This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2016.
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay or Canada Country charts in 2016:
See also: List of Billboard number-one country songs of 2016 and List of number-one country singles of 2016 (Canada).
| width=45 | Songs | width=45 | Airplay | width=45 | Canada | width=auto | Single | width=auto | Artist | width=auto | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 1 | "Autograph" | Dallas Smith | [14] | ||||||
| — | — | 10 | "Be You" | High Valley | [15] | ||||||
| — | — | 18 | "Beer Weather" | Cold Creek County | [16] | ||||||
| — | — | 17 | "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" | Meghan Patrick | [17] | ||||||
| — | — | 6 | "Bush Party" | Dean Brody | [18] | ||||||
| — | 44 | 14 | "By the Way" | Lindsay Ell | [19] | ||||||
| — | — | 3 | "Come on Down" | High Valley | |||||||
| — | — | 8 | "Cool with That" | Brett Kissel | [20] | ||||||
| — | — | 8 | "Daughters of the Sun" | George Canyon | [21] | ||||||
| — | — | 6 | "Dirt Road in 'Em" | Aaron Pritchett | [22] | ||||||
| — | — | 9 | "Down by the River" | Bobby Wills | [23] | ||||||
| — | — | 15 | "Elevator" | Jess Moskaluke | [24] | ||||||
| — | — | 8 | "Every Week's Got a Friday" | High Valley | |||||||
| — | — | 16 | "Found" | Dan Davidson | [25] | ||||||
| — | — | 12 | "Good Kinda Love" | Jojo Mason | [26] | ||||||
| — | — | 7 | "Heard You in a Song" | Gord Bamford | [27] | ||||||
| — | — | 8 | "Hearts on Fire" | Chad Brownlee | [28] | ||||||
| — | — | 16 | "I Didn't Fall in Love with Your Hair" | Brett Kissel featuring Carolyn Dawn Johnson | |||||||
| — | — | 8 | "I Got This" | George Canyon | |||||||
| — | — | 8 | "I Hate You for It" | Chad Brownlee | |||||||
| — | — | 19 | "Jealous of the Sun" | Tebey | [29] | ||||||
| — | — | 6 | "Kids with Cars" | Dallas Smith | |||||||
| — | — | 3 | "Lawn Chair Lazy" | James Barker Band | [30] | ||||||
| — | — | 4 | "Love Would Be Enough" | Dean Brody | |||||||
| — | — | 10 | "Maybe It's the Moonshine" | The Washboard Union | [31] | ||||||
| — | — | 19 | "Mixtape" | Autumn Hill | [32] | ||||||
| — | — | 7 | "Monterey" | Dean Brody | |||||||
| — | — | 5 | "One Little Kiss" | Dallas Smith | |||||||
| — | — | 6 | "Pick Me Up" | Brett Kissel | |||||||
| — | — | 9 | "Red Dress" | Jojo Mason | |||||||
| — | — | 5 | "Shot of Glory" | The Washboard Union | |||||||
| — | — | 11 | "Spotlight" | Jason Blaine | [33] | ||||||
| — | — | 7 | "Stompin' Ground" | Tim Hicks | [34] | ||||||
| — | — | 7 | "Take Me Home" | Jess Moskaluke | |||||||
| — | — | 13 | "War Paint" | Madeline Merlo | [35] | ||||||
| — | — | 10 | "Whatcha Wanna Do About It" | Madeline Merlo | |||||||
| — | — | 9 | "Won't You Be Mine" | Bobby Wills |
The following albums placed on the Top Country Albums charts in 2016:
See also: List of number-one country albums of 2016 (U.S.).
