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1988 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1988.

List of years in country music (table)
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Events

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No dates

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  • Time-Life Records releases the first volume of its "Country USA" series. The series, which would eventually include 23 volumes, each chronicles one year per volume – 1950 through 1972. Each volume – offered on two record albums, or one cassette or compact disc – contains liner notes from some of country music's most respected historians. In many cases, the songs offered on each volume represented the first time they had ever been re-released on compact disc. "Country USA" was offered through television and magazine advertisements.
  • The Country Music Association Awards introduced a new award, Vocal Event of the Year, awarding collaborative efforts by two or more artists who normally don't work together (previously such efforts had to be included with Best Duo or Group nominations). The first recipient was the group of Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt for their Trio album.
  • MTM Records is sold and disestablished after four years. During its short stay in the music business, two songs released by MTM will top the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart: Judy Rodman's "Until I Met You" (1986) and S-K-O's "Baby's Got a New Baby" (1987).
  • Real Country, a 24-hour satellite music network focusing on classic country and neotraditional country, is planned for a 1989 launch by country star Buck Owens out of his Phoenix Arizona radio studios and carried by the Satellite Music Network. It is heard primarily in smaller- and medium-sized markets. Real Country was later sold to ABC Disney which then moved the operations to its radio headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Real Country was later sold to Citadel and is now owned and distributed by Cumulus Media.

Top hits of the year

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See also: List of number-one country singles of 1988 (U.S.) and List of number-one country hits of 1988 (Canada)

