1980 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1980.

Events 
 January 25 — At age 84, octogenarian comedian George Burns becomes by far the oldest performer (to that time) to have a single in the top 40 of Billboards Hot Country Singles chart with "I Wish I Was 18 Again." The song peaks at No. 15 in March.
 March 2 — The Public Broadcasting Company (PBS) telecasts the Grand Ole Opry for the third time, and this telecast lasts longer than any of the other telecasts. The telecast featured Tom T. Hall, Ronnie Milsap, Roy Acuff, Hank Snow, Minnie Pearl, Porter Wagoner, Billy Grammer, George Hamilton IV, Marty Robbins, and many others. Sissy Spacek also appeared on this telecast with Loretta Lynn, promoting the new movie Coal Miner's Daughter, which opened the next week.
 March — Alabama, a southern rock-influenced band from Fort Payne, Alabama, signs a recording contract with RCA Records, and records its first album, My Home's in Alabama. The album is released in May, and by late in the year, the band was on its way to superstardom.
 April 19 — For the first time in chart history, the top 5 positions on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart are held (or co-held) by female artists. The list:
 "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye" by Crystal Gayle
 "A Lesson in Leavin'" by Dottie West
 "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again" by Debby Boone
 "Beneath Still Waters" by Emmylou Harris
 "Two Story House" by Tammy Wynette (Duet with George Jones)
 July 5 — George Jones' classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today" reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.
 November 18 — The country-variety TV series, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, debuts.

Country music goes Hollywood
 Country music had a major impact on the motion picture industry throughout the year, with no less than four major box office hits released during the year:
 March 7 — Coal Miner's Daughter, the biography of Loretta Lynn told in film, opens. Sissy Spacek wins that year's Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Lynn; Tommy Lee Jones and Beverly D'Angelo also play leading roles. The movie is a huge success with critics and at the box office, and briefly sparks Spacek's singing career.
 June 6 — The movie Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, opens in American theaters. The movie — which showcases Mickey Gilley's nightclub, Gilley's — is a huge success at the box office ($54 million), and its soundtrack includes several major hits and makes stars out of several of the artists (most notably Johnny Lee), and will have a major impact on the direction of country music of the early 1980s.
 July 18 — Honeysuckle Rose, starring Willie Nelson, opens.
 December 19 — 9 to 5 – with Dolly Parton in one of the leading roles – opens.

