1988 in country music

7.1 Grammy Awards
7.2 Academy of Country Music
7.3 Country Music Association

Events

May 21 - In New York's Madison Square Garden a big country music concert will be held. Participants are: Alabama, The Judds, George Strait and Randy Travis.
Time-Life Records released the first part of the "Country USA" series. The series would eventually include 23 years transitions from 1950 to 1972.

Top Hits of the Year

No. 1 Hits

January 9 - I Can not Get Close Enough - Exile
January 16 - One Friend - Dan Seals
January 23 - Where Do the Nights Go - Ronnie Milsap
January 30 - Goin ' Gone - Kathy Mattea
February 6 - Wheels - Restless Heart
February 13 - Tennessee Flat Top Box - Rosanne Cash
February 20 - Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star - Merle Haggard
February 27 - I Will not Take Less Than Your Love - Paul Davis, Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet
March 5 - Face to Face - Alabama featuring K.T. Oslin
March 21 - Too Gone Too Long - Randy Travis
March 19 - Life Turned Her That Way - Ricky Van Shelton
March 26 - Turn It Loose - The Judds
April 2 - Love Will Find Its Way to You - Reba McEntire
April 19 - Famous Last Words of a Fool - George Strait
April 16 - I Wanna Dance With You - Eddie Rabbitt
April 23 - I'll Always Come Back - K.T. Oslin
April 30 - It's Such a Small World - Rodney Crowell with Rosanne Cash
May 7 - Cry, Cry, Cry - Highway 101
May 14 - I'm Gonna Get You - Eddy Raven
May 21 - Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses - Kathy Mattea
June 4 - What She is ( is a Woman in Love ) - Earl Thomas Conley
11 June - I Told You So - Randy Travis
June 25 - He's Back and I'm Blue - Desert Rose Band
July 2 - If It Do not Come Easy - Tanya Tucker
July 9 - Fallin 'Again - Alabama
July 16 - If You Change Your Mind - Rosanne Cash
July 30 - Do not We All Have the Right - Ricky Van Shelton
August 6 - Baby Blue - George Strait
August 13 - Do not Close Your Eyes - Keith Whitley
August 20 - Bluest Eyes in Texas - Restless Heart
August 27 - The Wanderer - Eddie Rabbitt
September 3 - I Could not Leave You If I Tried - Rodney Crowell
September 10 - ( Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes - Highway 101
September 17 - Joe Knows How to Live - Eddy Raven
September 24 - Addicted - Dan Seals
October 1 - We Believe in Happy Endings - Earl Thomas Conley with Emmylou Harris
October 8th - Honky Tonk Moon - Randy Travis
October 15 - Streets of Bakersfield - Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens
October 22 - Strong Enough to Bend - Tanya Tucker
October 29 - Gonna Take a Lot of River - The Oak Ridge Boys
November 5th - Darlene - T. Graham Brown
November 12 - Runaway Train - Rosanne Cash
November 19 - I'll Leave This World Loving You - Ricky Van Shelton
December 3 - I Know How He Feels - Reba McEntire
December 10 - If You Is not Lovin ' ( You Is not Livin ') - George Strait
December 17 - A Tender Lie - Restless Heart