See also: List of UK Country Albums Chart number ones of 2016.
| width=45 | US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Release Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | The Album Collection | Joey + Rory | Vanguard/Sugar Hill | April 1 | ||
| 3 | All Night Party | Casey Donahew | Almost Country | August 19 | ||
| 1 | American Love | Jake Owen | RCA Nashville | July 29 | ||
| 10 | Behind This Guitar | Mo Pitney | Curb | October 7 | ||
| 8 | Big Day in a Small Town | Brandy Clark | Warner Bros. Nashville | June 10 | ||
| 1 | Black | Dierks Bentley | Capitol Nashville | May 27 | ||
| 7 | Boots on the Ground | Frank Foster | Lone Chief | January 15 | ||
| 5 | Bury Me in Boots | The Cadillac Three | Big Machine | August 5 | ||
| 1 | California Sunrise | Jon Pardi | Capitol Nashville | June 17 | ||
| 9 | Call Me Old-Fashioned | Bradley Walker | Gaither Music Group | September 23 | ||
| 3 | Chapter 1 (EP) | Kane Brown | RCA Nashville | March 18 | ||
| 1 | Christmas Together | Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood | Pearl/Gwendolyn | November 11 | ||
| 3 | Christmas Together / Gunslinger | Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood | Pearl/Gwendolyn | November 18 | ||
| 5 | CMA Awards 50 Zinepak | Various Artists | CMA/Zinepak | October 21 | ||
| 1 | Cosmic Hallelujah | Kenny Chesney | Blue Chair/Columbia | October 28 | ||
| 4 | The Critics Give It 5 Stars | Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots | Black River | March 18 | ||
| 4 | Detour | Cyndi Lauper | Sire | May 6 | ||
| 1 | Dig Your Roots | Florida Georgia Line | BMLG | August 26 | ||
| 5 | Down Home Sessions III (EP) | Cole Swindell | Warner Bros. Nashville | October 28 | ||
| 4 | Down to My Last Bad Habit | Vince Gill | MCA Nashville | February 12 | ||
| 2 | The Driver | Charles Kelley | Capitol Nashville | February 5 | ||
| 5 | Dylan Scott | Dylan Scott | Curb | August 12 | ||
| 9 | El Río | Frankie Ballard | Warner Bros. Nashville | June 10 | ||
| 6 | Elvis: Way Down in the Jungle Room | Elvis Presley | RCA Legacy | August 5 | ||
| 1 | Farm Tour... Here's to the Farmer (EP) | Luke Bryan | Capitol Nashville | September 23 | ||
| 3 | Fighter | David Nail | MCA Nashville | July 15 | ||
| 3 | Fired Up | Randy Houser | Stoney Creek | March 11 | ||
| 2 | For Better, or Worse | John Prine | Oh Boy | September 30 | ||
| 5 | Willie Nelson | Legacy | September 16 | |||
| 4 | Full Circle | Loretta Lynn | Legacy | March 4 | ||
| 9 | Girl Problems | Chris Lane | Big Loud | August 5 | ||
| 2 | Glow | Brett Eldredge | Atlantic Nashville | October 28 | ||
| 2 | Gotta Be Me | Cody Johnson | CoJo | August 5 | ||
| 7 | The Greatest Gift of All | Rascal Flatts | Big Machine | October 21 | ||
| 4 | Gunslinger | Garth Brooks | Pearl | November 25 | ||
| 2 | Full Of (Even More) Cheer | Home Free | Columbia | November 11 | ||
| 1 | Hero | Maren Morris | Columbia Nashville | June 3 | ||
| 1 | Hymns That Are Important to Us | Joey + Rory | Gaither Music Group | February 14 | ||
| 1 | If I'm Honest | Blake Shelton | Warner Bros. Nashville | May 20 | ||
| 4 | I'm Not the Devil | Cody Jinks | Thirty Tigers | August 12 | ||
| 4 | It Must Be Christmas | Chris Young | RCA Nashville | October 14 | ||
| 2 | It's About Time | Hank Williams, Jr. | Nash Icon | January 15 | ||
| 1 | Kane Brown | Kane Brown | RCA Nashville | December 2 | ||
| 1 | Kinda Don't Care | Justin Moore | Valory | August 12 | ||
| 4 | Lighter in the Dark | Sister Hazel | Croakin' Poets | February 19 | ||