Top hits of the year

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! US
! CAN
! Album
! Artist
! Record Label
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 10
| 6 Cylinder
| 6 Cylinder
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 3
| 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
| Dolly Parton
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 13
| align="center"| 
| 10th Anniversary
| The Statler Brothers
| Mercury
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 6
| All for the Love of a Song
| Carroll Baker
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 24
| American Son
| Levon Helm
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 2
| align="center"| 1
| Anne Murray's Greatest Hits
| Anne Murray
| Capitol
|-
| align="center"| 5
| align="center"| 7
| Any Which Way You Can (Soundtrack)
| Various Artists
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 14
| align="center"| 
| Ask Me to Dance
| Cristy Lane
| United Artists
|-
| align="center"| 8
| align="center"| 
| Back to the Barrooms
| Merle Haggard
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 12
| Back to the Sod
| Carlton Showband
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 18
| Best Country Duets
| Various Artists
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 57
| align="center"| 21
| The Best of Jerry Jeff Walker
| Jerry Jeff Walker
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 18
| Best of the Family Brown
| Family Brown
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 11
| Best of the Good Brothers
| The Good Brothers
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 20
| align="center"| 
| Blue Pearl
| Earl Thomas Conley
| Sunbird
|-
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 
| Bronco Billy (Soundtrack)
| Various Artists
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 57
| align="center"| 6
| The Champ
| Moe Bandy
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 2
| align="center"| 1
| Coal Miner's Daughter (Soundtrack)
| Various Artists
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 8
| Come with Me
| Nana Mouskouri
| Grand
|-
| align="center"| 7
| align="center"| 2
| A Country Collection
| Anne Murray
| Capitol
|-
| align="center"| 16
| align="center"| 
| Crying
| Stephanie Winslow
| Warner Bros./Curb
|-
| align="center"| 14
| align="center"| 
| Danny Davis & Willie Nelsonwith the Nashville Brass
| Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass& Willie Nelson
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 7
| align="center"| 1
| Dolly, Dolly, Dolly
| Dolly Parton
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 21
| align="center"| 4
| Down & Dirty
| Bobby Bare
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 58
| align="center"| 1
| Dream Street Rose
| Gordon Lightfoot
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 47
| align="center"| 17
| Drunk & Crazy
| Bobby Bare
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 22
| align="center"| 
| Ed Bruce
| Ed Bruce
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 9
| Eddie Eastman
| Eddie Eastman
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 8
| align="center"| 2
| Elvis Aron Presley
| Elvis Presley
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 14
| align="center"| 
| Encore
| Mickey Gilley
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 18
| The Entertainer
| Artie MacLaren
| Broadland
|-
| align="center"| 16
| align="center"| 11
| Friday Night Blues
| John Conlee
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 5
| align="center"| 9
| Full Moon
| Charlie Daniels
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 1
| Gideon
| Kenny Rogers
| United Artists
|-
| align="center"| 22
| align="center"| 
| Greatest Hits
| Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 10
| Greatest Hits
| Ronnie Milsap
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 5
| align="center"| 13
| Greatest Hits
| The Oak Ridge Boys
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 2
| Greatest Hits
| Kenny Rogers
| Liberty
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 18
| Gypsy
| Johnny Rodriguez
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 4
| align="center"| 7
| Habits Old and New
| Hank Williams, Jr.
| Elektra/Curb
|-
| align="center"| 18
| align="center"| 
| Hard Times
| Lacy J. Dalton
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 3
| Heart & Soul
| Conway Twitty
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 11
| align="center"| 13
| Help Yourself
| Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 4
| Honeysuckle Rose
| Willie Nelson
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 5
| Horizon
| Eddie Rabbitt
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 7
| align="center"| 
| I Am What I Am
| George Jones
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 2
| align="center"| 3
| I Believe in You
| Don Williams
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 12
| align="center"| 
| I Wish I Was Eighteen Again
| George Burns
| Mercury
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 18
| Into a Mystery
| Murray McLauchlan
| True North
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 22
| Iris Larratt
| Iris Larratt
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 
| It's Hard to Be Humble
| Mac Davis
| Casablanca
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 23
| King of the Newfies
| Michael T. Wall
| Boot
|-
| align="center"| 11
| align="center"| 
| Lacy J. Dalton
| Lacy J. Dalton
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 4
| Live
| The Good Brothers
| Solid Gold
|-
| align="center"| 8
| align="center"| 6
| Lookin' for Love
| Johnny Lee
| Asylum
|-
| align="center"| 17
| align="center"| 
| Lookin' Good
| Loretta Lynn
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 24
| align="center"| 5
| Loretta
| Loretta Lynn
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 17
| align="center"| 
| Love Has No Reason
| Debby Boone
| Warner Bros./Curb
|-
| align="center"| 6
| align="center"| 12
| Love Is Fair
| Barbara Mandrell
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 24
| align="center"| 
| M-M-Mel Live
| Mel Tillis
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 12
| Make a Little Magic
| Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
| Liberty
|-
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 
| Milsap Magic
| Ronnie Milsap
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 1
| Music Man
| Waylon Jennings
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 1
| My Home's in Alabama
| Alabama
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 9
| align="center"| 
| Porter & Dolly
| Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 12
| align="center"| 
| Razzy
| Razzy Bailey
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 12
| align="center"| 16
| Rest Your Love on Me
| Conway Twitty
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 23
| Rockabilly Blues
| Johnny Cash
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 2
| align="center"| 2
| Roses in the Snow
| Emmylou Harris
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 1
| The Rovers
| The Rovers
| Attic
|-
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 1
| San Antonio Rose
| Willie Nelson & Ray Price
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 20
| She Don't Like the Highway
| Dale Russell
| Sunshine
|-
| align="center"| 4
| align="center"| 
| Shriner's Convention
| Ray Stevens
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 11
| Smokey and the Bandit 2 (Soundtrack)
| Various Artists
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 19
| align="center"| 
| Smooth Sailin| T. G. Sheppard
| Warner Bros./Curb
|-
| align="center"| 15
| align="center"| 1
| Somebody's Waiting
| Anne Murray
| Capitol
|-
| align="center"| 25
| align="center"| 24
| Songs I Love to Sing
| Slim Whitman
| Cleveland Int'l.
|-
| align="center"| 18
| align="center"| 
| Sons of the Sun
| The Bellamy Brothers
| Warner Bros./Curb
|-
| align="center"| 22
| align="center"| 
| Southern Rain
| Mel Tillis
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 3
| The Star
| Marie Bottrell
| MBS
|-
| align="center"| 12
| align="center"| 
| Texas in My Rear View Mirror
| Mac Davis
| Casablanca
|-
| align="center"| 8
| align="center"| 
| That's All That Matters to Me
| Mickey Gilley
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 
| There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me
| Charley Pride
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 6
| align="center"| 
| These Days
| Crystal Gayle
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 1
| Together
| The Oak Ridge Boys
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 22
| True Feelings
| Sonny Sinclair
| Rural Root
|-
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 2
| Urban Cowboy (Soundtrack)
| Various Artists
| Asylum
|-
| align="center"| 16
| align="center"| 
| The Way I Am
| Merle Haggard
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 13
| We Could Make Beautiful Music Together
| Terry Carisse
| MBS
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 5
| With Love
| Marty Robbins
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 9
| align="center"| 
| You Can Get Crazy
| The Bellamy Brothers
| Warner Bros./Curb
|-
| align="center"| 25
| align="center"| 
| Your Body Is an Outlaw
| Mel Tillis
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 
| align="center"| 2
| Zephyr
| Canadian Zephyr
| RCA
|}