Singles released by American artists

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US CAN Single Artist
1 1 Addicted Dan Seals
9 5 Always Late with Your Kisses Dwight Yoakam
8 — Americana Moe Bandy
5 — Another Place, Another Time Don Williams
1 3 Baby Blue George Strait
2 1 Baby I'm Yours Steve Wariner
15 33 The Best I Know How The Statler Brothers
10 18 Blue Love The O'Kanes
5 8 Blue to the Bone Sweethearts of the Rodeo
1 2 The Bluest Eyes in Texas Restless Heart
10 10 Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues Charlie Daniels Band
4 4 Button Off My Shirt Ronnie Milsap
9 12 Chill Factor Merle Haggard
6 3 Chiseled in Stone Vern Gosdin
1 1 Cry, Cry, Cry Highway 101
4 8 Crying Shame Michael Johnson
1 1 Darlene T. Graham Brown
7 5 Desperately Don Williams
4 13 Do You Believe Me Now Vern Gosdin
1 1 (Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes Highway 101
1 2 Don't Close Your Eyes Keith Whitley
10 — Don't Give Candy to a Stranger Larry Boone
1 1 Don't We All Have the Right Ricky Van Shelton
1 1 Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses Kathy Mattea
52 18 Every Step of the Way The Wagoneers
11 3 Everybody's Sweetheart Vince Gill
1 1 Face to Face Alabama
6 3 The Factory Kenny Rogers
1 1 Fallin' Again Alabama
1 1 Famous Last Words of a Fool George Strait
4 2 The Gift The McCarters
2 1 Give a Little Love The Judds
8 8 Givers and Takers S-K-B
1 3 Goin' Gone Kathy Mattea
1 1 Gonna Take a Lot of River The Oak Ridge Boys
7 11 Goodbye Time Conway Twitty
4 13 Heaven Can't Be Found Hank Williams Jr.
1 1 He's Back and I'm Blue The Desert Rose Band
14 12 High Ridin' Heroes David Lynn Jones with Waylon Jennings
1 1 Honky Tonk Moon Randy Travis
1 1 I Can't Get Close Enough Exile
1 1 I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried Rodney Crowell
12 14 I Didn't (Every Chance I Had) Johnny Rodriguez
8 34 I Don't Have Far to Fall Skip Ewing
28 16 I Give You Music The McCarters
7 44 I Have You Glen Campbell
1 1 I Know How He Feels Reba McEntire
2 1 I Should Be with You Steve Wariner
12 18 I Still Believe Lee Greenwood
1 1 I Told You So Randy Travis
1 1 I Wanna Dance with You Eddie Rabbitt
18 41 I Want a Love Like That Judy Rodman
7 19 I Will Whisper Your Name Michael Johnson
5 2 I Wish That I Could Fall in Love Today Barbara Mandrell
1 10 I Won't Take Less Than Your Love Tanya Tucker with Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet
9 7 I Wouldn't Be a Man Don Williams
1 1 I'll Always Come Back K. T. Oslin
6 12 I'll Give You All My Love Tonight The Bellamy Brothers
1 1 I'll Leave This World Loving You Ricky Van Shelton
5 17 I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow Billy Joe Royal
1 1 I'm Gonna Get You Eddy Raven
13 33 I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio Charley Pride
3 4 I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl Michael Martin Murphey
18 6 I'm Tired Ricky Skaggs
2 1 I've Been Lookin' Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1 — If It Don't Come Easy Tanya Tucker
10 9 If My Heart Had Windows Patty Loveless
16 37 If Ole Hank Could Only See Us Now Waylon Jennings
8 22 If the South Woulda Won Hank Williams Jr.
1 1 If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin') George Strait
1 1 If You Change Your Mind Rosanne Cash
67 9 If You're Gonna Tell Me Lies Rosemary Sharp
17 15 It Keeps Right on Hurtin' Billy Joe Royal
8 5 It's Only Make Believe Ronnie McDowell
1 1 It's Such a Small World Rodney Crowell and Rosanne Cash
1 1 Joe Knows How to Live Eddy Raven
5 9 Just Lovin' You The O'Kanes
9 3 Just One Kiss Exile
4 4 The Last Resort T. Graham Brown
9 7 Letter Home The Forester Sisters
1 1 Life Turned Her That Way Ricky Van Shelton
18 — A Little Bit Closer Tom Wopat
2 — A Little Bit in Love Patty Loveless
20 — Louisiana Rain John Wesley Ryles
3 9 Love Helps Those Paul Overstreet
4 3 Love of a Lifetime Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
1 1 Love Will Find Its Way to You Reba McEntire
5 5 Lyin' in His Arms Again The Forester Sisters
5 4 Mama Knows Shenandoah
14 16 Midnight Highway Southern Pacific
13 11 Money K. T. Oslin
11 5 My Baby's Gone Sawyer Brown
2 1 New Shade of Blue Southern Pacific
7 2 No More One More Time Jo-El Sonnier
22 7 Nobody's Angel Crystal Gayle
5 — Oh What a Love Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2 12 Old Folks Ronnie Milsap & Mike Reid
1 1 One Friend Dan Seals
2 15 One Step Forward The Desert Rose Band
4 5 One True Love The O'Kanes
11 18 Only Love Can Save Me Now Crystal Gayle
10 7 Out of Sight and on My Mind Billy Joe Royal
6 2 Please, Please Baby Dwight Yoakam
9 4 Real Good Feel Good Song Mel McDaniel
9 19 Rebels Without a Clue The Bellamy Brothers
1 2 Runaway Train Rosanne Cash
5 2 Santa Fe The Bellamy Brothers
5 11 Satisfy You Sweethearts of the Rodeo
9 19 Saturday Night Special Conway Twitty
1 2 Set 'Em Up Joe Vern Gosdin
9 36 She Doesn't Cry Anymore Shenandoah
17 8 She's No Lady Lyle Lovett
81 9 She's Sittin' Pretty Billy Parker
5 29 Shouldn't It Be Easier Than This Charley Pride
16 32 Some Old Side Road Keith Whitley
8 3 Spanish Eyes Willie Nelson with Julio Iglesias
5 47 Still Within the Sound of My Voice Glen Campbell
7 36 Strangers Again Holly Dunn
1 1 Streets of Bakersfield Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens
1 2 Strong Enough to Bend Tanya Tucker
2 2 Summer Wind The Desert Rose Band
5 9 Sunday Kind of Love Reba McEntire
8 8 Sure Thing Foster & Lloyd
16 23 Talkin' to Myself Again Tammy Wynette
4 1 Talkin' to the Wrong Man Michael Martin Murphey (with Ryan Murphey)
9 5 Tear-Stained Letter Jo-El Sonnier
8 2 Tell Me True Juice Newton
1 2 A Tender Lie Restless Heart
1 1 Tennessee Flat Top Box Rosanne Cash
18 — Texas in 1880 Foster & Lloyd
17 10 Thanks Again Ricky Skaggs
6 4 That's My Job Conway Twitty
9 8 That's That Michael Johnson
5 6 That's What Your Love Does to Me Holly Dunn
2 1 This Missin' You Heart of Mine Sawyer Brown
5 6 Timeless and True Love The McCarters
1 1 Too Gone Too Long Randy Travis
5 3 Touch and Go Crazy Lee Greenwood
5 21 True Heart The Oak Ridge Boys
1 5 Turn It Loose The Judds
1 1 Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star Merle Haggard
4 13 Untold Stories Kathy Mattea
1 1 The Wanderer Eddie Rabbitt
1 1 We Believe in Happy Endings Earl Thomas Conley with Emmylou Harris
7 2 We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right Eddie Rabbitt
6 17 What Do You Want from Me This Time Foster & Lloyd
1 2 What She Is (Is a Woman in Love) Earl Thomas Conley
1 1 Wheels Restless Heart
26 16 When You Put Your Heart in It Kenny Rogers
1 1 When You Say Nothing at All Keith Whitley
1 1 Where Do the Nights Go Ronnie Milsap
9 7 Wilder Days Baillie & the Boys
6 8 Wildflowers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
4 6 Workin' Man (Nowhere to Go) Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
72 10 You Are My Angel Billy Parker
20 21 You Can't Fall in Love When You're Cryin' Lee Greenwood
2 2 Young Country Hank Williams Jr.
17 — Your Memory Wins Again Skip Ewing

