1979 in country music
{{Multiple issues|
{{no footnotes|date=May 2015}}
{{Refimprove|date=May 2015}}
}}
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1979.
{{YYYY music|1979}}
{{Year nav topic5|1979|country music}}
Events
- March 2 - Queen of Country Music, Loretta Lynn is named ACM Artist of the Decade after the dominant hold Lynn held on the charts during the decade. Lynn is the only female ACM Artist of the Decade.
- March 3 — The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) would telecast an entire Saturday night live from the Grand Ole Opry for the very first time – the show would last until 12:30 am with a half-hour break between the two shows at 9 pm CDT. The show featured many acts including Del Reeves, Barbara Mandrell, Bill Monroe, Hank Snow, Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Don Gibson and many others. The telecast became the most popular one of the year for PBS, and was a part of their March fundraising campaigns.
- December 21 — The Electric Horseman, starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, premieres. Willie Nelson is a supporting character in the film, and he will contribute to the movie's soundtrack.
Top hits of the year
=Number one hits=
==United States==
(as certified by Billboard)
border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" |
style="background:#00AAAA"
!Date !Single Name !Artist !width="40"|Wks. No.1 !width="40"|CAN peak !Spec. Note |
January 6
|align="center"|1 | | |
January 13
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 |{{anchor|ref_A}}[A] |
January 20
|I Really Got the Feeling/Baby I'm Burning |align="center"|1 | | |
January 27
|Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For |align="center"|2 | | |
February 10
|align="center"|3 | | |
March 3
|align="center"|3 |align="center"|2 |{{anchor|ref_B}}[B] |
March 24
|align="center"|3 | |{{anchor|ref_1}}[1] |
April 14
|(If Loving You Is Wrong) |align="center"|1 | |Cover of the Luther Ingram hit. |
April 21
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 |Cover of the Sonny and Cher hit. |
April 28
|align="center"|1 | | |
May 5
|John Conlee |align="center"|1 |align="center"|5 | |
May 12
|align="center"|1 | | |
May 19
|If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body |align="center"|3 |align="center"|24 |{{anchor|ref_A}}[A] |
June 9
|Kenny Rogers |align="center"|2 | | |
June 23
|align="center"|1 | | |
June 30
|align="center"|3 | | |
July 21
|Anne Murray |align="center"|1 | | |
July 28
|Dolly Parton |align="center"|2 | | |
August 11
|Eddie Rabbitt |align="center"|1 | | |
August 18
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|3 | |
August 25
|The Devil Went Down to Georgia |align="center"|1 | |{{anchor|ref_C}}[C] |
September 1
|Willie Nelson |align="center"|1 | |{{anchor|ref_C}}[C] – Leon Russell Cover of the Elvis Presley hit. |
September 8
|Conway Twitty |align="center"|1 | | |
September 15
|Charley Pride |align="center"|1 | | |
September 22
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|8 |{{anchor|ref_A}}[A] – Moe Bandy |
September 29
|Don Williams |align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 | |
October 6
|align="center"|2 |align="center"|7 | |
October 20
|Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers |align="center"|2 |align="center"|2 | |
November 3
|Kenny Rogers |align="center"|2 | | |
November 17
|Waylon Jennings |align="center"|2 | | |
December 1
|Anne Murray |align="center"|1 | | |
December 8
|I Cheated Me Right Out of You |Moe Bandy |align="center"|1 | |{{anchor|ref_B}}[B] |
December 15
|Conway Twitty |align="center"|3 |align="center"|13 | |
{{refbegin}}
;Notes
- 1{{anchor|endnote_1}}^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
- A{{anchor|endnote_A}}^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
- B{{anchor|endnote_B}}^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
- C{{anchor|endnote_C}}^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
{{refend}}
==Canada==
(as certified by RPM)
border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" |
style="background:#00AAAA"
!Date !Single Name !Artist !width="40"|Wks. No.1 !width="40"|U.S. peak !Spec. Note |
January 13
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 | |
January 20
|Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's |align="center"|1 |align="center"|5 | |
January 27
|align="center"|1 | | |
February 3
|Your Love Had Taken Me That High |align="center"|1 |align="center"|3 | |
February 10
|I Really Got the Feeling/Baby I'm Burning |align="center"|1 | | |
February 17
|Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For |align="center"|1 | | |
February 24
|align="center"|3 | | |
March 17
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 | |
March 24
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|— |{{anchor|ref_A}}[A] |
March 31
|align="center"|2 | | |
April 14
|Moe Bandy with |align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 |{{anchor|ref_A}}[A] – Moe Bandy |
April 21
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|4 | |
April 28
|(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right |align="center"|1 | | |
May 5
|Charley Pride |align="center"|2 | | |
May 19
|Conway Twitty |align="center"|1 | | |
May 26