Other top albums
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! US
! CAN
! Album
! Artist
! Record Label
|-
| align="center"| 60
| align="center"| 
| After Hours
| Joe Stampley
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 27
| align="center"| 
| Always
| Patsy Cline
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 28
| align="center"| 
| Autograph
| John Denver
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 43
| align="center"| 
| The Best of Chet on the Road — Live
| Chet Atkins
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 34
| align="center"| 
| The Best of the Kendalls
| The Kendalls
| Ovation
|-
| align="center"| 64
| align="center"| 
| But What Will the Neighbors Think
| Rodney Crowell
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 49
| align="center"| 
| Cactus and a Rose
| Gary Stewart
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 71
| align="center"| 
| Changes
| Billy "Crash" Craddock
| Capitol
|-
| align="center"| 47
| align="center"| 
| Christmas with Slim Whitman
| Slim Whitman
| Cleveland Int'l.
|-
| align="center"| 29
| align="center"| 
| Dallas
| Floyd Cramer
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 51
| align="center"| 
| Don't It Break Your Heart
| Con Hunley
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 45
| align="center"| 
| Double Trouble
| George Jones & Johnny Paycheck
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 41
| align="center"| 
| Dreamlovers
| Tanya Tucker
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 37
| align="center"| 
| Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
| Lynn Anderson
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 55
| align="center"| 
| Eyes
| Eddy Raven
| Dimension
|-
| align="center"| 26
| align="center"| 
| Family Bible
| Willie Nelson
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 37
| align="center"| 
| Favorites
| Crystal Gayle
| United Artists
|-
| align="center"| 44
| align="center"| 
| Following the Feeling
| Moe Bandy
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 40
| align="center"| 
| The Game
| Gail Davies
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 59
| align="center"| 
| Greatest Country Hits of the 70's
| Various Artists
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 61
| align="center"| 
| I Don't Want to Lose
| Leon Everette
| Orlando
|-
| align="center"| 29
| align="center"| 
| I Don't Want to Lose You
| Con Hunley
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 27
| align="center"| 
| I'll Be There
| Gail Davies
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 28
| align="center"| 
| I'll Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry
| Janie Fricke
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 66
| align="center"| 
| I've Got Something to Say
| David Allan Coe
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 61
| align="center"| 
| In My Dreams
| Johnny Duncan
| Columbia
|-
| align="center"| 56
| align="center"| 
| Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce
| Jerry Reed
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 61
| align="center"| 
| John Anderson
| John Anderson
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 35
| align="center"| 
| Killer Country
| Jerry Lee Lewis
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 26
| align="center"| 
| A Legend and His Lady
| Eddy Arnold
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 59
| align="center"| 
| Love So Many Ways
| Ronnie McDowell
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 61
| align="center"| 
| Many Moods of Mel
| Mel Street
| Sunbird
|-
| align="center"| 48
| align="center"| 
| New York Town
| Johnny Paycheck
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 47
| align="center"| 
| New York Wine Tennessee Shine
| Dave Rowland & Sugar
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 45
| align="center"| 
| No One Will Ever Know
| Gene Watson
| Capitol
|-
| align="center"| 69
| align="center"| 
| Oklahoma Rose
| Rex Allen, Jr.
| Warner Bros.
|-
| align="center"| 52
| align="center"| 
| Once a Drifter
| Charlie Rich
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 35
| align="center"| 
| One Man, One Woman
| Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 37
| align="center"| 
| Only Lonely Sometimes
| Tammy Wynette
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 70
| align="center"| 
| Standing Tall
| Billie Jo Spears
| United Artists
|-
| align="center"| 52
| align="center"| 
| A Sure Thing
| Freddie Hart
| Sunbird
|-
| align="center"| 30
| align="center"| 
| Take Me Back
| Brenda Lee
| MCA
|-
| align="center"| 43
| align="center"| 
| ''Texas Bound and Flyin
| Jerry Reed
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 56
| align="center"| 
| There's Always Me| Jim Reeves
| RCA
|-
| align="center"| 26
| align="center"| 
| Together Again| George Jones & Tammy Wynette
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 32
| align="center"| 
| When Two Worlds Collide| Jerry Lee Lewis
| Elektra
|-
| align="center"| 31
| align="center"| 
| Where Did the Money Go?| Hoyt Axton
| Jeremiah
|-
| align="center"| 28
| align="center"| 
| Who's Cheatin' Who| Charly McClain
| Epic
|-
| align="center"| 73
| align="center"| 
| Women Get Lonely| Charly McClain
| Epic
|}