| 1 | Like an Arrow | Blackberry Smoke | Rounder | October 14 | ||
| 2 | Love Remains | Hillary Scott & the Scott Family | EMI Nashville | July 29 | ||
| 10 | Midwest Farmer's Daughter | Margo Price | Third Man | March 25 | ||
| 4 | Mr. Misunderstood: On the Rocks, Live and (Mostly) Unplugged (EP) | Eric Church | EMI Nashville | November 4 | ||
| 4 | Mud | Whiskey Myers | Wiggy Thump | September 9 | ||
| 10 | Music Is Medicine | Marie Osmond | Oliveme | April 15 | ||
| 7 | My Kind of Christmas | Reba McEntire | Cracker Barrel/Nash Icon/Starstruck | September 6 | ||
| 5 | Nothing Shines Like Neon | Randy Rogers Band | Tommy Jackson | January 15 | ||
| 5 | Now That's What I Call Country #1's | Various Artists | Sony/Universal | November 4 | ||
| 3 | Now That's What I Call Country Volume 9 | Various Artists | Universal | June 10 | ||
| 2 | Obsessed | Dan + Shay | Warner Bros. Nashville | June 3 | ||
| 3 | Pawn Shop | Brothers Osborne | EMI Nashville | January 15 | ||
| 2 | Playing with Fire | Jennifer Nettles | Big Machine | May 13 | ||
| 1 | Pure & Simple | Dolly Parton | Dolly/RCA Nashville | August 19 | ||
| 2 | Reckless | Martina McBride | Nash Icon | April 29 | ||
| 9 | Redneck Shit | Wheeler Walker, Jr. | Pepper Hill | February 12 | ||
| 3 | Remington | Granger Smith | Wheelhouse | March 4 | ||
| 1 | Ripcord | Keith Urban | Capitol Nashville | May 6 | ||
| 1 | A Sailor's Guide to Earth | Sturgill Simpson | Atlantic | April 15 | ||
| 1 | Sinner | Aaron Lewis | Dot | September 16 | ||
| 5 | Southern Family | Various Artists | Elektra Nashville | March 18 | ||
| 4 | Spark | Drake White | Dot | August 19 | ||
| 3 | Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 | George Strait | MCA Nashville | November 18 | ||
| 6 | Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars | Dwight Yoakam | Sugar Hill | September 23 | ||
| 3 | Tattooed Heart | Ronnie Dunn | Nash Icon | November 11 | ||
| 1 | They Don't Know | Jason Aldean | Broken Bow | September 9 | ||
| 8 | The Things That We Are Made Of | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Lambent Light | May 6 | ||
| 6 | Tis the Season | Jimmy Buffett | Mailboat | October 28 | ||
| 7 | Trio: The Ultimate Collection | Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris | Warner Bros. Nashville | September 9 | ||
| 1 | The Ultimate Collection | Garth Brooks | Pearl | November 11 | ||
| 1 | The Weight of These Wings | Miranda Lambert | RCA Nashville | November 18 | ||
| 5 | Vinyl | William Michael Morgan | Warner Bros. Nashville | September 30 | ||
| 1 | We're All Somebody from Somewhere | Steven Tyler | Dot | July 15 | ||
| 2 | You Should Be Here | Cole Swindell | Warner Bros. Nashville | May 6 |
| width=45 | US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Release Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | And Then There's This... | The Grascals | Mountain Home | January 8 | ||
| 16 | All American Mutt | Jamie Kent | Road Dog | October 21 | ||
| 35 | All I've Been Through | Charlie Farley | BackRoad | April 8 | ||
| 14 | All Night Live, Volume 1 | The Mavericks | Valory Music Co. | October 14 | ||
| 42 | Bad Mutha Fucka | Upchurch | RHEC | December 9 | ||
| 19 | The Bird & the Rifle | Lori McKenna | Thirty Tigers | July 29 | ||
| 30 | Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg | Gillian Welch | Acony | November 25 | ||
| 12 | Breathless | Sam Riggs | Deep Creek | February 19 | ||
| 31 | Brett Young | Brett Young | Republic Nashville | February 12 | ||