Other major hits

" A Little Bit Closer" - Tom Wopat (# 18)
" A Little Bit in Love" - Patty Loveless (# 2)
" Always Late (With Your Kisses ) " - Dwight Yoakam (# 9)
" Americana " - Moe Bandy (# 8)
" Another Place, Another Time " - Don Williams ( # 5)
"Baby I'm Yours" - Steve Wariner (# 2)
"The Best I Know How" - The Statler Brothers (# 15)
"Blue Love" - The O'Kanes (# 10)
"Blue to the Bone " - Sweethearts of the Rodeo (# 5)
" Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues " - Charlie Daniels Band (# 10)
" Button Off My Shirt " - Ronnie Milsap (# 4)
" Chill Factor " - Merle Haggard (# 9)
" Chiseled in Stone " - Vern Gosdin (# 6)
"Crying Shame" - Michael Johnson ( # 4)
" Desperately " - Don Williams ( # 7)
"Do You Believe Me Now? " - Vern Gosdin (# 4)
" Do not Give Candy to a Stranger " - Larry Boone (# 10)
" Everybody's Sweetheart" - Vince Gill ( # 11)
" The Factory " - Kenny Rogers ( # 6)
"The Gift" - The McCarter (# 4)
" Give a Little Love" - The Judds (# 2)
" Givers and Takers " - Schuyler, Knobloch and Bickhardt (# 8)
"Goodbye Time" - Conway Twitty (# 7)
"Heaven Can not Be Found" - Hank Williams, Jr. ( # 4)
"High Ridin ' Heroes" - David Lynn Jones and Waylon Jennings (# 14)
" I Did not (Every Chance I Had ) " - Johnny Rodriguez (# 12)
" I Do not Have Far to Fall" - Skip Ewing (# 8)
"I Have You" - Glen Campbell ( # 7)
" I Loved You Yesterday" - Lyle Lovett (# 24)
" I Prefer the Moonlight " - Kenny Rogers ( # 2)
" I Should Be With You" - Steve Wariner (# 2)
"I Still Believe" - Lee Greenwood (# 12)
"I Will Whisper Your Name" - Michael Johnson ( # 7)
" I Wish That I Could Fall in Love Today - Barbara Mandrell (# 5)
" I Would not Be a Man " - Don Williams (# 9)
" I'll Give You All My Love Tonight" - The Bellamy Brothers ( # 6)
"I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow " - Billy Joe Royal ( # 5)
"I'm Down to My Last Cigarette " - K.D. long (# 21)
" I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio " - Charley Pride (# 13)
" I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl" - Michael Martin Murphey (# 3)
" I've Been Lookin ' " - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (# 2)
" If My Heart Had Windows " - Patty Loveless (# 10)
"If the South Woulda Won " - Hank Williams, Jr. (# 8)
" It Keeps Right on A- Hurtin ' " - Billy Joe Royal ( # 17)
" It's You Again" - Exile (# 21)
"Just Lovin 'You " - The O'Kanes (# 5)
" Just One Kiss" - Exile (# 9)
" The Last Resort " - T. Graham Brown ( # 4)
" Letter Home " - Forester Sisters ( # 9)
"Love Helps Those " - Paul Overstreet (# 3)
"Love of a Lifetime " - Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Band (# 4)
" Lyin ' In His Arms Again " Forester Sisters ( # 5)
"Mama Knows" - Shenandoah (# 5)
"Midnight Highway" - Southern Pacific (# 14)
"Money" - K.T. Oslin (# 13)
" New Shade of Blue" - Southern Pacific (# 2)
"No More One More Time " - Jo -El Sonnier (# 7)
" Oh What a Love" - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (# 5)
" Old Folks " - Ronnie Milsap with Mike Reid ( # 2)
"One For the Money " - T. G. Sheppard (# 2)
"One Step Forward" - Desert Rose Band (# 2)
" One True Love" - The O'Kanes (# 4)
"Out of Sight and on My Mind " - Billy Joe Royal ( # 10)
" Please, Please Baby" - Dwight Yoakam (# 6)
" Real Good Feel Good Song" - Mel McDaniel (# 9)
" Rebels Without a Clue " - The Bellamy Brothers (# 9)
" Rough and Rowdy Days" - Waylon Jennings ( # 6)
"Santa Fe" - The Bellamy Brothers ( # 5)
" Satisfy You " - Sweethearts of the Rodeo (# 5)
"Saturday Night Special" - Conway Twitty (# 9)
"She Could not Love Me Anymore " - T. Graham Brown ( # 4)
" She Does not Cry Anymore " - Shenandoah (# 9)
" She's No Lady" - Lyle Lovett (# 17)
" Should not It Be Easier Than This " - Charley Pride (# 5)
" Sincerely " - Forester Sisters ( # 8)
" Some Old Side Road " - Keith Whitley (# 16)
" Spanish Eyes " - Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias (# 8)
" Still Within the Sound of My Voice " - Glen Campbell ( # 5)
" Summer Wind " - Desert Rose Band (# 2)
"Sunday Kind of Love " - Reba McEntire (# 5)
" Sure Thing " - Foster & Lloyd ( # 8)
"Talkin ' to Myself Again" - Tammy Wynette (# 16)
"Talkin 'to the Wrong Man - Michael Martin Murphey (# 4)
" Tear Stained Letter" - Jo -El Sonnier (# 9)
"Tell Me True" - Juice Newton (# 8)
" Texas in 1880 " - Foster & Lloyd ( # 18)
" Thanks Again " - Ricky Skaggs (# 17)
" That's My Job" - Conway Twitty (# 6)
"That 's That " - Michael Johnson (# 9)
"This Missin 'You Heart of Mine" - Sawyer Brown ( # 2)
"Timeless and True Love" - The McCarter (# 5)
" Touch and Go Crazy" - Lee Greenwood (# 5)
" True Heart" - The Oak Ridge Boys (# 5)
" Under the Boardwalk " - Lynn Anderson (# 24)
" Untold Stories" - Kathy Mattea (# 4)
"We Must Be Doin 'Somethin ' Right" - Eddie Rabbitt (# 7)
" What Do You Want From Me This Time? " - Foster & Lloyd ( # 6)
" Wilder Days" - Baillie & the Boys (# 9)
" Wildflowers " - Trio ( Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt ) (# 6)
" Workin 'Man ( Nowhere to Go) " - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (# 4)
"You Can not Fall in Love When You're Cryin ' " - Lee Greenwood (# 20)
"Young Country" - Hank Williams, Jr. ( # 2)
" Your Memory Wins Again" - Skip Ewing (# 17)

