1998 in country music

All you want to know about 1998 in country music

See also: 1997 in country music, 1998 in music, other events of 1998, 1999 in country music, 1990s in music and the List of years in Country Music

Contents

Events

  • January 10 – "Retro Country USA," a weekly two-hour syndicated radio program spotlighting major country hits of the 1980s (along with some from the 1970s and early 1990s), premieres. The show is hosted by Tampa radio personality Ken Cooper.
  • February 25 – Johnny Cash's album, Unchained, wins a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The album had been a critical success but was largely ignored by mainstream country radio, a fact Cash and producer Rick Rubin pick up on when they purchase a full-page advertisement in Billboard magazine. The ad, which appeared in March, featured a young Cash displaying his middle finger and sarcastically "thanking" radio for supporting the album.
  • June 30 – The divorce of Vince and Janis Gill (of Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is finalized.
  • December – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors Willie Nelson for his lifetime contributions to the arts. Nelson is the first primarily country performer so honored.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

Date Song Name Artist Wks. No. 1 Spec.
Note
January 10 A Broken Wing Martina McBride 1
January 17 Just to See You Smile Tim McGraw 6 1
February 28 What If I Said Anita Cochran with Steve Wariner 1 C - Anita Cochran
B - Steve Wariner
  • Wariner's first Top 40 single since 1994's "It Won't Be over You" and his first #1 since 1989's "I Got Dreams". In addition, it was Cochran's only Top 40 country hit.
March 7 Round About Way George Strait 2
March 21 Nothin' but the Taillights Clint Black 2
April 4 Perfect Love Trisha Yearwood 2 B
April 18 Bye, Bye Jo Dee Messina 2 A
May 2 You're Still the One Shania Twain 1
  • Reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak in 15 years for a #1 country song.
May 9 Two Piña Coladas Garth Brooks 1
May 16 This Kiss Faith Hill 3
  • Became Hill's breakthrough pop hit and established her as a major crossover artist.
June 6 I Just Want to Dance with You George Strait 3
June 27 If You See Him/If You See Her Reba McEntire with Brooks & Dunn 2
July 11 The Shoes You're Wearing Clint Black 1
July 18 I Can Still Feel You Collin Raye 2 B
August 1 To Make You Feel My Love Garth Brooks 1
August 8 There's Your Trouble Dixie Chicks 2 A
August 22 I'm Alright Jo Dee Messina 3
September 12 How Long Gone Brooks & Dunn 3
October 3 Where the Green Grass Grows Tim McGraw 4
October 31 Honey, I'm Home Shania Twain 1 B
November 7 Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks 4
December 5 It Must Be Love Ty Herndon 1 B
  • Doug Virden and Drew Womack, then members of Sons of the Desert, sang portions of this song's chorus.
December 12 Let Me Let Go Faith Hill 1
December 19 Husbands and Wives Brooks & Dunn 1
December 26 You're Easy on the Eyes Terri Clark 3 A
  • This song made Clark the fourth Canadian act to reach #1 on the U.S. country charts.
  • 1 – No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard magazine.
  • A - First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B - Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
  • C - Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Other major hits

Peak Single Artist Notes
3 26 Cents The Wilkinsons
16 Absence of the Heart Deana Carter
4 Angel in My Eyes John Michael Montgomery
2 Between the Devil and Me Alan Jackson B
11 A Chance Kenny Chesney
14 Come Some Rainy Day Wynonna
4 Commitment LeAnn Rimes
3 Cover You in Kisses John Michael Montgomery
5 The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy) Wade Hayes
6 Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) Shania Twain
2 Don't Laugh at Me Mark Wills
5 Dream Walkin' Toby Keith
2 Everything's Changed Lonestar
  • This was the last single of Lonestar's career to feature former member John Rich, who was fired from the group in 1998.
4 Forever Love Reba McEntire B
6 From This Moment On Shania Twain with Bryan White
18 Getcha Some Toby Keith
2 Happy Girl Martina McBride
2 He's Got You Brooks & Dunn
20 High on Love Patty Loveless
9 The Hole Randy Travis
2 Holes in the Floor of Heaven Steve Wariner
18 A House with No Curtains Alan Jackson
2 How Do You Fall in Love Alabama B
13 How Do You Sleep at Night Wade Hayes
7 I Can Love You Better Dixie Chicks
2 I Do (Cherish You) Mark Wills
  • This song was later covered by the boy band 98 Degrees.
18 I Might Even Quit Lovin' You Mark Chesnutt
12 I Said a Prayer Pam Tillis
3 I Wanna Fall in Love Lila McCann
9 I Wanna Feel That Way Again Tracy Byrd
20 I Wanna Remember This Linda Davis
3 I'll Go On Loving You Alan Jackson
3 I'm from the Country Tracy Byrd
2 I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying Toby Keith with Sting
  • This is a re-recording of a song which was previously a #84 pop hit for Sting in 1997. The duet version is Sting's only country chart entry.
3 If I Never Stop Loving You David Kersh A
22 If You Can't Be Good (Be Good at It) Neal McCoy
5 If You Ever Have Forever in Mind Vince Gill
4 Imagine That Diamond Rio
7 It Would Be You Gary Allan
9 It's Your Song Garth Brooks
12 Just Between You and Me The Kinleys
3 Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me Faith Hill with Tim McGraw
2 A Little Past Little Rock Lee Ann Womack
3 Little Red Rodeo Collin Raye
11 Lonely Won't Leave Me Alone Trace Adkins
12 Loosen Up My Strings Clint Black
2 Love of My Life Sammy Kershaw B
14 Love Working on You John Michael Montgomery
5 A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Lettin' Go) Ty Herndon
22 Matches Sammy Kershaw
10 Nothin' New Under the Moon LeAnn Rimes
2 Now That I've Found You Terri Clark B
4 On the Side of Angels LeAnn Rimes
2 One of These Days Tim McGraw B
14 One of Those Nights Tonight Lorrie Morgan
16 One Small Miracle Bryan White
2 Out of My Bones Randy Travis
24 Papa Bear Keith Harling
13 Say When Lonestar
2 She's Gonna Make It Garth Brooks B
21 She's Got That Look in Her Eyes Alabama
3 Someone You Used to Know Collin Raye B
16 Stepping Stone Lari White
23 Still in Love with You Travis Tritt
4 Texas Size Heartache Joe Diffie
2 That's Why I'm Here Kenny Chesney B
2 Then What? Clay Walker
2 There Goes My Baby Trisha Yearwood
17 Things Change Dwight Yoakam
  • Yoakam's first Top 40 country hit since 1995's "Nothing".
12 To Have You Back Again Patty Loveless
8 Too Good to Be True Michael Peterson
2 True George Strait A, B
9 Valentine Martina McBride with Jim Brickman
  • This was a re-release of a song that had previously been a #3 adult contemporary hit for Brickman one year previous. It is also Brickman's only Top 40 country hit.
4 We Really Shouldn't Be Doing This George Strait A
18 Where Your Road Leads Trisha Yearwood with Garth Brooks
3 You Move Me Garth Brooks
12 You Walked In Lonestar
19 You'll Never Know Mindy McCready
4 You're Gone Diamond Rio
2 You've Got to Talk to Me Lee Ann Womack

Top new album releases

Other top albums

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major Awards

Grammy awards

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

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 (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.

Other links

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_in_country_music"

No comments have been added.



Your name:

City:

Country:

Your comments:

Security check *
(Please enter the number into adjoining box)

 

  • Ads

           
eXTReMe Tracker