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1986 in country music

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See also: 1985 in country music, 1986 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

  • June 25 — Jenifer Strait, the 13-year-old daughter of George Strait (who by now is one of country music's top performers) is killed in a car accident in San Marcos, Texas. Her father still refuses to talk about his daughter's death to this day.

No dates

  • For the first time in its 42-year history, there is a new No. 1 song for each week of the year, according to Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles Chart.
  • 1986 was a renaissance year in country music, with a host of "New Traditionalist"-minded artists reinvigorating a genre that critics were saying had grown increasingly stagnant and pop-oriented. Among the most successful new artists: Holly Dunn, Ricky Van Shelton, Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam. Keith Whitley, another artist who had been around for a few years, has his first real hit early in the year. They - along with popular newcomers from earlier in the decade such as Alabama, George Strait and Reba McEntire, and longtime artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard and Conway Twitty - proved not only that country music was the music of the people, but also that the genre had real resiliency.
  • After 17 years of playing co-host to Roy Clark, Buck Owens announces his departure from the still-popular "Hee Haw." Clark would soldier on alone for the next six years, with rotating guest stars each week.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

Date Song Name Artist Wks. No. 1 Spec.
Note
January 11 Morning Desire Kenny Rogers 1
January 18 Bop Dan Seals 1
January 25 Never Be You Rosanne Cash 1 1
February 1 Just in Case The Forester Sisters 1
February 8 Hurt Juice Newton 1
February 15 Making Up for Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers Song) Gary Morris
with Crystal Gayle 		1
February 22 There's No Stopping Your Heart Marie Osmond 1
March 1 You Can Dream of Me Steve Wariner 1
March 8 Think About Love Dolly Parton 1
March 15 I Could Get Used to You Exile 1
March 22 What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This) John Schneider 1
March 29 Don't Underestimate My Love for You Lee Greenwood 1
April 5 100% Chance of Rain Gary Morris 1
April 12 She and I Alabama 1
April 19 Cajun Moon Ricky Skaggs 1
April 26 Now and Forever (You and Me) Anne Murray 1 B
May 3 Once in a Blue Moon Earl Thomas Conley 1
May 10 Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days) The Judds 1
May 17 Ain't Misbehavin' Hank Williams Jr. 1
May 24 Tomb of the Unknown Love Kenny Rogers 1
May 31 Whoever's in New England Reba McEntire 1
June 7 Happy, Happy Birthday Baby Ronnie Milsap 1
June 14 Life's Highway Steve Wariner 1
June 21 Mama's Never Seen Those Eyes The Forester Sisters 1
June 28 Living in the Promiseland Willie Nelson 1
July 5 Everything That Glitters (is Not Gold) Dan Seals 1
July 12 Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love) Lee Greenwood 1
July 19 Until I Met You Judy Rodman 1 C
July 26 On the Other Hand Randy Travis 1 A
August 2 Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her George Strait 1
August 9 Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain The Judds 1
August 16 You're the Last Thing I Needed Tonight John Schneider 1 B
August 23 Strong Heart T.G. Sheppard 1 B
August 30 Heartbeat in the Darkness Don Williams 1
September 6 Desperado Love Conway Twitty 1 B
September 13 Little Rock Reba McEntire 1
September 20 Got My Heart Set on You John Conlee 1 B
September 27 In Love Ronnie Milsap 1
October 4 Always Have, Always Will Janie Fricke 1 B
October 11 Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers) Eddie Rabbitt
with Juice Newton 		1 B - Juice Newton
October 18 Just Another Love Tanya Tucker 1
October 25 Cry Crystal Gayle 1
November 1 It'll Be Me Exile 1
November 8 Diggin' Up Bones Randy Travis 1
November 15 That Rock Won't Roll Restless Heart 1 A
November 22 You're Still New to Me Paul Davis
with Marie Osmond 		1 A - Paul Davis
B - Marie Osmond
November 29 Touch Me When We're Dancing Alabama 1
December 6 It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You George Strait 1
December 13 Hell and High Water T. Graham Brown 1 A
December 20 Too Much is Not Enough The Bellamy Brothers
with The Forester Sisters 		1
December 27 Mind Your Own Business Hank Williams Jr.
featuring Reba McEntire, Tom Petty,
Reverend Ike, & Willie Nelson 		2 C - Reverend Ike
C - Tom Petty
  • 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.
  • C - Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Other major hits

Top new album releases

Other new album releases

Christmas releases

Gospel/Christian albums

On television

Regular series

Specials

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major Awards

Grammy awards

  • Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "Whoever's In New England" - Reba McEntire
  • Best Country Vocal Solo Performance, Male -- "Lost In The Fifties Tonight" - Ronnie Milsap
  • Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)" - Judds (Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd)
  • Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group Or Soloist) -- "Raisin' The Dickins" - Ricky Skaggs
  • Best Country Song -- "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days)" - Jamie O'Hara, songwriter

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.
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