellamy Brothers | Curb/MCA |- | align="center"| 26 | Running | The Desert Rose Band | Curb/MCA |- | align="center"| 64 | Saddle the Wind | Janie Frickie | Columbia |- | align="center"| 30 | Sincerely | The Forester Sisters | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 28 | Still in Your Dreams | Conway Twitty | MCA |- | align="center"| 47 | Stout & High | The Wagoneers | A&M |- | align="center"| 47 | Swingin' Doors, Sawdust Floors | Larry Boone | Mercury |- | align="center"| 39 | View from the House | Kim Carnes | MCA |- | align="center"| 48 | Water from the Wells of Home | Johnny Cash | Mercury |- | align="center"| 34 | Western Standard Time | Asleep at the Wheel | Epic |- | align="center"| 33 | Wide Open | Sawyer Brown | Capitol/Curb |- | align="center"| 63 | Who Was That Stranger | Loretta Lynn | MCA |- | align="center"| 33 | Workin' Band | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 27 | Zuma | Southern Pacific | Warner Bros. |} On television Regular series Dolly (1987–1988, ABC) Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated) Specials Births March 24 – Blanco Brown, country rap/trap performer best known for 2019's "The Git Up." March 30 – Jordan Davis, singer of the 2010s ("Singles You Up") April 29 – Michael Ray, singer-songwriter known for his 2015 debut hit "Kiss You in the Morning". May 24 – Billy Gilman, the youngest artist to ever have a country hit record (2000's "One Voice"). July 20 – Julianne Hough, rising country music star and professional dancer, best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars. August 21 – Kacey Musgraves, rising country music star of the 2010s. November 17 – Reid Perry, member of The Band Perry. Deaths August 24 – Nat Stuckey, 54, singer-songwriter whose biggest hit-making time was the 1960s and 1970s (lung cancer). September 20 – Leon McAuliffe, 71, prominent member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys and a star in his own right. December 6 – Roy Orbison, 52, American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll. Hall of Fame inductees Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Loretta Lynn (1932–2022) Roy Rogers (1911–1998) Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Jack Feeney Major awards Grammy AwardsBest Female Country Vocal Performance – "Hold Me", K. T. OslinBest Male Country Vocal Performance – Old 8×10, Randy TravisBest Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "Give a Little Love". The JuddsBest Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Crying", Roy Orbison and k.d. langBest Country Instrumental Performance – "Sugarfoot Rag", Asleep at the WheelBest Country Song – "Hold Me", K. T. OslinBest Bluegrass Recording – "Southern Flavor", Bill Monroe Juno AwardsCountry Male Vocalist of the Year – Murray McLauchlanCountry Female Vocalist of the Year – k.d. langCountry Group or Duo of the Year – Family Brown Academy of Country MusicEntertainer of the Year – Hank Williams Jr.Song of the Year – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", Charles Nelson and Paul Nelson (Performer: Kathy Mattea)Single of the Year – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses," Kathy MatteaAlbum of the Year – This Woman, K. T. OslinTop Male Vocalist – George StraitTop Female Vocalist – K. T. OslinTop Vocal Duo – The JuddsTop Vocal Group – Highway 101Top New Male Vocalist – Rodney CrowellTop New Female Vocalist – Suzy BoggussVideo of the Year – "Young Country", Hank Williams Jr. (Director: Bill Fishman) ARIA Awards (presented in Sydney on February 29, 1988)Best Country Album – This Town (Flying Emus)ARIA Hall of Fame – Slim Dusty Canadian Country Music AssociationEntertainer of the Year – k.d. langMale Artist of the Year – Ian TysonFemale Artist of the Year – k.d. langGroup of the Year – Family BrownSOCAN Song of the Year – "One Smokey Rose", Tim Taylor (Performer: Anita Perras)Single of the Year – "One Smokey Rose", Anita PerrasAlbum of the Year – Shadowland, k.d. langTop Selling Album – Always & Forever, Randy TravisVista Rising Star Award – Blue RodeoDuo of the Year – Anita Perras and Tim Taylor Country Music AssociationEntertainer of the Year – Hank Williams Jr.Song of the Year – "80's Ladies", K. T. Oslin (Performer: K. T. Oslin)Single of the Year – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", Kathy MatteaAlbum of the Year – Born to Boogie, Hank Williams Jr.Male Vocalist of the Year – Randy TravisFemale Vocalist of the Year – K. T. OslinVocal Duo of the Year – The JuddsVocal Group of the Year – Highway 101Horizon Award – Ricky Van SheltonVocal Event of the Year – Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda RonstadtMusician of the Year''' – Chet Atkins 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 (0-8118-3572-3) Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (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 References External links Country Music Hall of Fame Country Category:Country music by year