This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2008.
Events April 27 – A story in the New York Daily News reported a possible long-term relationship between Mindy McCready and baseball star Roger Clemens that began when she was 15 years old. Though Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, acknowledged that McCready was a "close family friend," Hardin denied the affair and threatened to bring a defamation suit against him. However, McCready would state that the relationship was sexual, and spoke about her affair with Clemens in more detail on the November 17 broadcast of Inside Edition. May 10 – Garth Brooks inducted Carrie Underwood on Grand Ole Opry. May 15 – People Magazine reported Canadian singer Shania Twain and her husband, music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, had separated after 14 years of marriage. The couple were married on December 28, 1993, after Twain met Lange at Nashville's Fan Fair earlier in the year. May 23 – Anne Murray performs her final concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and retires from show business. June 14 – Sara Evans and radio show host/former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker are married in Franklin, Tennessee, with their children as their attendants. November 11 – Country music superstar Reba McEntire departs her longtime record label MCA Nashville, after 24 years and signed to The Valory Music Co., sister label to Big Machine Records. McEntire and Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta had previously worked together in the 1990s when Borchetta was senior president of promotion for MCA Nashville. November 20 – Julianne Hough announces that she would not be returning for the foreseeable future to Dancing with the Stars in order to further her country music career.Dancing with the Stars: Julianne Will Sit Out Next Season " TV Guide. November 20, 2008. Retrieved on November 21, 2008. December 7 – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors George Jones for his lifetime contributions to the arts. December 18 – Equity Music Group, a label owned by Clint Black, closes after five years in operation.
Top hits of the year The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2008:
USCANSingleArtistReference11All-American GirlCarrie Underwood1441All I Ever WantedChuck Wicks13All I Want to DoSugarland44All Summer LongKid Rock1545Another TryJosh Turner featuring Trisha Yearwood1641Anything GoesRandy Houser18Back When I Knew It AllMontgomery Gentry12Better as a MemoryKenny Chesney1526Bob That HeadRascal Flatts110Chicken FriedZac Brown Band15Cleaning This Gun (Come On in Boy)Rodney Atkins1816Come On OverJessica Simpson1028Country ManLuke Bryan13Do You Believe Me NowJimmy Wayne13Don't Think I Don't Think About ItDarius Rucker52EverybodyKeith Urban11Everybody Wants to Go to HeavenKenny Chesneyfeaturing The Wailers25Every DayRascal Flatts1516Every Other WeekendReba McEntire featuring Kenny Chesney118Get My Drink OnToby Keith1111God Must Be BusyBrooks & Dunn11Good TimeAlan Jackson719Gunpowder & LeadMiranda Lambert936Holler BackThe Lost Trailers136HomeBlake Shelton11I Saw God TodayGeorge Strait29I Still Miss YouKeith Anderson1031I'll WalkBucky Covington11I'm Still a GuyBrad Paisley361In My Next LifeTerri Clark1028International HarvesterCraig Morgan1645It Ain't No CrimeJoe Nichols1132It's Good to Be UsBucky Covington1139Johnny & JuneHeidi Newfield12Just a DreamCarrie Underwood12Just Got Started Lovin' YouJames Otto1619KristoffersonTim McGraw13Last NameCarrie Underwood66Laughed Until We CriedJason Aldean1323Learning How to BendGary Allan24Let It GoTim McGraw11Letter to MeBrad Paisley1118Lookin' for a Good TimeLady Antebellum35Love Don't Live HereLady Antebellum217Love Is a Beautiful ThingPhil Vassar932Love RemembersCraig Morgan11Love StoryTaylor Swift31Picture to BurnTaylor Swift31Put a Girl in ItBrooks & Dunn47Ready, Set, Don't GoBilly Ray Cyruswith Miley Cyrus1547RelentlessJason Aldean15Roll with MeMontgomery Gentry14She