This article has multiple issues. Please help
or discuss these issues on the
talk page .
(Learn how and when to remove these template messages )
This article
needs additional citations for verification .
Please help by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: – · · · scholar · JSTOR (April 2015 ) (Learn how and when to remove this template message )
(Learn how and when to remove this template message )
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1987.
Overview of the events of 1987 in country music
Events [ ]
June 13 — Randy Travis ' "Forever and Ever, Amen " spends three weeks at No. 1 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It is the first multi-week chart-topping song since "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night) " by Ronnie Milsap spent two weeks atop the chart in September 1985; in that time span, 85 songs would rotate in and out of the chart's top spot. Incidentally, only three other songs during the entire 1980s decade — all of them in 1980 — would spend more than two weeks at No. 1, owing much to how Billboard compiled the chart data at the time.
September — Dolly Parton 's much anticipated TV variety series, Dolly , premieres on ABC in September. Despite a promising start (due to strong ratings in its early weeks), the show was panned by critics and its audience began to lose interest. After a continual decline on viewership, the series was cancelled at the end of the 1987–1988 season.
No dates [ ]
46-year-old singer-songwriter K.T. Oslin becomes the success story of the year with her hit "80s Ladies," a Grammy Award-winner which told the story of three friends from childhood who stayed together through an era of social change. The song spawned an award-winning video as well and despite only reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, was one of the most played songs of the year. Oslin's rise to fame in her mid-40s came at a time when mainstream country radio was beginning to shun older female artists in lieu of younger, more attractive stars.
Top hits of the year [ ]
See also: List of number-one country singles of 1987 (U.S.) and List of number-one country hits of 1987 (Canada)
Singles released by American artists [ ]
US
CAN
Single
Artist
7
4
80's Ladies
K. T. Oslin
86
17
Ain't No Cure for Love
Jennifer Warnes
1
1
All My Ex's Live in Texas
George Strait
1
1
Am I Blue
George Strait
16
35
American Me
S-K-O
4
—
Another World
Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris
2
2
Baby's Got a Hold on Me
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1
—
Baby's Got a New Baby
S-K-O
4
8
The Bed You Made for Me
Highway 101
10
9
Bonnie Jean (Little Sister)
David Lynn Jones
1
1
Born to Boogie
Hank Williams, Jr.
9
4
Brilliant Conversationalist
T. Graham Brown
1
1
Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You
The O'Kanes
6
1
The Carpenter
John Conlee
4
7
Chains of Gold
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
16
30
Changin' Partners
Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
13
14
Child Support
Barbara Mandrell
5
3
Cinderella
Vince Gill
10
23
Cowboy Man
Lyle Lovett
3
7
Crazy from the Heart
The Bellamy Brothers
4
—
Crazy Over You
Foster & Lloyd
7
5
Crime of Passion
Ricky Van Shelton
1
2
Cry Myself to Sleep
The Judds
9
12
Daddies Need to Grow Up Too
The O'Kanes
10
10
Deep River Woman
Lionel Richie with Alabama
85
17
Didn't You Go and Leave Me
Rosemary Sharp
1
3
Do Ya
K. T. Oslin
4
5
Domestic Life
John Conlee
10
4
Don't Be Cruel
The Judds
1
1
Don't Go to Strangers
T. Graham Brown
20
19
Don't Touch Me There
Charly McClain
4
7
A Face in the Crowd
Michael Martin Murphey and Holly Dunn
