This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1998.
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 initially hosted by Tampa radio personality Ken Cooper, and later "Big" Steve Kelly. 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
Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtistReference167Absence of the HeartDeana Carter46Angel in My EyesJohn Michael Montgomery23Between the Devil and MeAlan Jackson117A Broken WingMartina McBride2614Burnin' the Roadhouse DownSteve Wariner (duet with Garth Brooks)11Bye ByeJo Dee Messina1117A ChanceKenny Chesney1412Come Some Rainy DayWynonna44CommitmentLeAnn Rimes32Cover You in KissesJohn Michael Montgomery59The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)Wade Hayes22Don't Laugh at MeMark Wills53Dream Walkin'Toby Keith23Everything's ChangedLonestar44Forever LoveReba McEntire1822Getcha SomeToby Keith24Happy GirlMartina McBride23He's Got YouBrooks & Dunn2020High on LovePatty Loveless94The HoleRandy Travis22Holes in the Floor of HeavenSteve Wariner11How Long GoneBrooks & Dunn1814A House with No CurtainsAlan Jackson29How Do You Fall in LoveAlabama1330How Do You Sleep at NightWade Hayes12Husbands and WivesBrooks & Dunn73I Can Love You BetterDixie Chicks12I Can Still Feel YouCollin Raye23I Do (Cherish You)Mark Wills11I Just Want to Dance with YouGeorge Strait188I Might Even Quit Lovin' YouMark Chesnutt127I Said a PrayerPam Tillis31I Wanna Fall in LoveLila McCann928I Wanna Feel That Way AgainTracy Byrd2031I Wanna Remember ThisLinda Davis32I'll Go On Loving YouAlan Jackson11I'm AlrightJo Dee Messina31I'm from the CountryTracy Byrd24I'm So Happy I Can't Stop CryingToby Keith with Sting310If I Never Stop Loving YouDavid Kersh2215If You Can't Be Good (Be Good at It)Neal McCoy51If You Ever Have Forever in MindVince Gill11If You See Him/If You See HerReba McEntire featuring Brooks & Dunn44Imagine ThatDiamond Rio110It Must Be LoveTy Herndon723It Would Be YouGary Allan95It's Your SongGarth Brooks129Just Between You and MeThe Kinleys34Just to Hear You Say That You Love MeFaith Hill (with Tim McGraw)11Just to See You SmileTim McGraw 11Let Me Let GoFaith Hill23A Little Past Little RockLee Ann Womack31Little Red RodeoCollin Raye1110Lonely Won't Leave Me AloneTrace Adkins126Loosen Up My StringsClint Black23Love of My LifeSammy Kershaw148Love Working on YouJohn Michael Montgomery514A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)Ty Herndon11Nothin' but the TaillightsClint Black105Nothin' New Under the MoonLeAnn Rimes49On the Side of AngelsLeAnn Rimes21One of These DaysTim McGraw1412One of Those Nights TonightLorrie Morgan1622One Small MiracleBryan White21Out of My BonesRandy Travis11Perfect LoveTrisha Yearwood11Round About WayGeorge Strait1323Say WhenLonestar21She's Gonna Make ItGarth Brooks2110She's Got That Look in Her EyesAlabama11The Shoes You're WearingClint Black3318Somebody to LoveSuzy Bogguss35Someone You Used to KnowCollin Raye1610Stepping StoneLari White2313Still in Love with YouTravis Tritt415Texas Size HeartacheJoe Diffie29That's Why I'm HereKenny Chesney24Then What?Clay Walker24There Goes My BabyTrisha Yearwood13There's Your TroubleDixie Chicks1723Things ChangeDwight Yoakam11This KissFaith Hill1217To Have You Back AgainPatty Loveless17To Make You Feel My LoveGarth Brooks85Too Good to Be TrueMichael Peterson21TrueGeorge Strait11Two Piña ColadasGarth Brooks914ValentineMartina McBride with special guest artist Jim Brickman42We Really Shouldn't Be Doing ThisGeorge Strait2319What If?Reba McEntire11What If I SaidAnita Cochran (duet with Steve Wariner)11Where the Green Grass GrowsTim McGraw1818Where Your Road LeadsTrisha Yearwood (duet with Garth Brooks)11Wide Open SpacesDixie Chicks31You Move MeGarth Brooks124You Walked InLonestar1912You'll Never KnowMindy McCready45You're GoneDiamond Rio22You've Got to Talk to MeLee Ann Womack
Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtistReference3126 CentsThe Wilkinsons—5Canadian SunrisePrairie Oyster—20Chevy Blue EyesBrent McAthey—7Cried All the Way HomeJamie Warren—3DiamondJulian Austin—17Do the MathGeorge Fox61Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)Shania Twain—15FallingBruce Guthro736Famous First WordsGil Grand61From This Moment OnShania Twain (with Bryan White)—10Get Hot or Go HomeRick Tippe—13Hard Time Loving YouJulian Austin—10Has Anybody Seen My AngelDenise Murray—9Haven't You HeardShirley Myers11Honey, I'm HomeShania Twain5919How Do I Let GoLisa Brokop—12I Read LipsThomas Wade & Wayward—6I'm GoneGeorge Fox—15I'm Gonna Make Her MineJason McCoy—10If I Could Just Get to YouDuane Steele501The Kind of Heart That BreaksChris Cummings—17Let's Kiss and Make UpBeverley Mahood with Ken Munshaw5517Let's Start Livin'Gil Grand—3A Little Bit