Singles released by Canadian artists

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US CAN Single Artist
— 8 Angelina George Fox
— 7 Cheater's Moon Carroll Baker
— 15 Cinderella/Gingerbread Man Dick Damron
— 18 The Circle of Wood Wayne Pronger
61 10 Do You Have Any Doubts Alibi
— 8 Fifty Years Ago Ian Tyson
— 17 The Gift Ian Tyson
— 12 Give In Terry Carisse
— 8 Gone So Long The Good Brothers
— 10 Highway to Heaven Stoker Bros
— 14 I Still Think of You Colleen Peterson & Gilles Godard
21 7 I'm Down to My Last Cigarette k.d. lang
— 17 If You're Up for Love Ronnie Prophet
— 10 Isn't That the Strangest Thing Anita Perras & Tim Taylor
— 9 Leanna Ken Harnden
— 15 Listening to the Singer Cindi Cain
— 15 The Music Still in Me Cindi Cain
— 9 One Smokey Rose Anita Perras
— 9 The Rhythm of Romance Michelle Wright
— 8 She Knows I Can't Say No Ken Harnden
— 14 Straight to Your Heart Mercey Brothers
— 10 Thank You for Being My Friend The Ellis Family Band
— 8 Thought Leaving Would Be Easy Terry Carisse
— 1 Til I Find My Love Family Brown
— 7 Town of Tears Family Brown
— 14 You Won't Fool This Fool This Time The Good Brothers
— 7 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' Carroll Baker

Top new album releases

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See also: List of number-one country albums of 1988 (U.S.)
US Album Artist Record Label
8 101² Highway 101 Warner Bros.
1 Alabama Live Alabama RCA
25 All Keyed Up Becky Hobbs MTM
4 Big Dreams in a Small Town Restless Heart RCA
1 Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room Dwight Yoakam Reprise
7 Chiseled in Stone Vern Gosdin Columbia
22 Come as You Were T. Graham Brown Capitol
12 Comin' Home to Stay Ricky Skaggs Epic
7 Copperhead Road Steve Earle MCA
8 Diamonds & Dirt Rodney Crowell Columbia
8 Don't Close Your Eyes Keith Whitley RCA
1 Greatest Hits The Judds Curb/RCA
16 Homesick Heroes The Charlie Daniels Band Epic
7 Honky Tonk Angel Patty Loveless MCA
20 I Should Be with You Steve Wariner MCA
1 If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' George Strait MCA
1 Loving Proof Ricky Van Shelton Columbia
9 Monongahela The Oak Ridge Boys MCA
1 Old 8×10 Randy Travis Warner Bros.
11 One Time, One Night Sweethearts of the Rodeo Columbia
12 Pontiac Lyle Lovett Curb/MCA
6 Rage On Dan Seals Capitol
1 Reba Reba McEntire MCA
11 River of Time Michael Martin Murphey Warner Bros.
9 Shadowland k.d. lang Sire
21 The Statlers Greatest Hits The Statler Brothers Mercury
9 Strong Enough to Bend Tanya Tucker Capitol
25 This Is My Country Lee Greenwood MCA
2 This Woman K. T. Oslin RCA
21 Tired of the Runnin' The O'Kanes Columbia
6 What a Wonderful World Willie Nelson Columbia
1 Wild Streak Hank Williams Jr. Curb/Warner Bros.

