1989 in country music explained

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1989.

Events

No dates

Other top newcomers of the year were Suzy Bogguss, and Lionel Cartwright.

Top hits of the year

See also: List of number-one country singles of 1989 (U.S.) and List of number-one country hits of 1989 (Canada).

Singles released by American artists

USCANSingleArtist
1814Merle Haggard
11Above and BeyondRodney Crowell
11Ace in the HoleGeorge Strait
11After All This TimeRodney Crowell
510All the FunPaul Overstreet
52All the Reasons WhyHighway 101
432An American FamilyThe Oak Ridge Boys
1429And So It GoesJohn Denver/The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
45Any Way the Wind BlowsSouthern Pacific
16Are You Ever Gonna Love MeHolly Dunn
11Baby's Gotten Good at GoodbyeGeorge Strait
2024Back in the FireGene Watson
11Bayou BoysEddy Raven
410A Better Love Next TimeMerle Haggard
11A Better ManClint Black
710Beyond Those YearsThe Oak Ridge Boys
35Big Dreams in a Small TownRestless Heart
58Big LoveThe Bellamy Brothers
11Big Wheels in the MoonlightDan Seals
47Blue Side of TownPatty Loveless
1321BorderlineThe Shooters
1542Breaking New GroundWild Rose
1010Bridges and WallsThe Oak Ridge Boys
35Burnin' a Hole in My HeartSkip Ewing
14Burnin' Old MemoriesKathy Mattea
45Call on MeTanya Tucker
11Cathy's ClownReba McEntire
11Change of HeartThe Judds
11The Church on Cumberland RoadShenandoah
1524The Coast of ColoradoSkip Ewing
75Come as You WereT. Graham Brown
11Come from the HeartKathy Mattea
922Country ClubTravis Tritt
1417Cross My Broken HeartSuzy Bogguss
912Dear MeLorrie Morgan
11Deeper Than the HollerRandy Travis
55Don't Toss Us AwayPatty Loveless
56Don't Waste It on the BluesGene Watson
915Don't YouThe Forester Sisters
12Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)Ronnie Milsap
67Down That Road TonightNitty Gritty Dirt Band
1414Early in the Morning and Late at NightHank Williams Jr.
55Fair ShakeFoster & Lloyd
65Finders Are KeepersHank Williams Jr.
11From a Jack to a KingRicky Van Shelton
32From the Word GoMichael Martin Murphey
37Give Me His Last ChanceLionel Cartwright
1011The Gospel According to LukeSkip Ewing
1325The HeartLacy J. Dalton
83Heartbreak HillEmmylou Harris
1616Heaven Only KnowsEmmylou Harris
1111Hello TroubleThe Desert Rose Band
21Hey BobbyK. T. Oslin
11High CottonAlabama
21Highway RobberyTanya Tucker
11Hold MeK. T. Oslin
64Hold On (A Little Longer)Steve Wariner
41Hole in My PocketRicky Van Shelton
53Honey I Dare YouSouthern Pacific
65Honky Tonk HeartHighway 101
1928House on Old Lonesome RoadConway Twitty
412Houston SolutionRonnie Milsap
1944How DoMary Chapin Carpenter
11I Don't Want to Spoil the PartyRosanne Cash
912I Feel FineSweethearts of the Rodeo
13I Got DreamsSteve Wariner
55I Got YouDwight Yoakam
1637I Just Called to Say Goodbye AgainLarry Boone
2112I Know What I've GotJ.C. Crowley
11I Sang DixieDwight Yoakam
11I Still Believe in YouThe Desert Rose Band
44I Wish I Was Still in Your DreamsConway Twitty
11I Wonder Do You Think of MeKeith Whitley
1619I'll Be Lovin' YouLee Greenwood
55(I'm A) One Woman ManGeorge Jones
11I'm No Stranger to the RainKeith Whitley
11I'm Still CrazyVern Gosdin
411I've Been Loved by the BestDon Williams
1721If I Ever Go CrazyThe Shooters
11If I Had YouAlabama
12If Tomorrow Never ComesGarth Brooks
11In a Letter to YouEddy Raven
11Is It Still Over?Randy Travis
1113(It's Always Gonna Be) SomedayHolly Dunn
11It's Just a Matter of TimeRandy Travis
11Killin' TimeClint Black
53Let It Be YouRicky Skaggs
11Let Me Tell You About LoveThe Judds
1224Let's Get Started If We're Gonna Break My HeartThe Statler Brothers
49Life as We Knew ItKathy Mattea
1421Like Father Like SonLionel Cartwright
11Living ProofRicky Van Shelton
65The Lonely Side of LovePatty Loveless
53Long ShotBaillie & the Boys
43Love Has No RightBilly Joe Royal
12Love Out LoudEarl Thomas Conley
720Love WillThe Forester Sisters
11Lovin' Only MeRicky Skaggs
613More Than a Name on a WallThe Statler Brothers
89Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)Garth Brooks
1915My Train of Thought
921Never Givin' Up on LoveMichael Martin Murphey
86Never Had It So GoodMary Chapin Carpenter
11New Fool at an Old GameReba McEntire
11Nothing I Can Do About It NowWillie Nelson
52Old Coyote TownDon Williams
43One Good WellDon Williams
23Out of Your ShoesLorrie Morgan
138Paint the Town and Hang the Moon TonightJ. C. Crowley
3011Planet TexasKenny Rogers
1712PromisesRandy Travis
53The Race Is OnSawyer Brown
41Say What's in Your HeartRestless Heart
74Setting Me UpHighway 101
85She Deserves YouBaillie & the Boys
34She Don't Love NobodyThe Desert Rose Band
2310She Reminded Me of YouMickey Gilley
11She's Crazy for Leavin'Rodney Crowell
624She's Gone, Gone, GoneGlen Campbell
24She's Got a Single Thing in MindConway Twitty
19She's ThereDaniele Alexander
811SincerelyThe Forester Sisters
11Song of the SouthAlabama
941Sowin' LovePaul Overstreet
11Sunday in the SouthShenandoah
22Tell It Like It IsBilly Joe Royal
48There Goes My Heart AgainHolly Dunn
79There's a Tear in My BeerHank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams
54They Rage OnDan Seals
52This WomanK. T. Oslin
45'Til Love Comes AgainReba McEntire
47'Til You CryEddy Raven
11Timber, I'm Falling in LovePatty Loveless
2034Trainwreck of EmotionLorrie Morgan
11Two Dozen RosesShenandoah
95Up and GoneJennifer McCarter & The McCarters
826The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You)Kenny Rogers
11What I'd SayEarl Thomas Conley
12What's Going On in Your WorldGeorge Strait
11Where Did I Go WrongSteve Wariner
21Who You Gonna Blame It on This TimeVern Gosdin
11Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like ThatDolly Parton
1936Wine Me UpLarry Boone
44(Wish I Had A) Heart of StoneBaillie & the Boys
11A Woman in LoveRonnie Milsap
11Yellow RosesDolly Parton
19You Ain't Down HomeJann Browne
611You Ain't Goin' NowhereChris Hillman & Roger McGuinn
73You Got ItRoy Orbison
1415You Still DoT. G. Sheppard
1014You'll Never Be SorryThe Bellamy Brothers
11Young Love (Strong Love)The Judds

