This page indexes the individual year in country music pages. Each year is annotated with a significant event as a reference point. __NOTOC__ Pre-1920s – 1920s – 1930s – 1940s – 1950s – 1960s – 1970s – 1980s – 1990s – 2000s – 2010s - 2020s -
Pre-1920s Prior to 1920 in country music, Train accidents – the C & O in 1890 near Hinton, West Virginia; train 382 occurs in 1900 in Vaughn, Mississippi; and train 97 in 1903 near Danville, Virginia – become the subject of several early country recordings. The word "Hillbillie" printed for the first time in New York Journal on April 23, 1900. "Rube" comedy, long country dialect tales like "Uncle Josh" become popular in 1909.
1920s 1920 in country music 1921 in country music 1922 in country music, First commercial recordings of country music by Eck Robertson for Victor Records. 1923 in country music, First radio "barn dance" WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. "Sally Gooden" by A.C. (Eck) Robertson top country record. 1924 in country music, "It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'" by Wendell Hall top country record. "The Prisoner's Song" recorded by Vernon Dalhart in August sells 1.3 million records by end of decade. 1925 in country music, WSM signs on; first WSM Barn Dance. "The Prisoner's Song" by Vernon Dalhart top country record. Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers recorded the successful "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" and "The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee" on July 27. 1926 in country music, Formation of The Skillet Lickers. "The Prisoner's Song" by Vernon Dalhart second chart run Top Country Record. 1927 in country music, The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers make their first recordings. "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow" by the Carter Family Top Country Record. 1928 in country music, "Blue Yodel" recorded by Jimmie Rodgers "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)" Top Country Record, and one of several million sellers by Rodgers. 1929 in country music, "Wildwood Flower" by the Carter Family top country record and sells one million copies. Gene Autry makes his first recordings.
1930s 1930 in country music, Ken Maynard becomes first singing screen cowboy. ""Anniversary Yodel (Blue Yodel No. 7)"" by Jimmie Rodgers Top Country Record. 1931 in country music, "Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues)" recorded by Jimmie Rodgers Top Country Record. 1932 in country music, "Why Should I Be Lonely" by Jimmie Rodgers with Lani McIntire's Hawaiians Top Country Record. 1933 in country music, Jimmie Rodgers dies in May 1933. "Yellow Rose Of Texas" by Gene Autry and Jimmy Long Top Country Record. 1934 in country music, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" recorded by the Sons of the Pioneers Top Country Record. 1935 in country music, First recordings by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)" by the Carter Family Top Country Record. 1936 in country music, First recordings by Ernest Tubb; formation of the Monroe Brothers (Charlie and Bill) and the Blue Sky Boys. "Mexicali Rose" by Gene Autry Top Country Record. 1937 in country music, Beginning of Renfro Valley Barn Dance. "Steel Guitar Rag" recorded by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys Top Country Record. 1938 in country music, "Wabash Cannonball" recorded by Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans Top Country Record. 1939 in country music, Bill Monroe formed the Blue Grass Boys. "It Makes No Difference Now" by Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers Top Country Record. Billboard prints its first "Hillbilly...Hits" charts. These charts will continue, primarily on a monthly basis, until 1942.
1940s 1940 in country music, "You Are My Sunshine" by Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes Top Country Record. 1941 in country music, Gene Autry's "You Are My Sunshine" Top Country Record and sells one million copies. Ernest Tubb records and releases "Walking the Floor Over You." 1942 in country music, Musicians' strike bans all recording starting August; Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., is incorporated in Tennessee.. "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" by Elton Britt Top Country Record and earns Gold record. 1943 in country music, Al Dexter and His Troopers's "Pistol Packin' Mama" Top Country Record, and becomes first Country record to also top Popular music chart. 1944 in country music, Billboard magazine creates national chart to track popularity of country music records. Al Dexter and His Troopers's "So Long Pal" Top Country Record. 1945 in country music, "Shame on You" by Spade Cooley and His Western Band Top Country Record. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs join the Blue Grass Boys. Often considered the beginning of Bluegrass music. 1946 in country music, "Guitar Polka" by Al Dexter and His Troopers Top Country Record. 1947 in country music, Hank Williams has first national hit; Eddy Arnold and his Tennessee Plowboys – "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) No. 1 record of 1947. 1948 in country music, Eddy Arnold has five of the year's six new No. 1 songs, with "Bouquet of Roses" and "Anytime" the biggest of the lot. "Bouquet of Roses" No. 1 hit of all time based on total chart performance. 1949 in country music, Hank Williams' first giant hit, "Lovesick Blues" Top Country Record.