Never Cried in Front of MeToby Keith1317She's a HottieToby Keith22ShiftworkKenny Chesneyduet with George Strait15Should've Said NoTaylor Swift13Small Town Southern ManAlan Jackson1548Something About a WomanJake Owen25StaySugarland511Stealing CinderellaChuck Wicks1330Stronger WomanJewel1212SuspicionsTim McGraw20—Takin' Off This PainAshton Shepherd18—That Song in My HeadJulianne Hough1633Things That Never Cross a Man's MindKellie Pickler73TroubadourGeorge Strait513Trying to Stop Your LeavingDierks Bentley11Waitin' on a WomanBrad Paisley211Watching AirplanesGary Allan1038We Weren't CrazyJosh Gracin38What Do Ya Think About ThatMontgomery Gentry34What Kinda GoneChris Cagle22Winner at a Losing GameRascal Flatts1919Workin' for a Livin'Garth Brooks& Huey Lewis215You Can Let GoCrystal Shawanda11You Look Good in My ShirtKeith Urban11You're Gonna Miss ThisTrace Adkins
Top new album releases The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2008:
USAlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReference135 Biggest HitsToby KeithShow DogMay 64All I Intended to BeEmmylou HarrisNonesuchJune 108Anne Murray Duets: Friends and LegendsAnne MurrayManhattan/EMIJanuary 153Around the BendRandy TravisWarner Bros. NashvilleJuly 153Back When I Knew It AllMontgomery GentryColumbia NashvilleJune 102Backwoods BarbieDolly PartonDollyFebruary 261Beautiful EyesTaylor SwiftBig MachineJuly 154Call Me CrazyLee Ann WomackMCA NashvilleOctober 213Christmas DuetsElvis PresleyRCAOctober 143C'mon!Keith AndersonColumbia NashvilleAugust 52Damn Right, Rebel ProudHank Williams IIIBrucOctober 214Do You Believe Me NowJimmy WayneValory Music GroupAugust 261Do You KnowJessica SimpsonEpic/Columbia NashvilleSeptember 91FearlessTaylor SwiftBig MachineNovember 112The FoundationZac Brown BandAtlantic/Home Grown/Big PictureNovember 187Goin' All OutDan EvansEdje-ExecutiveOctober 71Good TimeAlan JacksonArista NashvilleMarch 41Greatest Hits 3Tim McGrawCurbOctober 72Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory 2003–2008Dierks BentleyCapitol NashvilleMay 61Greatest Hits: Limited EditionTim McGrawCurbApril 292Greatest Hits Volume 1Rascal FlattsLyric StreetOctober 285Holler BackThe Lost TrailersBNAAugust 265Jet Black & JealousEli Young BandUniversal SouthSeptember 161Julianne HoughJulianne HoughMercury NashvilleMay 202Joy to the WorldFaith HillWarner Bros. NashvilleSeptember 301Kellie PicklerKellie PicklerBNASeptember 301Lady AntebellumLady AntebellumCapitol NashvilleApril 151Learn to LiveDarius RuckerCapitol NashvilleSeptember 1610The Life of a SongJoey & RoryVanguard/Sugar HillOctober 282Little Bit of EverythingBilly CurringtonMercury NashvilleOctober 141Love on the InsideSugarlandMercury NashvilleJuly 221Lucky Old SunKenny ChesneyBlue Chair/BNAOctober 148Moment of ForeverWillie NelsonLost HighwayJanuary 291My Life's Been a Country SongChris CagleCapitol NashvilleFebruary 191Now That's What I Call CountryVarious ArtistsUMG/Sony BMG/CapitolAugust 261Perfectly ClearJewelValory Music GroupJune 38Phil StaceyPhil StaceyLyric StreetApril 291PlayBrad PaisleyArista NashvilleNovember 43Prayer of a Common ManPhil VassarUniversal SouthApril 223Randy Rogers BandRandy Rogers BandMercury NashvilleSeptember 232Sounds of the Season:The Julianne Hough Holiday CollectionJulianne HoughMercury NashvilleOctober 127Startin' FiresBlake SheltonWarner Bros. NashvilleNovember 187Starting NowChuck WicksRCA NashvilleJanuary 222Sunset ManJames OttoRaybaw/Warner Bros.April 87Tennessee PusherOld Crow Medicine ShowNettwerkSeptember 231That Don't Make Me a Bad GuyToby KeithShow DogOctober 286That Lonesome SongJamey JohnsonMercury NashvilleAugust 58That's WhyCraig MorganBNAOctober 211TroubadourGeorge StraitMCA NashvilleApril 14We Weren't CrazyJosh GracinLyric StreetApril 12What Am I Waiting ForHeidi NewfieldCurbAugust 58Why WaitKristy Lee CookArista NashvilleSeptember 167XTrace AdkinsCapitol NashvilleNovember 25