of YouJason McCoy—12A Little Bit of Your LoveJoel Feeney—9A Minute and a HalfChris Cummings—7Movin' OnThe Rankins—14Never Givin' UpRick Tippe22Now That I Found YouTerri Clark—9One Last StepShirley Myers—3Outside the FramePaul Brandt—17Radio 101Beverley Mahood—19The River SongMontgomery Steele—20She Made Me an OfferRick Tippe—4Some Days Are BetterCharlie Major—12There's a Song in There SomewhereThomas Wade & Wayward—20Two Out of Three Ain't BadJulian Austin—18Underneath the MoonMontana Sky—1Walk This RoadBruce Guthro—10The Way Love GoesJamie Warren—12What My Heart Already KnowsJulian Austin6810What's Come Over YouPaul Brandt—20What's Not to LoveLisa Brokop—19A Whole Lot of LoveMontana Sky—12Woman's WorkTracey Brown—5Yeah!Paul Brandt—10You Can Trust in My LoveCharlie Major11You're Easy on the EyesTerri Clark11You're Still the OneShania Twain7415Your LoveJim Brickman with Michelle Wright
Top new album releases
US CAN Album Artist Record label 18 Ain't It the Truth Daryle Singletary Giant 21 The Apostle Soundtrack Various Artists Decca Nashville 9 14 Back with a Heart Olivia Newton-John MCA Nashville 13 12 The Best of Tracy Lawrence Tracy Lawrence Atlantic 22 31 Big Hopes Ty Herndon Epic 6 Breath of Heaven: A Christmas Collection Vince Gill MCA Nashville 6 15 Burnin' the Roadhouse Down Steve Wariner Capitol Nashville 14 Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams Mercury 3 CMT Canada '99 Various Artists BMG 2 Country Heat 1998 Various Artists Ariola 22 A Country Superstar Christmas Various Artists Hip-O 16 Did I Shave My Back for This? Cledus T. Judd Razor & Tie 16 Dorkfish Bill Engvall Warner Bros. 1 1 Double Live Garth Brooks Capitol Nashville 6 11 Everything's Gonna Be Alright Deana Carter Capitol Nashville 2 1 Faith Faith Hill Warner Bros. 22 Famous First Words Gil Grand Monument 39 17 Farmers in a Changing World The Tractors Arista Nashville 2 4 For the Record Alabama RCA Nashville 21 Greatest Hits Joe Diffie Epic 9 18 Greatest Hits Clay Walker Giant 5 Greatest Hits Volume One Toby Keith Mercury Nashville 1 1 High Mileage Alan Jackson Arista Nashville 1 3 Hope Floats Soundtrack Various Artists Capitol Nashville 13 20 The Horse Whisperer Soundtrack Various Artists MCA Nashville 19 How Big a Boy Are Ya? Volume 4 Roy D. Mercer Capitol Nashville 10 4 How I Feel Terri Clark Mercury Nashville 23 Hungry Again Dolly Parton Decca Nashville 5 5 I'm Alright Jo Dee Messina Curb 8 9 I'm from the Country Tracy Byrd MCA Nashville 13 If I Never Stop Loving You David Kersh Curb 4 7 If You See Her Brooks & Dunn Arista Nashville 2 7 If You See Him Reba McEntire MCA Nashville 37 15 It Don't Get Any Better Than This George Jones MCA Nashville 21 It Would Be You Gary Allan Decca Nashville 3 It's Now! It's Live! The Mavericks MCA Nashville 1 2 The Key Vince Gill MCA Nashville 15 26 Leave a Mark John Michael Montgomery Atlantic 1 1 The Limited Series Garth Brooks Capitol Nashville 11 12 A Long Way Home Dwight Yoakam Reprise 3 Moments and Memories: The Best of Reba Reba McEntire MCA Nashville 2 New Country 5 Various Artists Warner 15 No More Looking over My Shoulder Travis Tritt Warner Bros. 11 4 No Place That Far Sara Evans RCA Nashville 16 4 Nothing but Love The Wilkinsons Giant 6 Of Your Son Bruce Guthro EMI 24 One Road Man Chris LeDoux Capitol Nashville 1 3 One Step at a Time George Strait MCA Nashville 8 6 The Prince of Egypt (Nashville) Various Artists DreamWorks Nashville 32 9 Shot Full of Love Billy Ray Cyrus Monument 2 2 Sittin' on Top of the World LeAnn Rimes Curb 25 11 The Sky's the Limit BlackHawk Arista Nashville 20 Some Things I Know Lee Ann Womack Decca Nashville 9 Step Inside This House Lyle Lovett MCA Nashville 18 1 Tammy Wynette Remembered Various Artists Asylum 17 15 Teatro Willie Nelson Island 3 4 Touched by an Angel: The Album Various Artists Epic 8 21 Totally Committed Jeff Foxworthy Warner Bros. 9 3 Trampoline The Mavericks MCA Nashville 36 18 A Tribute to Tradition Various Artists Columbia 12 Ultimate Country Party Various Artists Arista Nashville 9 2 Unbelievable Diamond Rio Arista Nashville 25 VH1 Storytellers Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson Columbia 8 13 The Walls Came Down Collin Raye Epic 11 What Is This Country? Prairie Oyster ViK. 23 What This Country Needs Aaron Tippin Lyric Street 9 22 When the Wrong One Loves You Right Wade Hayes Columbia 21 When You Get to Be You Lisa Brokop Columbia 3 2 Where Your Road Leads Trisha Yearwood MCA Nashville 9 White Christmas Martina McBride RCA Nashville 1 1 Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks Monument 47 19 Wine Into Water T. Graham Brown Intersound 8 Wish You Were Here Mark Wills Mercury Nashville 7 You and You Alone Randy Travis DreamWorks Nashville
Other top albums