1950s 1950 in country music, 21 weeks at No. 1 for Hank Snow's "I’m Moving On." 1951 in country music, The year of "Hank and Lefty" (as Merle Haggard would sing in song more than 25 years later); Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold were equally dominating; chart debut of Carl Smith. 1952 in country music, The fall of Hank Williams; Kitty Wells has first solo female No. 1 song with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." Carl Smith becomes only country artist to have two records tied at No. 1 on the modern Billboard country charts ("Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way" and "Don't Just Stand There") 1953 in country music, Death of Hank Williams, Betty Jack Davis; crash that kills Davis will also sideline duet partner Skeeter Davis' career until the end of the 1950s. 1954 in country music, Elvis Presley makes first recordings, one and only appearance on Grand Ole Opry; the rise of the pedal steel guitar; Hank Snow"s "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and the Red Foley-Kitty Wells duet "One by One" are ranked 1-2 for 19 consecutive weeks on Billboard magazine's country "Best Sellers in Stores" chart. 1955 in country music, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Elvis Presley and Porter Wagoner each have first national hits; Webb Pierce spends 40 combined weeks at No. 1 on Billboard country chart's "Best Sellers in Stores" chart with "In the Jailhouse Now" (20 weeks), "I Don't Care" (12 weeks) and "Love Love Love" (eight weeks). Ozark Jubilee premieres on ABC-TV. 1956 in country music, Ray Price, Marty Robbins and Johnny Horton emerge, resurrect traditional country music after the influx of rock and roll threatens the heart of country music. 1957 in country music, Rock-flavored acts — Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson — dominate charts; Patsy Cline debuts on the charts. 1958 in country music, The Nashville sound becomes country music's response to continued encroachment of genre by rock artists; Billboard magazine consolidates best-sellers and disc jockeys' charts into one all-encompassing "Hot C&W Sides" chart. 1959 in country music, Chart debut of Buck Owens and rise of trademark Bakersfield Sound; peak of the saga song, through songs such as "The Battle of New Orleans," "Long Black Veil" and "El Paso."
1960s 1960 in country music, Only four songs reach No. 1 on Billboard magazine country chart during the entire year; chart debut of Loretta Lynn; death of Johnny Horton in car accident; premiere of "The Porter Wagoner Show." 1961 in country music, Country Music Association announces creation of Country Music Hall of Fame; Patsy Cline has first No. 1 hit ("I Fall to Pieces"). 1962 in country music, Ray Charles releases Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. 1963 in country music, Tragedies befall country music, with deaths of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins (plane crash); Jack Anglin (car accident, en route to Cline's funeral) and Texas Ruby (house fire) all in less than a month's span. 1964 in country music, Plane crash kills Jim Reeves; chart debut of Hank Williams Jr. Connie Smith begins her eight-week stay at number one with "Once a Day". 1965 in country music, Return of Eddy Arnold goes along with crossover hit "Make the World Go Away"; multi-Grammy winner with Roger Miller's "King of the Road" 1966 in country music, Chart debuts of Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette and Charley Pride, the latter who goes on to become the most successful black performer in country music; first Academy of Country Music awards show airs (shown on tape-delay on the fading The Jimmy Dean Show). 1967 in country music, First Country Music Association awards (non-televised this year only); Dolly Parton's chart debut, becomes regular on The Porter Wagoner Show. 1968 in country music, Johnny Cash records At Folsom Prison; crossover successes of "Honey," "Harper Valley PTA"; Tammy Wynette records "Stand by Your Man"; final No. 1 hit for Eddy Arnold; death of Red Foley. 1969 in country music, Premieres of Hee Haw, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, The Johnny Cash Show. Marriage of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, known as "The First Couple of Country Music."
1970s 1970 in country music, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty – who each release their signature songs during the year (she with "Coal Miner's Daughter," he with "Hello Darlin'") – record their first duet, "After the Fire is Gone". 1971 in country music, Television's rural purge; African-American singer Charley Pride named CMA Entertainer of the Year; Lynn Anderson's international crossover hit "Rose Garden"; songwriter Freddie Hart becomes overnight superstar with release of "Easy Loving"; Dolly Parton releases signature hit "Coat Of Many Colors." 1972 in country music, Fan Fair debuts; Opryland USA opens; Will the Circle be Unbroken album issued; 13-year-old Tanya Tucker becomes an overnight sensation; Donna Fargo earns country and pop hit with The_Happiest_Girl_in_the_Whole_U.S.A."; Sonny James signs with Columbia Records, leaving Capitol Records after 20 years, has his first No. 1 hit with "When the Snow Is on the Roses" that fall. 1973 in country music, Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium to its new house in Opryland; murder of Stringbean; premiere of "American Country Countdown"; Johnny Rodriguez becomes the first Hispanic country star; rise of Charlie Rich as major star ("Behind Closed Doors", "The Most Beautiful Girl"). 1974 in country music, Rise of British-Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John and her surprise win of the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year award; veteran country performers respond with the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers in attempt to keep country music "country;" Dolly Parton leaves The Porter Wagoner Show. 1975 in country music, Continued backlash over pop-influenced country after John Denver is named CMA Entertainer of the Year; country music records chart highly on the Billboard Hot 100; Willie Nelson becomes major star 15 years after his first recordings with album Redheaded Stranger; divorce of George Jones and Tammy Wynette; deaths of Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell and George Morgan. 1976 in country music, CB radio-song craze hits its peak; Wanted! The Outlaws released; Loretta Lynn's autobiography becomes a New York Times best seller. 1977 in country music, Death of Elvis Presley; six weeks at No. 1 for Waylon Jennings' "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)"; Kenny Rogers makes comeback as solo country singer; Dolly Parton begins recording pop-oriented music instead of merely country, first with "Here You Come Again."