Other top albums

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US Album Artist Record Label
51 10 John Anderson MCA
26 Across the Rio Grande Holly Dunn MTM
46 Alive & Well Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Columbia
29 All in Love Marie Osmond Capitol/Curb
29 As I Am Anne Murray Capitol
36 The Best of Eddy Raven Eddy Raven RCA
60 Brand New Gary Stewart Hightone
52 Chasing Rainbows Mickey Gilley Airborne
61 A Christmas Tradition, Vol. II Various Artists Warner Bros.
29 The Coast of Colorado Skip Ewing MCA
56 Every Christmas Gary Morris Warner Bros.
33 Exchange of Hearts David Slater Capitol
36 Full Circle Waylon Jennings MCA
36 The Gift The McCarters Warner Bros.
66 Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers RCA
27 Greatest Hits Volume Two Lee Greenwood MCA
33 The Heart of It All Earl Thomas Conley RCA
49 Higher Ground John Denver Windstar
37 Hot Dog! Buck Owens Capitol
51 I Guess I Just Missed You Canyon 16th Avenue
52 I Never Made a Record I Didn't Like Ray Stevens MCA
34 I Wanna Dance With You Eddie Rabbitt RCA
35 I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight Barbara Mandrell Capitol
36 I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio Charley Pride 16th Avenue
45 I'm Still Missing You Ronnie McDowell Curb
33 If My Heart Had Windows Patty Loveless MCA
64 Just Enough Love Ray Price Step One
58 Light Years Glen Campbell MCA
27 Little Love Affairs Nanci Griffith MCA
60 Live at the Opry Patsy Cline MCA
62 Making Believe Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn MCA
64 New Faces of Country Various Artists K-Tel
28 No Regrets Moe Bandy Curb
63 Nobody's Angel Crystal Gayle Warner Bros.
51 Now You're Talkin' Mel McDaniel Capitol
43 One Fair Summer Evening Nanci Griffith MCA
45 Rebels Without a Clue The Bellamy Brothers Curb/MCA
26 Running The Desert Rose Band Curb/MCA
64 Saddle the Wind Janie Frickie Columbia
30 Sincerely The Forester Sisters Warner Bros.
28 Still in Your Dreams Conway Twitty MCA
47 Stout & High The Wagoneers A&M
47 Swingin' Doors, Sawdust Floors Larry Boone Mercury
39 View from the House Kim Carnes MCA
48 Water from the Wells of Home Johnny Cash Mercury
34 Western Standard Time Asleep at the Wheel Epic
33 Wide Open Sawyer Brown Capitol/Curb
63 Who Was That Stranger Loretta Lynn MCA
33 Workin' Band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Warner Bros.
27 Zuma Southern Pacific Warner Bros.

On television

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Regular series

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Specials

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Births

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Deaths

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  • August 24 – Nat Stuckey, 54, singer-songwriter whose biggest hit-making time was the 1960s and 1970s (lung cancer).
  • September 20 – Leon McAuliffe, 71, prominent member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys and a star in his own right.
  • December 6 – Roy Orbison, 52, American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll.

Hall of Fame inductees

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Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

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Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

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Major awards

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Grammy Awards

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Juno Awards

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Academy of Country Music

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ARIA Awards

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(presented in Sydney on February 29, 1988)

Canadian Country Music Association

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Country Music Association

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Further reading

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  • 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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References

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  1. ^ "Universal Label Makes Big Nashville Splash" (PDF). Radio & Records: 1, 30. December 9, 1988.
  2. ^ Dan Rosenfeld (December 23, 1988). "Is 'The King' back? New song may be by Elvis or may be a 'very cruel hoax'". The Jersey Journal. p. 15. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
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