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|— | |
June 2
|align="center"|4 |align="center"|2 | |
June 30
|Ronnie Milsap |align="center"|1 | | |
July 7
|align="center"|1 | | |
July 14
|Waylon Jennings |align="center"|1 | | |
July 21
|Dolly Parton |align="center"|4 | |{{anchor|ref_1}}[1], {{anchor|ref_2}}[2]
|
August 4
|Anne Murray |align="center"|1 | | |
August 11
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 | |
September 1
|Eddie Rabbitt |align="center"|1 | | |
September 8
|The Devil Went Down to Georgia |align="center"|2 | |{{anchor|ref_C}}[C] |
September 22
|Kenny Rogers and |align="center"|1 |align="center"|3 |{{anchor|ref_B}}[B] – Dottie West |
September 29
|Willie Nelson and |align="center"|1 | |{{anchor|ref_C}}[C] – Leon Russell |
October 6
|Charley Pride |align="center"|1 | | |
October 13
|Conway Twitty |align="center"|1 | | |
October 20
|align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 |{{anchor|ref_A}}[A] |
October 27
|Stolen Moments |R. Harlan Smith and |align="center"|1 |align="center"|— |{{anchor|ref_B}}[B] – R. Harlan Smith |
November 3
|The Oak Ridge Boys |align="center"|1 |align="center"|7 | |
November 10
|Kenny Rogers |align="center"|2 | | |
November 24
|Anne Murray |align="center"|1 | | |
December 1
|Waylon Jennings |align="center"|1 | | |
December 8
|Crystal Gayle |align="center"|1 |align="center"|2 | |
December 15
|I Cheated Me Right Out of You |Moe Bandy |align="center"|1 | | |
December 22
|align="center"|2 |align="center"|2 | |
{{refbegin}}
;Notes
- 1{{anchor|endnote_1}}^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by RPM.
- 2{{anchor|endnote_2}}^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
- A{{anchor|endnote_A}}^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
- B{{anchor|endnote_B}}^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
- C{{anchor|endnote_C}}^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
{{refend}}
=Other major hits=
==Singles released by American artists==
class="wikitable sortable"
!width="50"|US !width="50"|CAN !width="250"|Single !width="150"|Artist |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|16 |Alibis |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|32 |All-Around Cowboy |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|4 |
align="center"|12
|align="center"|14 |As Long as I Can Wake Up in Your Arms |
align="center"|9
|align="center"|21 |Barstool Mountain |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|16 |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|7 |
align="center"|25
|align="center"|17 |Buenos Dias Argentina |Marty Robbins |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|3 |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|10 |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|— |Crazy Blue Eyes |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|25 |Daddy |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|36 |Darlin' |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|— |Della and the Dealer |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|3 |Do You Ever Fool Around |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|— |Jim Reeves with Deborah Allen |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|13 |Down on the Rio Grande |Johnny Rodriguez |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|60 |Down to Earth Woman |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|7 |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|11 |Fall in Love with Me Tonight |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|16 |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|9 |
align="center"|19
|align="center"|22 |Feet |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|5 |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|14 |Fools |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|44 |Fools for Each Other |Johnny Rodriguez |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|21 |Gimme Back My Blues |
align="center"|8
|align="center"|6 |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|28 |Here We Are Again |
align="center"|25
|align="center"|11 |Hound Dog Man |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|18 |The Statler Brothers |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|18 |I Ain't Got No Business Doin' Business Today |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|2 |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|33 |I Don't Do Like That No More |
align="center"|12
|align="center"|21 |I Don't Lie |Joe Stampley |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|4 |I Had a Lovely Time |The Kendalls |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|65 |I Hate the Way I Love It |Johnny Rodriguez and Charly McClain |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|4 |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|12 |I Know a Heartache When I See One |
align="center"|26
|align="center"|10 |I Lost My Head |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|40 |
align="center"|21
|align="center"|9 |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|55 |I'd Rather Go on Hurtin' |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|7 |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|2 |I'll Wake You Up When I Get Home |Charlie Rich |
