This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2020.
Events COVID-19 March 16 – The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards, originally scheduled for April 5, was postponed to September 16. A few weeks later, the 2020 CMT Music Awards were pushed back to October 21, from their original date of June 3.Levenson, Eric; Forrest, Steve, "Academy of Country Music Awards postponed because of coronavirus," CNN, March 16, 2020. Retrieved 03-16-2020 March 20 - The Grand Ole Opry announces it will continue hosting performances, but without a live audience attending in the Ryman Auditorium. March 29 – Joe Diffie, a country music superstar who scored many Top Ten hits during the 1990s and early 2000s, dies from complications of COVID-19, two days after announcing he had fallen ill. March 31 – The Country Music Association announces that the 2020 CMA Fest, scheduled for June 4–7, is officially canceled.Limekuehler, Matthew, "CMA Fest 2020 canceled due to ongoing coronavirus pandemic," The Tennessean, April 1, 2020. Accessed 04-02-2020. October 7 – Morgan Wallen is dropped as a musical guest by Saturday Night Live after a video of him attending a party without wearing a face mask surfaces. Jack White eventually is called to be the replacement musical guest. December 12 – Charley Pride dies from complications of COVID-19 one month after receiving the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the CMA Awards, an event that would turn out to be his final public appearance.
Other January 2 – Capitol Records Nashville signs Hot Country Knights, a fictitious band portrayed by Dierks Bentley and members of his road band. January 4 – Radio personality Fitz takes over as permanent host of Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40, succeeding the longtime radio host who died in 2019. Affiliates of Fitz's previous programs – The Fitz Show, The Hit List with Fitz, and Nashville Minute with Fitz – were replaced with programs from KCCS Productions, which produces CT40. January 7 – Rascal Flatts announced that they would be disbanding following a farewell tour after 20 years together. The tour (in addition to several other tours) would later be cancelled due to COVID-19. February 24 - Several country songs, including Luke Bryan's "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" and Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", went under fire by female listeners after compromising the lyrics as sexist for sexually objectifying women and urging these songs to be pulled from radio airwaves. March 7 – Jimmie Allen's "Make Me Want To" tops the Billboard Country Airplay chart in its 58th week, setting a record for both the slowest ascent to the top and the longest overall run in that chart's history. March 23 – Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd announce the birth of their first child, Hayes Andrew Hurd. May 5 – Travis Denning's "After a Few" charts on Country Airplay for the 60th week, breaking the longevity record set on that chart only two months prior. It would later reach the top on June 13 in its 65th week, also setting a record for the longest climb to Number One since the inception of Nielsen Soundscan in 1990. May 14–15 – Vocalist Hannah Mulholland quits the group Runaway June and is replaced by Natalie Stovall, formerly of Natalie Stovall and the Drive. June – Amid the fallout from the George Floyd protests, two groups change their names. On June 11, Lady Antebellum announces their name will change to Lady A,Freeman, Jon, "Lady A Drop 'Antebellum' From Their Name," Rolling Stone, June 11, 2020. Accessed 06-26-2020. [www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lady-antebellum-change-name-1013602/] the group's longstanding nickname. On June 25, the Dixie Chicks become known as The Chicks. Both moves were announced amid criticism that the words "Antebellum" and "Dixie" had connotations of American slavery. June 13 – Hank Williams Jr.'s 27-year-old daughter, Katharine Williams-Dunning, is killed in a car accident in Henry County, Tennessee. June 19 – Carly Pearce and Michael Ray announce their divorce after less than eight months of marriage. July 3 – Kacey Musgraves and husband Ruston Kelly divorce after years of marriage. July 4 – Kenny Chesney's "Here and Now" becomes his 31st number-one single on the Country Airplay chart, making Chesney the artist with the most number one singles on that chart. July 17 – The Chicks release their first studio album in 14 years, Gaslighter. July 29 – Garth Brooks withdraws himself from consideration for the CMA Entertainer of the Year category after seven wins. August 1 – Luke Combs marries Nicole Hocking in Florida, after 4 years of dating. August 16 - Singer Gabby Barrett announces her pregnancy with her first daughter with husband Cade Foeher. August 17 – Taylor Swift marks her return to country music radio in three years with the release of "Betty", off her Folklore album. August 25 - Singer Mickey Guyton announces her pregnancy for her first child with husband Grant Savoy. August 31 - Blanco Brown is involved in a motorcycle accident in which he breaks both arms, both legs, and his pelvis. He undergoes a twelve-hour surgery. September 16 – For the first time in history, the Academy of Country Music declares a tie for the Entertainer of the year award - Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood. October 27 – Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani become engaged after 5 years of dating. November 21 – Jon Pardi marries Summer Duncan in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, after announcing their engagement in October 2019. November 30 – Jake Owen and Erica Hartlein become engaged after 3 years of dating.
Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, or Canada Country charts in 2020:
Singles released by American and Australian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences111"10,000 Hours"Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber712"After a Few"Travis Denning631"Ain't Always the Cowboy"Jon Pardi723"Be a Light"Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban611"Beer Can't Fix"Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi632—"Betty"Taylor Swift311"Big, Big Plans"Chris Lane311"Bluebird"Miranda Lambert111"The Bones"Maren Morris513"Catch"Brett Young211"Chasin' You"Morgan Wallen533"Cool Again"Kane Brown12——"Dicked Down in Dallas"Trey Lewis218"Die from a Broken Heart"Maddie & Tae17642"Dive Bar"Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton411"Does to Me"Luke Combs featuring Eric Church813"Done"Chris Janson171130"Drinking Alone"Carrie Underwood1825—"Drowning"Chris Young1116"Everywhere but On"Matt Stell203631"Gaslighter"The Chicks1382"God Whispered Your Name"Keith Urban12——"Gone Too Soon"Andrew Jannakos211"Got What I Got"Jason Aldean311"Happy Anywhere"Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani312"Hard to Forget"Sam Hunt511"Heartache Medication"Jon Pardi10——"Heartless"Diplo featuring Morgan Wallen711"Here and Now"Kenny Chesney141715"Homecoming Queen?"Kelsea Ballerini511"Homemade"Jake Owen312"Homesick"Kane Brown824"I Called Mama"Tim McGraw112"I Hope"Gabby Barrett511"I Hope You're Happy Now"Carly Pearce & Lee Brice821"I Love My Country"Florida Georgia Line121211"I Wish Grandpas Never Died"Riley Green12112"In Between"Scotty McCreery312"Kinfolks"Sam Hunt18——"Last Time I Say Sorry"Kane Brown & John Legend19——"Livin' the Dream"Morgan Wallen191243"Lonely If You Are"Chase Rice512"Love You Like I Used To"Russell Dickerson311"Lovin' on You"Luke Combs715"Make Me Want To"Jimmie Allen201511"Monsters"Eric Church534"More Hearts Than Mine"Ingrid Andress211"More Than My Hometown"Morgan Wallen211"Nobody but You"Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani411"One Beer"Hardy featuring Lauren Alaina & Devin Dawson821"One Big Country Song"LoCash211"One Margarita"Luke Bryan211"One of Them Girls"Lee Brice17111"One Night Standards"Ashley McBryde1952—"The Other Girl"Kelsea Ballerini featuring Halsey18——"The Other Guy"Luke Combs4110"Pretty Heart" Parker McCollum5110"Ridin' Roads"Dustin Lynch241741"She's Mine"Kip Moore103619"Six Feet Apart"Luke Combs6115"Slow Dance in a Parking Lot"Jordan Davis513"Some Girls"Jameson Rodgers3——"Somebody's Problem"Morgan Wallen232214"Stick That in Your Country Song"Eric Church8——"Still Goin' Down"Morgan Wallen861"We Back"Jason Aldean516"What If I Never Get Over You"Lady Antebellum612"What She Wants Tonight"Luke Bryan813"Why We Drink"Justin Moore15——"Without You"Luke Combs featuring Amanda Shires
