1989 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1989.

Events May 9 – Rising country star Keith Whitley is found dead at his home, a victim of alcohol poisoning. News of his death sent shockwaves through the industry, given that he had been hailed as a future superstar who helped bring neotraditionalism to the forefront during the 1980s. His widow, Lorrie Morgan, would become a major superstar after his death. October 28- Bill Monroe celebrates his 50th Grand Ole opry anniversary

No dates 1989 was one of two years during the 1980s which sprouted the most prolific class of newcomers in country music history (1986 being the other), a trend that had not been seen since the mid-1950s (when artists such as Elvis Presley, George Jones and Johnny Cash first rose to fame). Clint Black was at the head of the class early on, given that he had two of the year's most memorable singles – "A Better Man" and "Killin' Time" – and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year (Killin' Time), and was already selling out shows nationwide. Garth Brooks, however, proved to be the 1989 newcomer that stood head and shoulders above everyone else, eventually selling millions of albums, taking worldwide tours and creating some of the most influential music of the 1990s and beyond. Another newcomer, Alan Jackson, had a minor hit with his first release in the autumn of that year with "Blue Blooded Woman;" future singles – all featuring the neotraditional style, would do considerably better, to say the least. Travis Tritt contributed with his brand of rock-influenced country, while Lorrie Morgan (daughter of Grand Ole Opry legend George Morgan) became a star in her own right following the alcohol-poisoning death of her husband, Keith Whitley. Other top newcomers of the year were Suzy Bogguss, and Lionel Cartwright.