align="center"|13
|align="center"|8 |I'm Gonna Love You |Glen Campbell |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|6 |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|16 |I've Been Waiting for You All of My Life |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|5 |I've Done Enough Dying Today |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|2 |I've Got a Picture of Us on My Mind |Loretta Lynn |
align="center"|13
|align="center"|12 |If Everyone Had Someone Like You |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|8 |If I Could Write a Song (As Beautiful as You) |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|— |If I Fell in Love with You |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|45 |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|33 |If Love Had a Face |Razzy Bailey |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|9 |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|7 |Lynn Anderson |
align="center"|12
|align="center"|13 |It's Time We Talk Things Over |Rex Allen, Jr. and The Byrds |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|4 |Just Like Real People |The Kendalls |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|10 |Just Long Enough to Say Goodbye |
align="center"|9
|align="center"|21 |The Lady in the Blue Mercedes |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|2 |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|17 |Liberated Woman |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|25 |Lovin' On |
align="center"|2
|align="center"|3 |Lying in Love with You |Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|4 |
align="center"|9
|align="center"|— |Me and My Broken Heart |Rex Allen, Jr. |
align="center"|19
|align="center"|3 |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|65 |Mr. Jones |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|20 |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|4 |
align="center"|8
|align="center"|62 |My Silver Lining |Mickey Gilley |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|7 |My World Begins and Ends with You |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|13 |Next Best Feeling |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|10 |Nickels and Dimes |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|38 |Rosanne Cash with Bobby Bare |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|5 |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|33 |The Statler Brothers |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|7 |The Official Historian on Shirley Jean Berrell |The Statler Brothers |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|— |The One Thing My Lady Never Puts Into Words |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|20 |Kenny Dale |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|2 |Gene Watson |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|44 |Play Together Again, Again |Buck Owens with Emmylou Harris |
align="center"|9
|align="center"|9 |Put Your Clothes Back On |Joe Stampley |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|2 |Merle Haggard |
align="center"|13
|align="center"|— |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|34 |Robinhood |Billy "Crash" Craddock |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|34 |Rockin' My Life Away |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|— |A Rusty Old Halo |Hoyt Axton |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|— |Sail On |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|20 |Emmylou Harris |
align="center"|26
|align="center"|18 |Save the Last Dance for Me |Jerry Lee Lewis |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|— |Say You Love Me |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|17 |Second-Hand Satin Lady (And a Bargain Basement Boy) |Jerry Reed |
align="center"|2
|align="center"|4 |Mel Tillis |
align="center"|15
|align="center"|5 |Willie Nelson |
align="center"|15
|align="center"|38 |Sharing |Kenny Dale |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|6 |Should I Come Home (Or Should I Go Crazy) |Gene Watson |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|26 |Cristy Lane |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|42 |Con Hunley |
align="center"|17
|align="center"|22 |Cristy Lane |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|8 |Johnny Duncan |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|5 |Somebody Special |Donna Fargo |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|— |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|18 |Son of Clayton Delaney |
align="center"|13
|align="center"|26 |The Song We Made Love To |Mickey Gilley |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|7 |Charlie Rich |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|— |Dave & Sugar |
align="center"|26
|align="center"|13 |Steady as the Rain |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|17 |Margo Smith |
align="center"|19
|align="center"|46 |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|14 |Sweet Melinda |Randy Barlow |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|6 |
align="center"|8