2
2
Fallin' for You for Years
Conway Twitty
8
11
Fallin' Out
Waylon Jennings
7
5
Fire in the Sky
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1
1
Fishin' in the Dark
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
7
11
Forever
The Statler Brothers
1
1
Forever and Ever, Amen
Randy Travis
16
18
Full Grown Fool
Mickey Gilley
7
10
Girls Ride Horses Too
Judy Rodman
13
18
Give Back My Heart
Lyle Lovett
1
3
Give Me Wings
Michael Johnson
18
23
God Will
Lyle Lovett
8
10
Goodbye's All We've Got Left
Steve Earle
10
11
Gotta Get Away
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
9
6
Gotta Have You
Eddie Rabbitt
2
3
Half Past Forever (Till I'm Blue in the Heart)
T. G. Sheppard
6
6
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Glen Campbell (with Steve Wariner )
10
—
Hard Livin'
Keith Whitley
14
50
Have I Got Some Blues for You
Charley Pride
18
39
He's Letting Go
Baillie & the Boys
9
25
Homecoming '63
Keith Whitley
17
12
House of Blue Lights
Asleep at the Wheel
1
1
How Do I Turn You On
Ronnie Milsap
1
3
I Can't Win for Losin' You
Earl Thomas Conley
1
1
I Know Where I'm Going
The Judds
14
19
I Only Wanted You
Marie Osmond
2
2
I Prefer the Moonlight
Kenny Rogers
2
2
I Want to Know You Before We Make Love
Conway Twitty
1
1
I Will Be There
Dan Seals
1
1
I Won't Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)
Randy Travis
10
24
I'll Be the One
The Statler Brothers
5
9
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Judy Rodman
2
1
I'll Come Back as Another Woman
Tanya Tucker
4
15
I'll Never Be in Love Again
Don Williams
1
1
I'll Still Be Loving You
Restless Heart
9
24
If There's Any Justice
Lee Greenwood
1
1
It Takes a Little Rain (To Make Love Grow)
The Oak Ridge Boys
31
7
It Won't Hurt
Dwight Yoakam
8
12
It's Only Over for You
Tanya Tucker
2
3
Julia
Conway Twitty
1
3
Kids of the Baby Boom
The Bellamy Brothers
37
20
Killbilly Hill
Southern Pacific
1
2
The Last One to Know
Reba McEntire
1
1
Leave Me Lonely
Gary Morris
4
5
Let the Music Lift You Up
Reba McEntire
16
17
Let's Do Something
Vince Gill
7
3
Little Sister
Dwight Yoakam
8
1
Little Ways
Dwight Yoakam
1
1
A Long Line of Love
Michael Martin Murphey
10
7
Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This
Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White
2
3
Love Me Like You Used To
Tanya Tucker
6
5
Love Reunited
The Desert Rose Band
2
2
Love Someone Like Me
Holly Dunn
6
4
Love, You Ain't Seen the Last of Me
John Schneider
1
1
Lynda
Steve Wariner
1
1
Make No Mistake, She's Mine
Kenny Rogers and Ronnie Milsap
11
7
Mama's Rockin' Chair
John Conlee
1
1
Maybe Your Baby's Got the Blues
The Judds
4
6
Midnight Girl/Sunset Town
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
1
2
The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder
Michael Johnson
1
1
Mornin' Ride
Lee Greenwood
19
37
No Easy Horses
S-K-B
2
1
No Place Like Home
Randy Travis
20
7
Nowhere Road
Steve Earle
1
1
Ocean Front Property
George Strait
9
17
Oh Heart
Baillie & the Boys
11
—
Old Bridges Burn Slow
Billy Joe Royal
2
2
One for the Money
T. G. Sheppard
1
1
One Promise Too Late
Reba McEntire
4
7
Only When I Love
Holly Dunn
9
9
Plain Brown Wrapper
Gary Morris
76
17
Real Good Heartache
Rosemary Sharp
1
1
Right from the Start
Earl Thomas Conley
3
5
Right Hand Man
Eddy Raven
8
6
The Right Left Hand
George Jones
16
14
The Rock and Roll of Love
Tom Wopat
1
1
Rose in Paradise
Waylon Jennings
6
18
Rough and Rowdy Days
Waylon Jennings
9
12
Señorita
Don Williams
4
3
She Couldn't Love Me Anymore
T. Graham Brown
9
—
She Thinks That She'll Marry
Judy Rodman
1
1
She's Too Good to Be True
Exile
1
1
Shine, Shine, Shine
Eddy Raven
1
1