Singles released by Canadian artists

USCANSingleArtist
10As Long as We Both Shall LoveCarroll Baker
8Blue Jeans BoyJ. K. Gulley
15C-Luv RadioMike Terry
7Cowboy in Your HeartGary Fjellgaard
12The Cowboy Thing To DoBootleg
7Do Right by MeMichelle Wright
10Donna LeeGreg Paul
20Don't You Cry For MeThe Ellis Family Band
19Fiddle Texas StyleCindi Cain
221Full Moon Full of Lovek.d. lang
9GoldmineGeorge Fox
20How LongBlue Rodeo
9I Didn't Know YouAudie Henry
10I Think That I'll Be Needing YouCindi Cain
7I Wish I Were Only LonelyMichelle Wright
289If I Ever Fall in Love AgainAnne Murray with Kenny Rogers
13In My DreamsLaura Vinson
17Just a Place Where Mem'ries LiveCindi Cain
8Let's Build A Life TogetherFamily Brown
16Long DistanceGeorge Fox
12Love With a Capital "L"Murray McLauchlan
19The Lucky OnesWillie P. Bennett
10The Moon Is Out to Get MeGary Fjellgaard with Linda Kidder
16Old Broken HeartGreg Paul
7Rock Me GentlyMichelle Wright
10Someday I'm Gonna Ride in a CadillacMatt Minglewood
9The Tip of My FingersAnita Perras
15Train of LifeGreat Western Orchestra

Top new album releases

See also: List of number-one country albums of 1989 (U.S.).