| 46 | Bringing Country Back | Zane Williams | Be Music & Entertainment | October 21 | ||
| 30 | Cayamo: Sessions at Sea | Buddy Miller | New West | January 29 | ||
| 41 | Celebrate Christmas | The Oak Ridge Boys | Gaither Music Group | October 21 | ||
| 43 | A Chrisley Christmas | Todd Chrisley | Holy Graffiti | November 4 | ||
| 11 | Circlin' Back, Celebrating 50 Years, Live at the Ryman Auditorium, TN | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | NGDB/Warner Bros. Nashville | September 30 | ||
| 13 | Colvin & Earle | Colvin & Earle | Fantasy | June 10 | ||
| 21 | Coming to a Honky Tonk Near You | Kevin Fowler | Kevin Fowler | October 21 | ||
| 50 | A Country Boy Can Survive (Box Set) | Hank Williams, Jr. | Curb | October 21 | ||
| 41 | Couchville Sessions | Darrell Scott | Full Light | May 13 | ||
| 42 | Dance with Me (EP) | The Springs | CFC | June 10 | ||
| 37 | Dear Life | High Valley | Atlantic Nashville | November 18 | ||
| 22 | Deep Tracks | Faith Hill | Warner Bros. Nashville | November 18 | ||
| 42 | Del and Woody | Del McCoury Band | McCoury | April 15 | ||
| 39 | Deux (EP) | Megan and Liz | Hidden Cow | March 11 | ||
| 11 | Dirt on Us | Drew Baldridge | Cold River | June 10 | ||
| 35 | Down in a Hole | Kiefer Sutherland | Warner Bros. Nashville | August 19 | ||
| 43 | Drifted | Lenny Cooper | Backroad | October 28 | ||
| 23 | Exodus of Venus | Elizabeth Cook | Agent Love Records | June 17 | ||
| 25 | Extended Play (EP) | LANco | Arista Nashville | April 15 | ||
| 14 | Fight Like Hell (EP) | Tucker Beathard | Dot | October 7 | ||
| 14 | The Fighters | LoCash | Reviver Music | June 17 | ||
| 44 | Forever a Cowboy (EP) | Ned LeDoux | Powder River | December 2 | ||
| 13 | Good Country Music | Frank Foster | Lone Chief | October 28 | ||
| 30 | Heart of America | Upchurch | Johnny Cashville | January 15 | ||
| 42 | House on Fire | Ty Herndon | BFD | November 11 | ||
| 38 | Humble Folks | Flatland Cavalry | Flatland Cavalry | April 1 | ||
| 13 | I Am the Rain | Chely Wright | MRI Entertainment/Sony | September 9 | ||
| 22 | I Call BS on That (EP) | Buddy Brown | Buddy Brown Music | October 7 | ||
| 27 | I'm Leavin | Elvis Presley | RCA/Legacy | April 15 | ||
| 49 | It's So Good Live | Sundy Best | eOne Entertainment | April 22 | ||
| 25 | Kid Sister | The Time Jumpers | Rounder | September 9 | ||
| 44 | Ladies & Gentlemen | Infamous Stringdusters | Compass | February 5 | ||
| 47 | Letting Go...Slow | Lorrie Morgan | Shanachie | February 12 | ||
| 28 | The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration | Various Artists | Rounder | November 11 | ||
| 16 | Live: American Outlaws | The Highwaymen | Legacy | May 20 | ||
| 29 | Live Dinner Reunion | Robert Earl Keen | Dualtone | November 18 | ||
| 42 | Long Way | Corey Kent White | Backwoods | May 27 | ||
| 49 | Lucky to Be Alive | Confederate Railroad | D&B Masterworks | July 15 | ||
| 44 | A Man and His Guitar: Live from the Franklin Theatre | Travis Tritt | Post Oak | November 18 | ||
| 50 | McGraw: The Ultimate Collection | Tim McGraw | Curb | October 21 | ||
| 38 | Midland (EP) | Midland | Big Machine | October 28 | ||
| 24 | Midnight Motel | Jack Ingram | Rounder | August 26 | ||
| 12 | Various Artists | Big Machine | May 13 | |||
| 50 | My Gospel | Paul Cauthen | Lightning Rod | October 14 | ||
| 48 | Never Enders | Lonestar | Shanachie | April 29 | ||
| 23 | New City Blues | Aubrie Sellers | Carnival | January 29 | ||
| 29 | New Lane Road | Josh Kelley | Sugar Hill | April 22 | ||
| 42 | Post Monroe (EP) | Post Monroe | KCH | May 13 | ||