Small Town Girl
Steve Wariner
1
1
Snap Your Fingers
Ronnie Milsap
1
5
Somebody Lied
Ricky Van Shelton
5
3
Someone
Lee Greenwood
1
1
Somewhere Tonight
Highway 101
1
2
Straight to the Heart
Crystal Gayle
20
—
Susannah
Tom Wopat
37
19
Sweet Little '66
Steve Earle
10
7
Take the Long Way Home
John Schneider
4
3
Talkin' to the Moon
Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers
7
4
Tar Top
Alabama
3
6
Telling Me Lies
Dolly Parton , Linda Ronstadt , Emmylou Harris
1
2
That Was a Close One
Earl Thomas Conley
3
4
Then It's Love
Don Williams
1
2
This Crazy Love
The Oak Ridge Boys
5
1
Those Memories of You
Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
1
1
Three Time Loser
Dan Seals
6
10
Till I'm Too Old to Die Young
Moe Bandy
17
35
Time In
The Oak Ridge Boys
1
1
To Know Him Is to Love Him
Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
5
4
Too Many Rivers
The Forester Sisters
6
15
Train of Memories
Kathy Mattea
2
2
Twenty Years Ago
Kenny Rogers
1
1
The Way We Make a Broken Heart
Rosanne Cash
1
1
The Weekend
Steve Wariner
1
1
What Am I Gonna Do About You
Reba McEntire
9
7
What Can I Do with My Heart
Juice Newton
20
10
When a Woman Cries
Janie Fricke
2
1
Whiskey, If You Were a Woman
Highway 101
1
1
Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right)
Restless Heart
15
24
Why I Don't Know
Lyle Lovett
1
3
You Again
The Forester Sisters
11
—
You Haven't Heard the Last of Me
Moe Bandy
1
1
You Still Move Me
Dan Seals
2
5
You're My First Lady
T. G. Sheppard
3
6
You're Never Too Old for Young Love
Eddy Raven
5
—
You're the Power
Kathy Mattea
1
1
"You've Got" the Touch
Alabama
12
13
Your Love
Tammy Wynette
Singles released by Canadian artists [ ]
US
CAN
Single
Artist
—
8
All I Really Need
20
10
Are You Still in Love with Me
Anne Murray
—
6
Arms That Love (Hearts That Don't)
Carroll Baker
—
19
Better Off Alone
The Good Brothers
—
9
Cowboy Pride
Ian Tyson
—
10
Death and Taxes and Me Lovin' You
Carroll Baker
—
15
Denim Blue Eyes
Sylvia Tyson
—
14
Diamonds in the Dark
with
—
9
Heroes
Mercey Brothers
—
10
I Love You More
Family Brown
—
20
I've Found Someone Too
Anita Perras
—
16
Listen to My Heart
—
11
New Fool at an Old Game
Michelle Wright
—
9
No Holiday in L.A.
Ronnie Prophet
—
13
None of the Feeling Is Gone
Terry Carisse with Michelle Wright
—
3
Old Photographs
Terry Carisse
—
8
Raised by the Radio
Mercey Brothers
84
11
Roller Coaster
—
13
Say When
—
14
Small Talk
Glory-Anne Carriere
—
10
Starting Forever Again
Terry Carisse
—
15
Taste of Romance
—
20
Too Short a Ride
Sylvia Tyson
—
14
True Blue
—
1
Try
Blue Rodeo
—
10
Walk in the Rain Tonight
Gary Fjellgaard
—
20
What a Fool I'd Be
Colleen Peterson
Top new album releases [ ]
See also: List of number-one country albums of 1987 (U.S.)
US
Album
Artist
Record Label
16
10
Asleep at the Wheel
Epic
14
20 Greatest Hits
Don Williams
MCA
1
80's Ladies
K. T. Oslin
RCA
18
After All This Time
Charley Pride
16th Avenue
1
Always & Forever
Randy Travis
Warner Bros.
23
Angel Band
Emmylou Harris
Warner Bros.
7
The Best
Dan Seals
Capitol
25
Borderline
Conway Twitty
MCA
1
Born to Boogie
Hank Williams, Jr.
Curb/Warner Bros.
23
Brilliant Conversationalist
T. Graham Brown
Capitol
8
Chill Factor
Merle Haggard
Epic
17
Come On Joe
Jo-El Sonnier
RCA
22
Cornerstone
Holly Dunn
MTM
21
Country Rap
The Bellamy Brothers
Curb/MCA
25
Crackin' Up
Ray Stevens
MCA
24
The Desert Rose Band
The Desert Rose Band
Curb/MCA
15
Exit 0
Steve Earle & The Dukes
MCA
2
Greatest Hits
Reba McEntire
MCA
22
Greatest Hits
John Schneider
MCA
25
Greatest Hits
Steve Wariner
MCA
1
Greatest Hits Volume Two
George Strait
MCA
19
Hangin' Tough
Waylon Jennings
MCA
1
Hank Live
Hank Williams, Jr.