Singles released by Canadian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences——20"As If We Won't"Jojo Mason——1"Canadian Summer"Dean Brody——1"Can't Help Myself"Dean Brody & The Reklaws——8"Close"Jade Eagleson——4"Come As You Are"Tenille Townes——1"Country Girls"Jess Moskaluke——2"Country Thunder"Washboard Union——8"Dock Rock"Washboard Union——1"Drink About Me"Brett Kissel——12"Everybody Knows Everybody"Tenille Arts——5"Getcha"Matt Lang——20"Girls Like Me"Meghan Patrick——9"Good Ol' Bad Days"Aaron Goodvin——8"The Good Ones"Tebey & Marie Mai——1"Grew Up On That"High Valley——11"Halfway Home"Jess Moskaluke——8"Happened on a Saturday Night"Tebey——17"Hard Dirt"Hunter Brothers—486"I Don't Love You"Lindsay Ell——1"I Would Be Over Me Too"Tyler Joe Miller——1"Jersey on the Wall (I'm Just Asking)"Tenille Townes——13"Kiss Kiss"Madeline Merlo——1"Like a Man"Dallas Smith——1"Lucky"Jade Eagleson——7"Money On You"Chad Brownlee——1"No Truck Song"Tim Hicks——4"Old Country Soul"Reklaws——1"Pillow Talkin'"Tyler Joe Miller——1"Seeing Other People"MacKenzie Porter——12"She Drives Me Crazy"Brett Kissel——11"Silver Lining"Hunter Brothers——15"Summer Time"James Barker Band45561"These Days"MacKenzie Porter——1"Timeless"Dallas Smith 35581"Want Me Back" Lindsay Ell——19"When You Know You Know"Tim & the Glory Boys——2"Where I'm From"The Reklaws
Top new album releases The following albums placed on the Top Country Albums charts in 2020:
US Album Artist Record label Release date Reference 5 6-Pack (EP) Florida Georgia Line BMLG May 22 6 The Album, Part 1 Chase Rice Dack Janiels January 31 9 Ballerini Kelsea Ballerini Black River September 11 1 Born Here Live Here Die Here Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville August 7 6 Carly Pearce Carly Pearce Big Machine February 14 6 Chris Tomlin & Friends Chris Tomlin Sparrow/Capitol July 31 2 Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions Sturgill Simpson High Top Mountain October 15 6 Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil Diplo Columbia May 29 6 Everlasting Country Upchurch Stonebaby Sounds April 20 5 First Rose of Spring Willie Nelson Legacy July 3 7 Fun Garth Brooks Pearl Records November 20 1 Gaslighter The Chicks Columbia July 17 4 Goldmine Gabby Barrett Warner Music Nashville June 19 1 Here and Now Kenny Chesney Warner Music Nashville May 1 1 Here on Earth Tim McGraw Big Machine August 21 7 Hey World Lee Brice Curb Records November 20 10 Hollywood Gold (EP) Parker McCollum MCA Nashville October 16 2 Kelsea Kelsea Ballerini Black River March 20 9 Lady Like Ingrid Andress Warner Music Nashville March 27 1 Life on the Flip Side Jimmy Buffett Mailboat Records May 29 6 Long Violent History Tyler Childers Hickman Holler September 18 2 Mixtape, Vol. 1 (EP) Kane Brown RCA Nashville August 14 5 Never Will Ashley McBryde Warner Music Nashville April 3 1 Nightfall Little Big Town Capitol Nashville January 17 1 Reunions Jason Isbell Southeastern Records May 8 4 A Rock Hardy Big Loud September 4 4 Skeletons Brothers Osborne EMI Nashville October 9 1 Southside Sam Hunt MCA Nashville April 3 1 The Speed of Now Part 1 Keith Urban Capitol Nashville September 18 1 Starting Over Chris Stapleton Mercury Nashville November 13 5 Sunday Drive Brett Eldredge Atlantic Nashville July 10 4 Tullahoma Dustin Lynch Broken Bow January 17 9 Twenty Years of Rascal Flatts: The Greatest Hits Rascal Flatts Big Machine Records October 2 7The Way It Feels Maddie & Tae Mercury Nashville April 10 8 Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs Colter Wall La Honda / Thirty Tigers August 28 5Wild World Kip Moore MCA Nashville May 29 1 My Gift Carrie Underwood Capitol Nashville September 25
Other top albums