Top hits of the year

Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist18145:01 BluesMerle Haggard11Above and BeyondRodney Crowell11Ace in the HoleGeorge Strait11After All This TimeRodney Crowell510All the FunPaul Overstreet52All the Reasons WhyHighway 101432An American FamilyThe Oak Ridge Boys1429And So It GoesJohn Denver/The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band45Any Way the Wind BlowsSouthern Pacific16Are You Ever Gonna Love MeHolly Dunn11Baby's Gotten Good at GoodbyeGeorge Strait2024Back in the FireGene Watson11Bayou BoysEddy Raven410A Better Love Next TimeMerle Haggard11A Better ManClint Black710Beyond Those YearsThe Oak Ridge Boys35Big Dreams in a Small TownRestless Heart58Big LoveThe Bellamy Brothers11Big Wheels in the MoonlightDan Seals47Blue Side of TownPatty Loveless1321BorderlineThe Shooters1542Breaking New GroundWild Rose1010Bridges and WallsThe Oak Ridge Boys35Burnin' a Hole in My HeartSkip Ewing14Burnin' Old MemoriesKathy Mattea45Call on MeTanya Tucker11Cathy's ClownReba McEntire11Change of HeartThe Judds11The Church on Cumberland RoadShenandoah1524The Coast of ColoradoSkip Ewing75Come as You WereT. Graham Brown11Come from the HeartKathy Mattea922Country ClubTravis Tritt1417Cross My Broken HeartSuzy Bogguss912Dear MeLorrie Morgan11Deeper Than the HollerRandy Travis55Don't Toss Us AwayPatty Loveless56Don't Waste It on the BluesGene Watson915Don't YouThe Forester Sisters12Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)Ronnie Milsap67Down That Road TonightNitty Gritty Dirt Band1414Early in the Morning and Late at NightHank Williams Jr.55Fair ShakeFoster & Lloyd65Finders Are KeepersHank Williams Jr.11From a Jack to a KingRicky Van Shelton32From the Word GoMichael Martin Murphey37Give Me His Last ChanceLionel Cartwright1011The Gospel According to LukeSkip Ewing1325The HeartLacy J. Dalton83Heartbreak HillEmmylou Harris1616Heaven Only KnowsEmmylou Harris1111Hello TroubleThe Desert Rose Band21Hey BobbyK. T. Oslin11High CottonAlabama21Highway RobberyTanya Tucker11Hold MeK. T. Oslin64Hold On (A Little Longer)Steve Wariner41Hole in My PocketRicky Van Shelton53Honey I Dare YouSouthern Pacific65Honky Tonk HeartHighway 1011928House on Old Lonesome RoadConway Twitty412Houston SolutionRonnie Milsap1944How DoMary Chapin Carpenter11I Don't Want to Spoil the PartyRosanne Cash912I Feel FineSweethearts of the Rodeo13I Got DreamsSteve Wariner55I Got YouDwight Yoakam1637I Just Called to Say Goodbye AgainLarry Boone2112I Know What I've GotJ.C. Crowley11I Sang DixieDwight Yoakam11I Still Believe in YouThe Desert Rose Band44I Wish I Was Still in Your DreamsConway Twitty11I Wonder Do You Think of MeKeith Whitley1619I'll Be Lovin' YouLee Greenwood55(I'm A) One Woman ManGeorge Jones11I'm No Stranger to the RainKeith Whitley11I'm Still CrazyVern Gosdin411I've Been Loved by the BestDon Williams1721If I Ever Go CrazyThe Shooters11If I Had YouAlabama12If Tomorrow Never ComesGarth Brooks11In a Letter to YouEddy Raven11Is It Still Over?Randy Travis1113(It's Always Gonna Be) SomedayHolly Dunn11It's Just a Matter of TimeRandy Travis11Killin' TimeClint Black53Let It Be YouRicky Skaggs11Let Me Tell You About LoveThe Judds1224Let's Get Started If We're Gonna Break My HeartThe Statler Brothers49Life as We Knew ItKathy Mattea1421Like Father Like SonLionel Cartwright11Living ProofRicky Van Shelton65The Lonely Side of LovePatty Loveless53Long ShotBaillie & the Boys43Love Has No RightBilly Joe Royal12Love Out LoudEarl Thomas Conley720Love WillThe Forester Sisters11Lovin' Only MeRicky Skaggs613More Than a Name on a WallThe Statler Brothers89Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)Garth Brooks1915My Train of ThoughtBarbara Mandrell 921Never Givin' Up on LoveMichael Martin Murphey86Never Had It So GoodMary Chapin Carpenter11New Fool at an Old GameReba McEntire11Nothing I Can Do About It NowWillie Nelson52Old Coyote TownDon Williams43One Good WellDon Williams23Out of Your ShoesLorrie Morgan138Paint the Town and Hang the Moon TonightJ. C. Crowley3011Planet TexasKenny Rogers1712PromisesRandy Travis53The Race Is OnSawyer Brown41Say What's in Your HeartRestless Heart74Setting Me UpHighway 10185She Deserves YouBaillie & the Boys34She Don't Love NobodyThe Desert Rose Band2310She Reminded Me of YouMickey Gilley11She's Crazy for Leavin'Rodney Crowell624She's Gone, Gone, GoneGlen Campbell24She's Got a Single Thing in MindConway Twitty19—She's ThereDaniele Alexander811SincerelyThe Forester Sisters11Song of the SouthAlabama941Sowin' LovePaul Overstreet11Sunday in the SouthShenandoah22Tell It Like It IsBilly Joe Royal48There Goes My Heart AgainHolly Dunn79There's a Tear in My BeerHank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams54They Rage OnDan Seals52This WomanK. T. Oslin45'Til Love Comes AgainReba McEntire47'Til You CryEddy Raven11Timber, I'm Falling in LovePatty Loveless2034Trainwreck of EmotionLorrie Morgan11Two Dozen RosesShenandoah95Up and GoneJennifer McCarter & The McCarters826The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You)Kenny Rogers11What I'd SayEarl Thomas Conley12What's Going On in Your WorldGeorge Strait11Where Did I Go WrongSteve Wariner21Who You Gonna Blame It on This TimeVern Gosdin11Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like ThatDolly Parton1936Wine Me UpLarry Boone44(Wish I Had A) Heart of StoneBaillie & the Boys11A Woman in LoveRonnie Milsap11Yellow RosesDolly Parton19—You Ain't Down HomeJann Browne611You Ain't Goin' NowhereChris Hillman & Roger McGuinn73You Got ItRoy Orbison1415You Still DoT. G. Sheppard1014You'll Never Be SorryThe Bellamy Brothers11Young Love (Strong Love)The Judds

Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—10As Long as We Both Shall LoveCarroll Baker—8Blue Jeans BoyJ. K. Gulley—15C-Luv RadioMike Terry—7Cowboy in Your HeartGary Fjellgaard—12The Cowboy Thing To DoBootleg—7Do Right by MeMichelle Wright—10Donna LeeGreg Paul—20Don't You Cry For MeThe Ellis Family Band—19Fiddle Texas StyleCindi Cain221Full Moon Full of Lovek.d. lang—9GoldmineGeorge Fox—20How LongBlue Rodeo—9I Didn't Know YouAudie Henry—10I Think That I'll Be Needing YouCindi Cain—7I Wish I Were Only LonelyMichelle Wright289If I Ever Fall in Love AgainAnne Murray with Kenny Rogers—13In My DreamsLaura Vinson—17Just a Place Where Mem'ries LiveCindi Cain—8Let's Build A Life TogetherFamily Brown—16Long DistanceGeorge Fox—12Love With a Capital "L"Murray McLauchlan—19The Lucky OnesWillie P. Bennett—10The Moon Is Out to Get MeGary Fjellgaard with Linda Kidder—16Old Broken HeartGreg Paul—7Rock Me GentlyMichelle Wright—10Someday I'm Gonna Ride in a CadillacMatt Minglewood—9The Tip of My FingersAnita Perras—15Train of LifeGreat Western Orchestra

1989 in country music

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