Curb/Warner Bros.
9
Harmony
Anne Murray
Capitol
13
Heart & Soul
Ronnie Milsap
RCA
20
Heartbeat
The Oak Ridge Boys
MCA
1
Heartland
The Judds
Curb/RCA
7
Highway 101
Highway 101
Warner Bros.
1
Hillbilly Deluxe
Dwight Yoakam
Reprise
24
Hits
Gary Morris
Warner Bros.
14
Hold On
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Warner Bros.
18
I Prefer the Moonlight
Kenny Rogers
RCA
14
Island in the Sea
Willie Nelson
Columbia
1
Just Us
Alabama
RCA
6
King's Record Shop
Rosanne Cash
Columbia
3
The Last One to Know
Reba McEntire
MCA
23
Lone Star State of Mind
Nanci Griffith
MCA
10
Love Me Like You Used To
Tanya Tucker
Capitol
22
A Man Called Hoss
Waylon Jennings
MCA
9
Maple Street Memories
The Statler Brothers
Mercury
1
Ocean Front Property
George Strait
MCA
18
Rainbow
Dolly Parton
Columbia
18
Right Hand Man
Eddy Raven
RCA
5
The Royal Treatment
Billy Joe Royal
Atlantic
13
Shelter from the Night
Exile
Epic
16
Somewhere in the Night
Sawyer Brown
Capitol/Curb
24
Sure Feels Good
Barbara Mandrell
EMI America
14
Too Wild Too Long
George Jones
Epic
1
Trio
Dolly Parton , Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris
Warner Bros.
11
Untasted Honey
Kathy Mattea
Mercury
13
The Way Back Home
Vince Gill
RCA
25
What If We Fall in Love?
Crystal Gayle & Gary Morris
Warner Bros.
14
Where the Fast Lane Ends
The Oak Ridge Boys
MCA
1
Wild-Eyed Dream
Ricky Van Shelton
Columbia
13
You Again
The Forester Sisters
Warner Bros.
10
You Haven't Heard the Last of Me
Moe Bandy
Curb
Other top albums [ ]
US
Album
Artist
Record Label
29
After Midnight
Janie Frickie
Columbia
37
Ain't No Binds
The Whites
MCA
32
Americana
Michael Martin Murphey
Warner Bros.
56
Angel with a Lariat
k.d. lang
Sire
48
Back to Basics
Mickey Gilley
Epic
27
Baillie & the Boys
Baillie & the Boys
RCA
53
The Best of Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle
Warner Bros.
41
Blue Skies Again
John Anderson
MCA
51
Break the Routine
The Kendalls
Step One
63
Celebration
Janie Frickie
Columbia
66
A Christmas Card
The Forester Sisters
Warner Bros.
57
A Christmas Tradition
Various Artists
Warner Bros.
49
Christmas Time with The Judds
The Judds
Curb/RCA
47
Country Collection
Various Artists
K-Tel
48
Country Now
Various Artists
K-Tel
50
Crazy from the Heart
The Bellamy Brothers
Curb/MCA
69
A Crystal Christmas
Crystal Gayle
Warner Bros.