Albums ( selection)

Alabama Live - Alabama ( RCA)
Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room - Dwight Yoakam (Reprise)
Full Circle - Waylon Jennings ( MCA)
Greatest Hits - The Judds (RCA)
Highway 101 ² - Highway 101 ( Warner Bros. )
Honky Tonk Angel - Patty Loveless ( MCA)
If My Heart Had Windows - Patty Loveless ( MCA)
If You Is not Lovin ', You Is not Livin - George Strait ( MCA)
I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight - Barbara Mandrell ( Capitol )
Living Proof - Ricky Van Shelton (Columbia )
Old 8x10 - Randy Travis ( Warner Bros. )
Reba - Reba McEntire ( MCA)
Strong Enough to Bend - Tanya Tucker ( Capitol )
Wide Open - Sawyer Brown ( Capitol / Curb )
Big Dreams in a Small Town - Restless Heart (RCA)
Chisled in Stone - Vern Gosdin ( Epic )
Come As You Were - T. Graham Brown ( Capitol )
Diamonds and Dirt - Rodney Crowell (Columbia )
I Wanna Dance With You - Eddie Rabbitt (RCA)
Wild Streak - Hank Williams, Jr. ( Warner Bros. )

Born

May 24 - Billy Gilman

Died

September 20 - Leon McAuliffe, 71
December 6 - Roy Orbison, 52

New Country Music Hall of Fame members

Major Awards

Grammy Awards

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female - " Hold Me " - KT Oslin
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - " Old 8x10" - Randy Travis
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - " Give A Little Love" - The Judds
Best Country Vocal Collaboration - " Crying" - Roy Orbison and kd long
Best Bluegrass Recording (Vocal Or Instrumental) - "Southern Flavor " - Bill Monroe
Best Country Song - " Hold Me " - K.T. Oslin, songwriter

Academy of Country Music

Entertainer Of The Year - Hank Williams Jr.
Song Of The Year - " Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses " - Kathy Mattea - Charles Nelson, Paul Nelson
Single Of The Year - " Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses " - Kathy Mattea
Album Of The Year - This Woman - K.T. Oslin
Top Male Vocalist - George Strait
Top Female Vocalist - K.T. Oslin
Top Vocal Duo - The Judds
Top Vocal Group - Highway 101
Top New Male Vocalist - Rodney Crowell
Top New Female Vocalist - Suzy Bogguss
Video Of The Year - Young Country " - Hank Williams Jr. ( Director: Bill Fishman )

Country Music Association

Entertainer of the Year - Hank Williams Jr.
Male Vocalist of the Year - Randy Travis
Female Vocalist of the Year - K.T. Oslin
Horizon Award - Ricky Van Shelton
Vocal Group of the Year - Highway 101
Vocal Duo of the Year - The Judds
Vocal Event of the Year - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt
Album of the Year - Hank Williams Jr.
Song of the Year - K.T. Oslin
Single of the Year - Kathy Mattea
Musician of the Year - Chet Atkins

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Music 1988
Country music year

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