On television

Regular series
 Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters (1980–1982, NBC)
 Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)
 Pop! Goes the Country (1974–1982, syndicated)
 The Porter Wagoner Show (1960–1981, syndicated)
 That Nashville Music (1970–1985, syndicated)

Specials

Births
April 1 – Kip Moore, country singer of the 2010s.
April 2 – Bobby Estell, radio personality of the 2010s-onward who uses the on-air name Bobby Bones and host of his eponymously named show.
July 3 – Sarah Buxton, singer-songwriter best known as co-writer of "Stupid Boy."
October 18 — Josh Gracin, rose to fame as fourth-place contestant on American Idol in 2003; had a string of hits thereafter ("I Want to Live," "Nothin' to Lose").

Deaths
 March 17 – Hugh Farr, 76, member of the Sons of the Pioneers.
 April 4 — Red Sovine, 61, best known for recitations of truck driving life (car accident resulting from a heart attack).
 June 16 – Bob Nolan, 72, member of the Sons of the Pioneers.

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
Johnny Cash (1932–2003)
Connie B. Gay (1914–1989)
Original Sons of the Pioneers (Roy Rogers 1911–1998, Bob Nolan 1908–1980, Lloyd Perryman 1917–1977, Tim Spencer 1908–1974, Hugh Farr 1903–1980 and Karl Farr 1909–1961)

Major awards

Grammy Awards
Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Could I Have This Dance," Anne Murray
Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," Emmylou Harris and Roy Orbison
Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Orange Blossom Special/Hoedown," Gilley's Urban Cowboy Band
Best Country Song — "On the Road Again," Willie Nelson (Performer: Willie Nelson)

Juno Awards
Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Murray McLauchlan
Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers

Academy of Country Music
Entertainer of the Year — Barbara Mandrell
Song of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman (Performer: George Jones)
Single of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
Album of the Year — Urban Cowboy, Soundtrack
Top Male Vocalist — George Jones
Top Female Vocalist — Dolly Parton
Top New Male Vocalist — Johnny Lee
Top New Female Vocalist — Terri Gibbs

Country Music Association
Founding President's Award (formerly Connie B. Gay Award) — Charlie Daniels
Entertainer of the Year — Barbara Mandrell
Song of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman (Performer: George Jones)
Single of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
Album of the Year — Coal Miner's Daughter'', SoundtrackMale Vocalist of the Year — George JonesFemale Vocalist of the Year — Emmylou HarrisVocal Duo of the Year — Moe Bandy and Joe StampleyVocal Group of the Year — The Statler BrothersInstrumentalist of the Year — Roy ClarkInstrumental Group of the Year' — Charlie Daniels Band

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 ()
Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 ()
Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.

References

Other links 
 Country Music Association
 Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

External links 
Country Music Hall of Fame

Country
Category:Country music by year