1989 in country music.html
 
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See also: 1988 in country music, 1989 in music, other events of 1989, 1990 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Contents

Events

  • May 9 – Rising country star Keith Whitley is found dead at his home, a victim of alcohol poisoning. News of his death sent shockwaves through the industry, given that he had been hailed as a future superstar who helped bring neotraditionalism to the forefront during the 1980s. His widow, Lorrie Morgan, would become a major superstar after his death.

No date

  • 1989 was one of two years during the 1980s which sprouted the most prolific class of newcomers in country music history (1986 being the other), a trend that had not been seen since the mid-1950s (when artists such as Elvis Presley, George Jones and Johnny Cash first rose to fame). Clint Black was at the head of the class early on, given that he had two of the year's most memorable singles – "A Better Man" and "Killin' Time" – and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year (Killin' Time), and was already selling out shows nationwide. However, Garth Brooks proved to be the 1989 newcomer that stood head and shoulders above everyone else, eventually selling millions of albums, taking worldwide tours and creating some of the most influential music of the 1990s and beyond.
Another newcomer, Alan Jackson, had a minor hit with his first release that fall, "Blue Blooded Woman;" future singles – all featuring the neotraditional style, would do considerably better, to say the least. Travis Tritt contributed with his brand of rock-influenced country, while Lorrie Morgan (daughter of Grand Ole Opry legend George Morgan) became a star in her own right following the alcohol-poisoning death of her husband, Keith Whitley.
Other top newcomers of the year were Suzy Bogguss, Lionel Cartwright and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

Date Song Name Artist Wks. No. 1 Spec.
Note
January 7 Hold Me K.T. Oslin 1
January 14 Change of Heart The Judds 1
January 21 She's Crazy For Leavin' Rodney Crowell 1
January 28 Deeper Than the Holler Randy Travis 1
February 4 What I'd Say Earl Thomas Conley 1
February 11 Song of the South Alabama 1
February 18 Big Wheels in the Moonlight Dan Seals 1
February 25 I Sang Dixie Dwight Yoakam 1 B
March 4 I Still Believe in You The Desert Rose Band 1 B
March 11 Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me Ronnie Milsap 1
March 18 From a Jack to a King Ricky Van Shelton 1
March 25 New Fool at an Old Game Reba McEntire 1
April 1 Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye George Strait 1
April 8 I'm No Stranger to the Rain Keith Whitley 2
April 22 The Church on Cumberland Road Shenandoah 2 A
May 6 Young Love (Strong Love) The Judds 1
May 13 Is It Still Over? Randy Travis 1
May 20 If I Had You Alabama 1
May 27 After All This Time Rodney Crowell 1
June 3 Where Did I Go Wrong Steve Wariner 1
June 10 A Better Man Clint Black 1 1, A
June 17 Love out Loud Earl Thomas Conley 1 B
June 24 I Don't Want to Spoil the Party Rosanne Cash 1 B

A remake of a song by The Beatles.
July 1 Come from the Heart Kathy Mattea 1
July 8 Lovin' Only Me Ricky Skaggs 1 B
July 15 In a Letter to You Eddy Raven 1
July 22 What's Going on in Your World George Strait 1
July 29 Cathy's Clown Reba McEntire 1 A remake of the Everly Brothers'
1960 No. 1 pop hit.
August 5 Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That Dolly Parton 1
August 12 Timber, I'm Falling in Love Patty Loveless 1 A
  • This song was the first of several Patty Loveless songs to be written by Kostas.
August 19 Sunday in the South Shenandoah 1
August 26 Are You Ever Gonna Love Me Holly Dunn 1 A
September 2 I'm Still Crazy Vern Gosdin 1 B
September 9 I Wonder Do You Think of Me Keith Whitley 1 The first of two No. 1 hits
Keith scored posthoumously.
September 16 Nothing I Can Do About It Now Willie Nelson 1
September 23 Above and Beyond Rodney Crowell 1 B

A remake of Buck Owens'
1960 country hit.
September 30 Let Me Tell You About Love The Judds 1 B
October 7 I Got Dreams Steve Wariner 1
October 14 Killin' Time Clint Black 1
October 21 Living Proof Ricky Van Shelton 1
October 28 High Cotton Alabama 1
November 4 Ace in the Hole George Strait 1
November 11 Burnin' Old Memories Kathy Mattea 1 B
November 18 Bayou Boys Eddy Raven 1 B
November 25 Yellow Roses Dolly Parton 1
December 2 It's Just a Matter of Time Randy Travis 1 Previously a Number One R&B hit for Brook Benton, a Number One country hit for Sonny James, and a #7 hit for Glen Campbell.
December 9 If Tomorrow Never Comes Garth Brooks 1 A
December 16 Two Dozen Roses Shenandoah 1
December 23 A Woman in Love Ronnie Milsap 1 B
December 30 Who's Lonely Now Highway 101 2 B
  • 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.

Other major hits

Top new album releases

Christmas albums

Other albums

On television

Regular series

Specials

Births

Deaths

  • March 8 – Stuart Hamblen, 80, one of radio's first country music superstars, whose later works reflected his religious convictions.
  • May 9 - Keith Whitley, 33, honky tonk-styled singer who rose to fame in the mid-1980s (alcohol poisoning)

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major Awards

Grammy awards

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

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
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