|align="center"|18 |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|3 |Tanya Tucker |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|44 |That's the Only Way to Say Good Morning |Ray Price |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|21 |There Is a Miracle in You |Tom T. Hall |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|3 |There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In) |Elvis Presley |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|6 |Tammy Wynette |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|15 |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|5 |Tonight She's Gonna Love Me (Like There Was No Tomorrow) |Razzy Bailey |
align="center"|13
|align="center"|12 |Too Far Gone |Emmylou Harris |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|59 |Touch Me (I'll Be Your Fool Once More) |Big Al Downing |
align="center"|15
|align="center"|18 |Touch Me with Magic |Marty Robbins |
align="center"|12
|align="center"|18 |Tryin' to Satisfy You |
align="center"|6
|align="center"|51 |Two Steps Forward and Three Steps Back |
align="center"|22
|align="center"|13 |Walking Piece of Heaven |
align="center"|31
|align="center"|18 |Ernest Tubb and Merle Haggard |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|— |What a Lie |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|31 |When a Love Ain't Right |Charly McClain |
align="center"|3
|align="center"|3 |
align="center"|12
|align="center"|3 |Willie Nelson |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|24 |Who Will the Next Fool Be |Jerry Lee Lewis |
align="center"|8
|align="center"|— |Wisdom of a Fool |
align="center"|8
|align="center"|7 |Susie Allanson |
align="center"|18
|align="center"|35 |World's Most Perfect Woman |
align="center"|5
|align="center"|11 |You Ain't Just Whistlin' Dixie |The Bellamy Brothers |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|26 |You Can Have Her |George Jones and Johnny Paycheck |
align="center"|10
|align="center"|8 |Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |
align="center"|4
|align="center"|20 |T. G. Sheppard |
align="center"|12
|align="center"|28 |
align="center"|11
|align="center"|26 |You Show Me Your Heart (And I'll Show You Mine) |Tom T. Hall |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|24 |John Wesley Ryles |
align="center"|20
|align="center"|66 |You're a Part of Me |Charly McClain |
align="center"|14
|align="center"|— |You're My Kind of Woman |Jacky Ward |
align="center"|16
|align="center"|27 |You've Got Somebody, I've Got Somebody |
align="center"|7
|align="center"|14 |Crystal Gayle |
==Singles released by Canadian artists==
class="wikitable sortable"
!width="50"|US !width="50"|CAN !Single !Artist |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|6 |The Ballad of the Duke |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|13 |Bingo and Another World |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|5 |Build My Life Around You |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|9 |Easy |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|20 |Easy Does It |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|10 |Every Woman |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|18 |Everyone's Laughin' but Me |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|9 |Four States to Go |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|17 |Half of What You've Been to Me |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|13 |Hell Bent for Mexico |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|12 |High on You |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|7 |I Picked a Daisy |Dallas Harms |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|16 |Kelly Green |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|16 |Love Catch Fire |Ian Kemp |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|8 |Love Is Such an Easy Word to Say |Eddie Eastman |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|3 |Love When It Leaves Here |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|6 |Loving You |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|8 |Mes Amis O Canada |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|15 |Mighty Big to Me |Alex Fraser |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|6 |Rachel I'm Just Not That Strong |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|7 |Silver and Shine |Dick Damron |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|19 |Some Kind of Woman |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|10 |Sorry and the Hobo |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|4 |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|9 |Stranger |Mercey Brothers |
align="center"|33
|align="center"|19 |Takes a Fool to Love a Fool |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|15 |Time to Go |
align="center"|—
|align="center"|9 |Willie Boy |
align="center"|100
|align="center"|6 |You Can't Make Love to a Memory |
Top new album releases
class="wikitable sortable"
!width="225"|Single !width="225"|Artist !width="110"|Record Label |
3/4 Lonely
|Warner Bros./Curb |
All Around Cowboy
|Columbia |
Alone Too Long
|Epic |
Are You Sincere
|MCA |
Blue Kentucky Girl
|Reprise |
Classics
|Kenny Rogers and Dottie West |United Artists |
Cross Winds
|MCA |
The Electric Horseman
|Columbia/CBS |
Encore!