59
Emotion
Juice Newton
RCA
33
Foster & Lloyd
Foster & Lloyd
RCA
43
Greatest Hits
Mel McDaniel
Capitol
59
Greatest Hits
Sylvia
RCA
41
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Ray Stevens
MCA
62
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Ray Stevens
MCA
28
Hard Times on Easy Street
David Lynn Jones
Mercury
43
Higher Ground
Tammy Wynette
Epic
54
Honky Tonk Crazy
Gene Watson
Epic
38
If There's Any Justice
Lee Greenwood
MCA
29
It's a Crazy World
Steve Wariner
MCA
36
Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town
Johnny Cash
Mercury/PolyGram
54
Larry Boone
Larry Boone
Mercury
63
The Lonesome Jubilee
John Mellencamp
Mercury
50
A Matter of Life... and Death
David Allan Coe
Columbia
72
Merry Christmas to You
Reba McEntire
MCA
54
Modern Times
Johnny Paycheck
Mercury/PolyGram
52
No Easy Horses
S-K-B
MTM
47
One for the Money
T. G. Sheppard
Columbia
55
The Only One
O. B. McClinton
Epic
71
The Patsy Cline Story
Patsy Cline
MCA
29
A Place Called Love
Judy Rodman
MTM
49
Rattlesnake Annie
Rattlesnake Annie
Columbia
60
Romeo's Escape
Dave Alvin
Epic
65
Rosie Flores
Rosie Flores
Reprise
31
Seashores of Old Mexico
Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson
Epic
35
Still I Stay
Charly McClain
Epic
32
Still within the Sound of My Voice
Glen Campbell
MCA
26
Super Hits
George Jones
Epic
39
Walking the Line
Merle Haggard , George Jones & Willie Nelson
Epic
42
What a Girl Next Door Could Do
Girls Next Door
MTM
41
You Ain't Seen the Last of Me
John Schneider
MCA
On television [ ]
Regular series [ ]
Dolly (1987–1988, ABC)
Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)
Specials [ ]
Births [ ]
January 31 – Tyler Hubbard , member of Florida Georgia Line, a duo of the 2010s.
May 7 – Russell Dickerson , country performer of the 2010s onward.
August 16 – Dan Smyers , member of Dan + Shay, a rising duo of the 2010s.
September 25 — Greg Bates , up-and-coming country singer of the early 2010s.
October 17 - Jameson Rodgers , up-and-coming country singer-songwriter of the early 2020s.
Deaths [ ]
June 25 – Boudleaux Bryant , 67, songwriter (with wife Felice) of many 1950s and 1960s hits.
Hall of Fame inductees [ ]
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees [ ]
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees [ ]
Major awards [ ]
Grammy Awards [ ]
Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "80's Ladies ", K. T. Oslin
Best Male Country Vocal Performance — Always & Forever , Randy Travis
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — Trio , Dolly Parton , Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Make No Mistake, She's Mine ," Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers
Best Country Instrumental Performance — "String of Pars," Asleep at the Wheel
Best Country Song — "Forever and Ever, Amen ," Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz (Performer: Randy Travis)
Juno Awards [ ]
Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Ian Tyson
Country Female Vocalist of the Year — k.d. lang
Country Group or Duo of the Year — Prairie Oyster
Academy of Country Music [ ]
Entertainer of the Year — Hank Williams, Jr.
Song of the Year — "Forever and Ever, Amen ," Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz (Performer: Randy Travis )
Single of the Year — "Forever and Ever, Amen," Randy Travis
Album of the Year — Trio , Emmylou Harris , Dolly Parton , and Linda Ronstadt
Top Male Vocalist — Randy Travis
Top Female Vocalist — Reba McEntire
Top Vocal Duo — The Judds
Top Vocal Group — Highway 101
Top New Male Vocalist — Ricky Van Shelton
Top New Female Vocalist — K. T. Oslin
Video of the Year — "80's Ladies ", K. T. Oslin (Director: Jack Cole)
ARIA Awards [ ]
(presented in Sydney on March 2, 1987)
Canadian Country Music Association [ ]
Entertainer of the Year — k.d. lang
Male Artist of the Year — Ian Tyson
Female Artist of the Year — Anita Perras
Group of the Year — Family Brown
SOCAN Song of the Year — "Heroes" Gary Fjellgaard (Performer: Mercey Brothers )
Single of the Year — "Navajo Rug", Ian Tyson
Album of the Year — Cowboyography , Ian Tyson
Top Selling Album — Storms of Life , Randy Travis
Vista Rising Star Award — k.d. lang
Duo of the Year — Anita Perras and
Country Music Association [ ]
Entertainer of the Year — Hank Williams, Jr.
Song of the Year — "Forever and Ever, Amen ," Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz (Performer: Randy Travis )
Single of the Year — "Forever and Ever, Amen," Randy Travis
Album of the Year — Always & Forever , Randy Travis
Male Vocalist of the Year — Randy Travis
Female Vocalist of the Year — Reba McEntire
Vocal Duo of the Year — Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White
Vocal Group of the Year — The Judds
Horizon Award — Holly Dunn
Music Video of the Year — "My Name Is Bocephus," Hank Williams, Jr. (Directors: Bill Fishman and Preacher Ewing)
Instrumentalist of the Year — Johnny Gimble
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 [ ]