2016 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2016.

Events January 7 – Rachel Reinert announces that she is leaving the band Gloriana. January 26 – Thomas Rhett's "Die a Happy Man" spends a sixth week at No. 1 on Country Airplay, becoming the first artist to spend six or more weeks atop that chart since Taylor Swift did so with "Our Song" in late 2007. February 11 – Charles Kelley and wife Cassie McConnell welcome first child, son Ward Charles Kelley. March 1 – Don Williams announces his retirement after six decades in the music business. He died in September 2017 at age 78. March 4 – Loretta Lynn releases her album Full Circle. This album is the first album from Lynn in over a decade since 2004's Van Lear Rose. March 7 – Dolly Parton announces plans for her first major North American tour in 25 years. April 1 – Carrie Underwood quest Kellie Pickler, Kelleigh Bannen, Lauren Alaina and Jana Kramer at the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival in Las Vegas Festival Grounds. April 30 – Ray Pillow celebrates his 50th Grand Ole Opry anniversary May 12 – ABC cancels musical drama Nashville after four seasons. One month later, the series is picked up by CMT. June 1 – The Dixie Chicks begin their DCX MMXVI World Tour, the first time the band toured North America in ten years. June 8 – Kellie Pickler and Aaron Tippin at the CMT Music Awards. July 11 – The body of Craig Morgan's 19-year-old son, Jerry Greer, is recovered from Kentucky Lake. July 15 – Bill Anderson Celebrates his 55th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary September 16 – A total of 30 artists gather to record "Forever Country", a single released in honor of the 50th annual Country Music Association awards. The song immediately debuted on country radio and reached the Hot Country Airplay's top 40 in its first week on the chart; on the all-encompassing Hot Country Songs chart, the song debuted at No. 1 the week of October 8, the third song to do so since its inception in 2012.Trust, Gary, "Making Music With Their Friends: 'Forever Country' Debuts at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs," Billboard, September 26, 2016. Accessed 09-26-2016. December 17 – Benny Birchfield, the widower of country music singer Jean Shepard, is injured following an attack at his home, where two others died. One of the victims was Icie Hawkins, granddaughter of Shepard and Hawkshaw Hawkins.Garrison, Joey, "2 killed in attack at home of late country music star Jean Shepard," The Tennessean, Dec. 19, 2016. Accessed 12-19-2016.

Top hits of the year The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay or Canada Country charts in 2016:

Singles released by American artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences19——"Ain't No Stopping Us Now"Kane Brown612"American Country Love Song"Jake Owen11——"At Last"Sundance Head412"Backroad Song"Granger Smith512"Beautiful Drug"Zac Brown Band611"Break on Me"Keith Urban223"Break Up in a Small Town"Sam Hunt222"Burning House"Cam4——"Burning House"Emily Ann Roberts211"Came Here to Forget"Blake Shelton17146"Castaway"Zac Brown Band212"Church Bells"Carrie Underwood711"Confession"Florida Georgia Line181230"Country Nation"Brad Paisley4——"Darlin' Don't Go"Sundance Head718"Dibs"Kelsea Ballerini111"Die a Happy Man"Thomas Rhett311"Different for Girls"Dierks Bentleyfeaturing Elle King221"Drunk on Your Love"Brett Eldredge1018"Fix"Chris Lane13234"Forever Country"Artists of Then, Now & Forever3110"From the Ground Up"Dan + Shay13——"Go Ahead and Break My Heart"Blake Sheltonfeaturing Gwen Stefani412"Head Over Boots"Jon Pardi211"Heartbeat"Carrie Underwood111"H.O.L.Y."Florida Georgia Line311"Home Alone Tonight"Luke Bryan featuring Karen Fairchild111"Humble and Kind"Tim McGraw211"Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day"Luke Bryan5622"I Got the Boy"Jana Kramer417"I Know Somebody"LoCash812"I Like the Sound of That"Rascal Flatts524"I Love This Life"LoCash8213"I Met a Girl"William Michael Morgan18——"I'm Sorry"Adam Wakefield19——"Islands in the Stream"Emily Ann Robertsfeaturing Blake Shelton221548"It All Started with a Beer"Frankie Ballard311"It Don't Hurt Like It Used To"Billy Currington18——"Jolene"Pentatonixfeaturing Dolly Parton313"Lights Come On"Jason Aldean16422"Little Bit of You"Chase Bryant512"A Little More Summertime"Jason Aldean201237"Livin' the Dream"Drake White14——"Lonesome Broken and Blue"Adam Wakefield1914—"Lovin' Lately"Big & Richfeaturing Tim McGraw212"Make You Miss Me"Sam Hunt211"May We All"Florida Georgia Linefeaturing Tim McGraw313"Middle of a Memory"Cole Swindell818"Mind Reader"Dustin Lynch15157"Mr. Misunderstood"Eric Church511"Move"Luke Bryan593"My Church"Maren Morris171432"Night's on Fire"David Nail131011"Nobody to Blame"Chris Stapleton1465"Noise"Kenny Chesney114"Peter Pan"Kelsea Ballerini281744"Real Men Love Jesus"Michael Ray211"Record Year"Eric Church9216"Rock On"Tucker Beathard251331"Running for You"Kip Moore111"Setting the World on Fire"Kenny Chesneyfeaturing Pink872"She's Got a Way with Words"Blake Shelton327"Sleep Without You"Brett Young421"Snapback"Old Dominion111"Somewhere on a Beach"Dierks Bentley413"Song for Another Time"Old Dominion4226"Stay a Little Longer"Brothers Osborne231849"Stone Cold Sober"Brantley Gilbert311"T-Shirt"Thomas Rhett131038"That Don't Sound Like You"Lee Brice211"Think of You"Chris Young duet with Cassadee Pope1535—"Used to Love You Sober"Kane Brown193039"Vacation"Thomas Rhett2114"Vice"Miranda Lambert311"Wanna Be That Song"Brett Eldredge411"Wasted Time"Keith Urban713"We Went"Randy Houser1756—"Whisper"Chase Rice231611"Without a Fight"Brad Paisley featuring Demi Lovato1211"You Look Like I Need a Drink"Justin Moore113"You Should Be Here"Cole Swindell

Singles released by Canadian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences——1"Autograph"Dallas Smith——10"Be You"High Valley——18"Beer Weather"Cold Creek County——17"Bow Chicka Wow Wow"Meghan Patrick——6"Bush Party"Dean Brody—4414"By the Way"Lindsay Ell——3"Come on Down"High Valley——8"Cool with That"Brett Kissel——8"Daughters of the Sun"George Canyon——6"Dirt Road in 'Em"Aaron Pritchett——9"Down by the River"Bobby Wills——15"Elevator"Jess Moskaluke——8"Every Week's Got a Friday"High Valley——16"Found"Dan Davidson——12"Good Kinda Love"Jojo Mason——7"Heard You in a Song"Gord Bamford——8"Hearts on Fire"Chad Brownlee——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——6"Kids with Cars"Dallas Smith——3"Lawn Chair Lazy"James Barker Band——4"Love Would Be Enough"Dean Brody——10"Maybe It's the Moonshine"The Washboard Union——19"Mixtape"Autumn Hill——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——7"Stompin' Ground"Tim Hicks——7"Take Me Home"Jess Moskaluke——13"War Paint"Madeline Merlo——10"Whatcha Wanna Do About It"Madeline Merlo——9"Won't You Be Mine"Bobby Wills

Notes "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Top new album releases The following albums placed on the Top Country Albums charts in 2016:

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 For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price 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

2016 in country music

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