USAlbumArtistRecord Label
12Absolute Torch and Twangk.d. lang and the ReclinesSire
11AloneVern GosdinColumbia
24American DreamsThe Oak Ridge BoysMCA
1Beyond the Blue NeonGeorge StraitMCA
15BluebirdEmmylou HarrisWarner Bros.
2Garth BrooksGarth BrooksCapitol
20Greatest HitsTanya TuckerCapitol
22Greatest Hits 3The Oak Ridge BoysMCA
1Greatest Hits IIIHank Williams, Jr.Curb/Warner Bros.
19Hillbilly RockMarty StuartMCA
8Hits 1979–1989Rosanne CashColumbia
2A Horse Called MusicWillie NelsonColumbia
2I Wonder Do You Think of MeKeith WhitleyRCA
3Just Lookin' for a HitDwight YoakamReprise
18Kentucky ThunderRicky SkaggsEpic
15Keys to the HighwayRodney CrowellColumbia
1Killin' TimeClint BlackRCA
6Leave the Light OnLorrie MorganRCA
10Lyle Lovett and His Large BandLyle LovettCurb/MCA
17Mystery GirlRoy OrbisonVirgin
1No Holdin' BackRandy TravisWarner Bros.
13An Old Time ChristmasRandy TravisWarner Bros.
13One Woman ManGeorge JonesEpic
22Paint the TownHighway 101Warner Bros.
2Pickin' on NashvilleThe Kentucky HeadhuntersMercury
2Reba LiveReba McEntireMCA
2River of TimeThe JuddsCurb/RCA
6The Road Not TakenShenandoahColumbia
2Simple ManThe Charlie Daniels BandEpic
10Something Inside So StrongKenny RogersReprise
1Southern StarAlabamaRCA
13Sowin' LovePaul OverstreetRCA
20Stranger Things Have HappenedRonnie MilsapRCA
1Sweet SixteenReba McEntireMCA
15Tell It Like It IsBilly Joe RoyalAtlantic
2When I Call Your NameVince GillMCA
3White LimozeenDolly PartonColumbia
5Nitty Gritty Dirt BandMCA
6Willow in the WindKathy MatteaMercury

Other top albums

USAlbumArtistRecord Label
285:01 BluesMerle HaggardEpic
7020 Gold HitsPatsy ClineMCA
42Back in the FireGene WatsonWarner Bros.
51Beside MyselfRay StevensMCA
30The Blue Rose of TexasHolly DunnWarner Bros.
29The Boys Are BackSawyer BrownCurb
45Christmas in AmericaKenny RogersReprise
56Coming HomeWayne NewtonCurb
60Fellow TravelersJohn Conlee16th Avenue
59First MoveDaniele AlexanderMercury
44Faster & LlouderFoster & LloydRCA
52Greatest HitsThe Forester SistersWarner Bros.
32Greatest Hits Volume IIAnne MurrayCapitol
50Greatest Hits Volume IIIThe Bellamy BrothersCurb/MCA
39House on Old Lonesome RoadConway TwittyMCA
55I Am Just a RebelBilly HillReprise
32I Got DreamsSteve WarinerMCA
66If Only For One NightLee GreenwoodMCA
64Labor of LoveJanie FrickieColumbia
33Land of EnchantmentMichael Martin MurpheyWarner Bros.
44Lionel CartwrightLionel CartwrightMCA
48Many MansionsMoe BandyCurb
51Moody WomanCharley Pride16th Avenue
38More Great DirtNitty Gritty Dirt BandWarner Bros.
48New Classic WaylonWaylon JenningsMCA
71Next of Kin (Soundtrack)Various ArtistsColumbia
42Next to YouTammy WynetteEpic
54One Good WellDon WilliamsRCA
45Pink Cadillac (Soundtrack)Various ArtistsWarner Bros.
49Pure N SimpleLarry Gatlin and the Gatlin BrothersCurb/Universal
61Radio RomanceCanyon16th Avenue
32Ricky Van Shelton Sings ChristmasRicky Van SheltonColumbia
65The Rodney Crowell CollectionRodney CrowellWarner Bros.
40Solid as a RockThe ShootersEpic
41Somewhere BetweenSuzy BoggussCapitol
28State of the HeartMary Chapin CarpenterColumbia
40Statler Brothers Live – Sold OutThe Statler BrothersMercury
68Steppin' StoneMarie OsmondCapitol/Curb
40StonesGary MorrisCapitol/MCA
42StormsNanci GriffithMCA
61SunriseShelby LynneEpic
31SurvivorLacy J. DaltonCapitol/MCA
31Temporary SanityEddy RavenCapitol
30Turn the TideBaillie & the BoysRCA
44The Will to LoveSkip EwingMCA

On television

Regular series

Specials

Births

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

ARIA Awards

(presented in Sydney on March 6, 1989)

Canadian Country Music Association

Country Music Association

Further reading

Other links

External links