|IBC |
From the Heart
|Columbia |
Great Balls of Fire
|RCA |
I Don't Lie
|Epic |
Images
|RCA |
It's a Cheating Situation
|Columbia |
Jim Ed and Helen
|Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |RCA Victor |
Just for the Record
|MCA |
Just Good Ol' Boys
|Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley |Columbia/CBS |
Kenny
|United Artists |
Ladies Choice
|MCA |
Loveline
|Elektra |
New Kind of Feeling
|Capitol |
Million Mile Reflections
|Epic |
Miss the Mississippi...and You
|United Artists |
Mr. Entertainer
|Mel Tillis |MCA |
The Oak Ridge Boys Have Arrived
|MCA |
One for the Road
|Willie Nelson and Leon Russell |Columbia/CBS |
The Originals
|Mercury/Polygram |
Out of a Dream
|Mercury/Polygram |
Outlaw is Just a State of Mind
|Columbia |
The Performer
|Columbia |
Portraits
|MCA |
Rides Again Vol. 2
|Statler Brothers |Mercury/Polygram |
See You When the Sun Goes Down
|Columbia |
Simple Little Words
|Cristy Lane |United Artists |
Sings Kris Kristofferson
|Willie Nelson |Columbia/CBS |
Songs We Made Love To
|Playboy |
Stay with Me/Golden Tears
|RCA Victor |
Straight Ahead
|Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers |Columbia |
Straight From Texas
|Columbia |
Take Heart
|Capitol |
The Two and Only
|Warner Bros./Curb |
We Should Be Together
|Crystal Gayle |United Artists |
What Goes Around Comes Around
|RCA |
Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound
|Warner Bros. |
A Woman
|Warner Bros. |
You Don't Bring Me Flowers
|Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |RCA Victor |
You're My Jamaica
|RCA |
=Christmas albums=
class="wikitable non-sortable"
!width="150"|Single !width="101"|Artist !width="90"|Record Label |
Light of the Stable
|Reprise |
Pretty Paper
|CBS |
Births
- February 1 — Julie Roberts, country music singer-songwriter.
- April 24 — Rebecca Lynn Howard, pop-styled singer-songwriter of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- May 18 – David Nail, singer of the 2010s best known for "Let It Rain."
- June 10 — Lee Brice, singer-songwriter of the 2010 best for his hits "Love Like Crazy" and the number-one single "A Woman Like You" as well as his 2012 second studio album Hard 2 Love.
- July 24 – Jerrod Niemann, songwriter who wrote Garth Brooks' hit "Good Ride Cowboy" before achieving his own success with hits like "Lover, Lover."
Deaths
- January 8 — Sara Carter, 80, lead singer and member of the pioneering Carter Family.
- February 21 — Carl T. Sprague, 83, "The Original Singing Cowboy," active mainly in the 1920s.
- May 11 — Lester Flatt, 64, early bluegrass pioneer who, with Earl Scruggs, formed the Foggy Mountain Boys. (heart failure)
- November 29 — Jimmie Tarlton, 87, one half of Darby and Tarlton, an early country music duo.
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
- Hubert Long (1923–1972)
- Hank Snow (1914–1999)
Major awards
=Grammy Awards=
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance — Blue Kentucky Girl, Emmylou Harris
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "The Gambler", Kenny Rogers
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", Charlie Daniels Band
- Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Big Sandy/Leather Britches", Doc Watson and Merle Watson
- Best Country Song — "You Decorated My Life", Debbie Hupp and Bob Morrison (Performer: Kenny Rogers)
=Juno Awards=
- Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Ronnie Prophet
- Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Carroll Baker
- Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers
=Academy of Country Music=
- Entertainer of the Year — Willie Nelson
- Song of the Year — "It's a Cheating Situation", Sonny Throckmorton and Curly Putman (Performer: Moe Bandy)
- Single of the Year — "All the Gold in California", Larry Gatlin
- Album of the Year — Straight Ahead, Larry Gatlin
- Top Male Vocalist — Larry Gatlin
- Top Female Vocalist — Crystal Gayle
- Top Vocal Duo — Joe Stampley and Moe Bandy
- Top New Male Vocalist — R. C. Bannon
- Top New Female Vocalist — Lacy J. Dalton
=Country Music Association=
- Entertainer of the Year — Willie Nelson
- Song of the Year — "The Gambler", Don Schlitz (Performer: Kenny Rogers)
- Single of the Year — "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", Charlie Daniels Band
- Album of the Year — The Gambler, Kenny Rogers
- Male Vocalist of the Year — Kenny Rogers
- Female Vocalist of the Year — Barbara Mandrell
- Vocal Duo of the Year — Kenny Rogers and Dottie West
- Vocal Group of the Year — The Statler Brothers
- Instrumentalist of the Year — Charlie Daniels
- Instrumental Group of the Year — Charlie Daniels Band
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
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20051201094226/http://www.cmaawards.com/2004/hof/default.asp Country Music Hall of Fame]
{{List of years in country music}}