Other top albums USAlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReference4150 Greatest HitsReba McEntireMCA NashvilleOctober 2850AmericaJohnny CashLegacyOctober 2828Angels & OutlawsAaron WatsonThirty TigersApril 135Anne Murray's Christmas AlbumAnne MurrayManhattan/EMIOctober 721Anything GoesRandy HouserUniversal SouthNovember 1817Beer for My Horses (soundtrack)Various ArtistsShow DogAugust 1247The Best of The Johnny Cash TV ShowJohnny CashSony BMGJanuary 827Blake Shelton: Collector's EditionBlake SheltonWarner Bros. NashvilleFebruary 2650Blood, Sweat, and SteelThe Road HammersMontageJune 2433Broken InTrent WillmonCompadreFebruary 2622BulletproofReckless KellyYep RocJune 2415Burn Your Playhouse DownGeorge JonesBanditAugust 1948Cherryholmes III: Don't BelieveThe CherryholmesSkaggs FamilySeptember 3016Classic ChristmasGeorge StraitMCA NashvilleOctober 726Classic Chris LeDouxChris LeDouxCapitol NashvilleApril 2930Comal County BlueJason Boland & the StragglersThirty TigersAugust 2630Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of ChristmasMary Chapin CarpenterZoeSeptember 3026Country Bluegrass Homecoming Volume OneBill GaitherGaitherAugust 1932Country Bluegrass Homecoming Volume TwoBill GaitherGaitherAugust 1944Country Love SongsVarious ArtistsCompass/BMGNovember 1115Country Sings DisneyVarious ArtistsWalt DisneyJuly 816Dawn of a New DayCrystal ShawandaRCA NashvilleAugust 1942God Bless the USAVarious ArtistsWordApril 2935Good Thing GoingRhonda VincentRounderJanuary 816Greatest HitsCraig MorganBroken BowSeptember 3037Heart of StoneChris KnightDrifter's ChurchSeptember 239Here It IsRoger CreagerThirty TigersAugust 2618How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favoritesfrom the Grand Ole OpryVarious ArtistsRCA NashvilleFebruary 529Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass:Tribute to 1946 and 1947Ricky SkaggsSkaggs FamilyMarch 2511The Imus Ranch RecordVarious ArtistsNew WestSeptember 1619I Turn to YouRichie McDonaldLucidJune 336I Will Always Love You: 17 Inspirational SongsVarious ArtistsWordJanuary 1529If We Ever Make It HomeWade BowenSustainSeptember 3032Jeff BatesJeff BatesBlack RiverApril 843Keep on Walkin'The GrascalsRounderJuly 1538Limited Edition: Greatest Hits Volumes 1, 2 & 3Tim McGrawCurbOctober 719Live in ConcertMartina McBrideRCA NashvilleApril 2935Love SongsTrisha YearwoodMCA NashvilleJanuary 1527Meet Glen CampbellGlen CampbellCapitol NashvilleAugust 1940More Greatest FitsRoy D. MercerCapitol NashvilleJune 1043NaïveMicky & the MotorcarsSmithJuly 2946One Hell of a RideWillie NelsonLost HighwayApril 114One on OneRandy OwenBroken BowNovember 427Patriotic Country 3Various ArtistsRazor & TieJune 2448Playlist: The Very Best of Brooks & DunnBrooks & DunnSony BMGDecember 239Playlist: The Very Best of John DenverJohn DenverSony BMGApril 2937Playlist: The Very Best of Johnny CashJohnny CashSony BMGApril 2950Playlist: The Very Best of Roy OrbisonRoy OrbisonSony BMGApril 2924Ride Through the CountryColt FordAverage Joe'sDecember 235Rollin' with the FlowMark ChesnuttLofton CreekJune 2438Sex and GasolineRodney CrowellYep RocSeptember 213Sleepless NightsPatty LovelessSaguaro RoadSeptember 916Sounds So GoodAshton ShepherdMCA NashvilleMarch 435Time FliesJohn Michael MontgomeryStringtownOctober 1441'Tis the Season: A Country Christmas –15 Christmas ClassicsVarious Artists42The Unreleased RecordingsHank WilliamsTime LifeOctober 2849The Unreleased RecordingsHank WilliamsTime LifeOctober 2845Vagrants & KingsCory MorrowSustainMay 2011Vintage Country: The Golden Age of Country MusicVarious ArtistsSony BMGMarch 2528Waylon ForeverWaylon JenningsVagrantOctober 2132WheelsDan TyminskiRounderJune 17
Deaths January 6 – Ken Nelson, 96, record producer for artists including Hank Thompson, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and many others. April 22 – Paul Davis, 60, crossover artist whose collaborations with Marie Osmond and Tanya Tucker reached No. 1 in the 1980s. (heart attack) May 1 – Jim Hager, 66, country singer and actor who along with his twin brother Jon were regulars on Hee Haw from 1969 to 1986. (heart attack)