| 34 | Precious Memories: Collection | Alan Jackson | EMI Nashville | November 25 | ||
| 46 | Rain Crow | Tony Joe White | Yep Roc | May 27 | ||
| 39 | Red, White & Blue (Live) | Van Zant | Loud & Proud | July 1 | ||
| 41 | Rx | Ryan Beaver | St. Beaver | May 6 | ||
| 17 | Shine on a Rainy Day | Brent Cobb | Elektra Nashville | October 7 | ||
| 45 | Simple (EP) | Travis Marvin | Independent | July 22 | ||
| 43 | Silent Night: A Country Christmas | Various Artists | Sony Music Nashville | August 23 | ||
| 38 | Steve Moakler (EP) | Steve Moakler | Creative Nation | March 11 | ||
| 11 | Strait for the Holidays | George Strait | MCA Nashville | October 28 | ||
| 14 | Summer (EP) | Cassadee Pope | Republic Nashville | June 3 | ||
| 12 | Sunset Motel | Reckless Kelly | Thirty Tigers | September 23 | ||
| 25 | Tailgate Country | Soul Circus Cowboys | Kismet | February 26 | ||
| 18 | Then Sings My Soul: Songs for My Mother | Wade Bowen | Bowen Sounds | March 18 | ||
| 49 | Thin Line | Billy Ray Cyrus | Blue Cadillac | September 9 | ||
| 19 | Timeless (EP) | The Swon Brothers | TSB | January 29 | ||
| 13 | To Celebrate Christmas | Jennifer Nettles | Big Machine | October 28 | ||
| 31 | To Joey, with Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Reunion | November 11 | ||
| 44 | Tougher | Lainey Wilson | Lone Chief | April 8 | ||
| 22 | Tradition Lives | Mark Chesnutt | Row Entertainment | July 8 | ||
| 28 | The Truth (EP) | Royal Bliss | Royal Bliss | June 3 | ||
| 12 | Turning Point | Chuck Wicks | Blaster | February 26 | ||
| 40 | The Ultimate Collection | Roy Orbison | Legacy | October 28 | ||
| 12 | Underground (EP) | Kip Moore | MCA Nashville | October 28 | ||
| 24 | Up At Night | Cimorelli | Cimorelli | May 18 | ||
| 22 | The Very Best of the Highwaymen | The Highwaymen | Legacy | May 20 | ||
| 11 | A Very Kacey Christmas | Kacey Musgraves | Mercury Nashville | October 28 | ||
| 28 | The Voice: The Complete Season 10 Collection | Adam Wakefield | Republic | May 24 | ||
| 36 | The Voice: The Complete Season 11 Collection | Sundance Head | Republic | December 9 | ||
| 21 | Watch This | Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers | Lil' Buddy Toons | June 3 | ||
| 48 | Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music | Various Artists | Numero | March 18 | ||
| 13 | We the People | Big Smo | Elektra Nashville | July 22 | ||
| 47 | Which Way Is Up | Jackson Taylor & the Sinners | Sin House | June 3 | ||
| 26 | White Christmas Blue | Loretta Lynn | Legacy | October 7 | ||
| 16 | A Whole Lot More to Me | Craig Morgan | Black River | June 3 | ||
| 28 | William Michael Morgan EP | William Michael Morgan | Warner Bros. Nashville | March 18 | ||
| 48 | Wrong Side of the River | Rob Baird | Hard Luck | May 13 | ||
| 14 | Wynonna & the Big Noise | Wynonna | Curb | February 12 | ||
| 14 | Yours, EP | Russell Dickerson | Dent | January 18 | ||
| 25 | Zach Seabaugh (EP) | Zach Seabaugh | Open Roads Highway | June 1 | ||
| 37 | 17 (EP) | Dylan Schneider | Dylan Schneider | October 9 |
(presented April 2, 2017 in Las Vegas)
ACM Honors
(presented August 30, 2016)
(presented May 1 in Los Angeles)
(presented in November 20 in Los Angeles)
(presented in Sydney on November 23, 2016)
(presented September 11 in London, Ontario)
(presented November 2 in Nashville)
(presented on June 8 in Nashville)
CMT Artists of the Year
(presented on October 20, 2016, in Nashville)[52]
(presented February 12, 2017 in Los Angeles)
(presented April 2, 2017 in Ottawa)