EVERY Billboard #1 country hit discussion thread 1985-1989

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by W.B., Aug 12, 2020.

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  1. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Next up . . .
    "Until I Met You" by Judy Rodman
    (#1 for 1 week - July 19, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - the only #1 to her name as a recording artist.
     
    KaBluie likes this.
  2. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    At last, a song I know! I'm still amazed by the number of songs posted in this thread that I have no knowledge of whatsoever. I thought I sort of kept up with country during the mid-80s, but that's obviously not the case.

    When I started working in country radio again in March 0f 1987, the station was playing this one as a recent oldie. It's a very nice song; however, I was a huge fan of one of Judy's subsequent releases, "I Want a Love Like That," which hit the charts in December of that year but only made it to #18 — the last of Judy's charted singles.

    "I Want a Love Like That" was co-written by Janis Ian, who at that time was a staff writer for the MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) label. You can hear Janis doing backing vocals.

    I think this is one of the most moving country songs of the last quarter of the 20th century.

     
  3. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for the first of many Number Ones for this artist . . .
    "On The Other Hand" by Randy Travis
    (#1 for 1 week - July 26, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry
     
    McLover likes this.
  4. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Yet again, we advance . . .
    "Nobody In His Right Mind Would've Left Her" by George Strait
    (#1 for 1 week - August 2, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry
     
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  5. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now on to a Forum favorite (or favorites) . . .
    "Rockin' With The Rhythm Of The Rain" by The Judds (Wynonna And Naomi)
    (#1 for 1 week - August 9, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - why, when hearing the intro, do I think it sounds like that for Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love A Rainy Night"?
     
    McLover likes this.
  6. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Next stop . . .
    "You're The Last Thing I Needed Tonight" by John Schneider
    (#1 for 1 week - August 16, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - the last Number One for the former "Bo Duke" of Hazzard.
     
  7. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Moving on to . . .
    "Strong Heart" by T. G. Sheppard
    (#1 for 1 week - August 23, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - would be Mr. Sheppard's final topper.
     
  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Randy Travis was about the only country artist I respected during this era. I guess it's because he always leaned toward an R&B sound. In a lot of ways, Travis reminded me of soul crooner Brook Benton, and not just because he covered "Just A Matter Of Time". He also had a strong ear for traditional country. he never overemphasized twang.
     
    MDNA4ever likes this.
  9. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Yeah, that reminded me of Benton's cover of the Tony Joe White composition "Rainy Night In Georgia" . . .
     
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  10. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And now for another artist hitting #1 for the last time . . .
    "Heartbeat In The Darkness" by Don Williams
    (#1 for 1 week - August 30, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - one of quite a few "ends of an era" in this year . . . here, this was his 17th.
     
  11. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And here's one that truly was an "end of an era":
    "Desperado Love" by Conway Twitty
    (#1 for 1 week - September 6, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - Conway's 35th solo (and 40th overall) #1 - and his very last (on Billboard, that is; the other two publications of the time would have him charting four more toppers through 1990).
     
    McLover likes this.
  12. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for another who was still on a roll Number One wise . . .
    "Little Rock" by Reba McEntire
    (#1 for 1 week - September 13, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry
     
  13. WolfSpear

    WolfSpear Music Enthusiast

    Location:
    Florida
    Love Reba.

    She definitely made her presence known with the Whoever’s In New England album from 1986. Those songs are every bit as good as they were 35 years ago.
     
    RSteven likes this.
  14. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Moving on to the next . . .
    "Got My Heart Set On You" by John Conlee
    (#1 for 1 week - September 20, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - the seventh and last time Mr. Conlee will sit at the top. (Interesting that both he and T.G. Sheppard had their last country Number Ones in this year - after they moved to Columbia. Hmmm . . . )
     
  15. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Adding another feather to the cap here . . .
    "In Love" by Ronnie Milsap
    (#1 for 1 week - September 27, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry
     
    RSteven likes this.
  16. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    At last, one I know! Although I think I discovered this after the fact many years later.

    Ronnie has had a varied career. Some of his stuff is kinda bland, while some is very good.

    This is one of the latter — an excellent song that I put near the top of his many hits.
     
    RSteven likes this.
  17. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Then the next one up . . .
    "Always Have Always Will" by Janie Frickie
    (#1 for 1 week - October 4, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - the "Dionne Warwick(e) effect" at work here - would be Janie's last country #1, this after modification of her surname spelling.
     
    RSteven likes this.
  18. torcan

    torcan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    I'm guessing that when a single is posted, if it had a picture sleeve it's also posted.

    I find it interesting the number of country singles around this time that were released without picture sleeves. Just about everything on the pop charts had one by this time, but there's a lot missing from the country charts. Is it because country always had a much bigger jukebox demand, so the labels didn't always do the sleeves?
     
  19. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    If it is there, yes, I put 'em in.
     
  20. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for this one . . .
    "Both To Each Other (Friends And Lovers)" by Eddie Rabbitt And Juice Newton
    (#1 for 1 week - October 11, 1986)

    [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entry - countrified cover of Gloria Loring/Carl Anderson "Friends And Lovers" duet from earlier in the year, although this release preceded the other in coming out as a single; this one had all sorts of chord changes. The last time we'll see Ms. Newton at the summit.
     
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  21. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Been awhile since we last saw this individual atop the country heap . . .
    "Just Another Love" by Tanya Tucker
    (#1 for 1 week - October 18, 1986)

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    Wikipedia entry - her first topper in a decade.
     
    McLover likes this.
  22. JamieC

    JamieC Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit Mi USA
    I have always loved Tanya. Right from the giddyup. I met her when she was 16 and was touring her first MCA album. Capitol was good for her because the promotion hadn't been there for her even when the records were great. But Capitol(and Liberty) worked some huge records for her, which I assume one or two might be seen here. Sadly,IMO, she was a victim of Garth Brooks. Promotion went weak as they worked the big guy overtime and so many artists left the company. Or were flat out let go. I can name a dozen other than Tanya. Hell it ended Jimmy Bowen's career.
     
    McLover likes this.
  23. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And, ultimately, a few decades down the road, EMI itself.
     
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  24. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    I interviewed Tanya when she was still 14 and had had just a few of that initial run of hits on Columbia.

    She came to the small 500-watt daytimer country station I was working for at the time, chaperoned by her dad. She was very sweet and unaffected, a rather far cry from what she became just a few years later. Strictly IMHO, but sometimes when you try too hard to be sexy, you end up not being.

    Tanya has had some great records throughout her career, but those initial ones on Columbia gained so much power because they featured such a mature voice and sensibility (and subject matter!) emanating from such a young artist.
     
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  25. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    I noticed in recent photos, facially she almost resembles Phyllis Diller post-facelift.
     
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