This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1986.
Events January 18 — "American Country Countdown" with Bob Kingsley expands from three to four hours. Several new features — including a chronological playback of songs reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and a calendar feature (highlighting a birthday, or anniversary of a notable song or event in country music) — are added. June 25 — Jenifer Strait, the 13-year-old daughter of George Strait (who by now is one of country music's top performers) is killed in a car accident in San Marcos, Texas. Her father still refuses to talk about his daughter's death to this day. July 19 — Columbia Records drops Johnny Cash from the label's roster after 28 years.
No dates For the first time in its 42-year history, there is a new No. 1 song for each week of the year, according to Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles Chart. 1986 was a renaissance year in country music, with a host of "A New Traditionalist"-minded artists reinvigorating a genre that critics were saying had grown increasingly stagnant and pop-oriented. Among the most successful new artists: Holly Dunn, Judy Rodman, Ricky Van Shelton, Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam. Keith Whitley, another artist who had been around for a few years, has his first major hit early in the year. They – along with popular newcomers from earlier in the decade such as Alabama, George Strait and Reba McEntire, and longtime artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard and Conway Twitty – proved not only that country music was the music of the people, but also that the genre had real resiliency. After 17 years of playing co-host to Roy Clark, Buck Owens announces his departure from the still-popular "Hee Haw." Clark would soldier on alone for the next six years, with rotating guest stars each week.
Top hits of the year
Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist11100% Chance of RainGary Morris651982Randy Travis11Ain't Misbehavin'Hank Williams, Jr.61All Tied UpRonnie McDowell11Always Have, Always WillJanie Fricke1953ArleneMarty Stuart516At the Sound of the ToneJohn Schneider72(Back to The) Heartbreak KidRestless Heart147Back When Love Was EnoughMark Gray1215Bad LovePake McEntire11BopDan Seals177Born YesterdayThe Everly Brothers11Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton10—Burned Like a RocketBilly Joe Royal11Cajun MoonRicky Skaggs95Cheap LoveJuice Newton31Come On In (You Did the Best You Could Do)The Oak Ridge Boys54Count On MeThe Statler Brothers24Country State of MindHank Williams, Jr.11CryCrystal Gayle7—Daddy's HandsHolly Dunn11Desperado LoveConway Twitty137The Devil's on the LooseWaylon Jennings1010Didn't WeLee Greenwood11Diggin' Up BonesRandy Travis11Don't Underestimate My Love for YouLee Greenwood69Doo-Wah DaysMickey Gilley1235Down in TennesseeJohn Anderson917Dreamland ExpressJohn Denver821Drinkin' My Baby GoodbyeCharlie Daniels515Easy to PleaseJanie Fricke2047Every NightPake McEntire11Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)Dan Seals42Fast Lanes and Country RoadsBarbara Mandrell28Feelin' the Feelin'The Bellamy Brothers912A Friend in CaliforniaMerle Haggard1719A Girl Like EmmylouSouthern Pacific11Got My Heart Set on YouJohn Conlee12—Gotta Learn to Love Without YouMichael Johnson11Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)The Judds77Guitar TownSteve Earle 42Guitars, CadillacsDwight Yoakam11Happy, Happy Birthday BabyRonnie Milsap1019HarmonyJohn Conlee1416Heart Don't Fall NowSawyer Brown12Heartbeat in the DarknessDon Williams11Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love)Lee Greenwood11Hell and High WaterT. Graham Brown56Hold OnRosanne Cash31Home Again in My HeartNitty Gritty Dirt Band107Honky Tonk CrowdJohn Anderson31Honky Tonk ManDwight Yoakam11HurtJuice Newton11I Could Get Used to YouExile54I Had a Beautiful TimeMerle Haggard97I Love You by HeartSylvia & Michael Johnson14—I Miss You AlreadyBilly Joe Royal7—I Tell It Like It Used to BeT. Graham Brown32I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way AgainT. Graham Brown107I've Got a New HeartacheRicky Skaggs11In LoveRonnie Milsap928In Over My HeartT. G. Sheppard15It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About YouGeorge Strait11It'll Be MeExile77It's Just a Matter of TimeGlen Campbell1516JulietThe Oak Ridge Boys11Just Another LoveTanya Tucker12Just in CaseThe Forester Sisters12Life's HighwaySteve Wariner12Little RockReba McEntire11Living in the PromiselandWillie Nelson23Lonely AloneThe Forester Sisters3—Love at the Five and DimeKathy Mattea14—Love Will Get You Through Times of No MoneyGirls Next Door41Love's Gonna Get You SomedayRicky Skaggs11Makin' Up for Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers' Song)Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris11Mama's Never Seen Those EyesThe Forester Sisters52Memories to BurnGene Watson1438Miami, My AmyKeith Whitley11Mind Your Own BusinessHank Williams, Jr.11Morning DesireKenny Rogers12Never Be YouRosanne Cash411NightsEd Bruce65No One Mends a Broken Heart Like YouBarbara Mandrell11Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left HerGeorge Strait129Nothing but Your Love MattersLarry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers106Oh Darlin' (Why Don't You Care for Me No More)The O'Kanes927Oklahoma BorderlineVince Gill53Old FlameJuice Newton56Old SchoolJohn Conlee11On the Other HandRandy Travis11Once in a Blue MoonEarl Thomas Conley32The One I Loved Back Then (The Corvette Song)George Jones31One Love at a TimeTanya Tucker114Out Goin' Cattin'Sawyer Brown with Cat Joe Bonsall63Partners, Brothers and FriendsNitty Gritty Dirt Band1824Perfect StrangerSouthern Pacific73Please Be LoveMark Gray45Read My LipsMarie Osmond919Reno BoundSouthern Pacific45Repetitive RegretEddie Rabbitt11Rockin' with the Rhythm of the RainThe Judds1514Rollin' NowhereMichael Martin Murphey34Savin' My Love for YouPake McEntire54Second to No OneRosanne Cash157Shakin'Sawyer Brown11She and IAlabama23She Used to Be Somebody's BabyLarry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers2218Shoe StringMel McDaniel715Since I Found YouSweethearts of the Rodeo8—Slow Boat to ChinaGirls Next Door920Somebody Wants Me Out of the WayGeorge Jones32Sometimes a LadyEddy Raven53Stand a Little RainNitty Gritty Dirt Band125Stand on ItMel McDaniel411Starting Over AgainSteve Wariner11Strong HeartT. G. Sheppard1421Super LoveExile834Sweeter and SweeterThe Statler Brothers916Ten Feet AwayKeith Whitley12That Rock Won't RollRestless Heart99That's How You Know When Love's RightNicolette Larson (with Steve Wariner)11There's No Stopping Your HeartMarie Osmond11Think About LoveDolly Parton1720Tie Our Love (In a Double Knot)Dolly Parton1011Til I Loved YouRestless Heart11Tomb of the Unknown LoveKenny Rogers23Too Many TimesEarl Thomas Conley & Anita Pointer11Too Much Is Not EnoughThe Bellamy Brothers with The Forester Sisters11Touch Me When We're DancingAlabama1—Until I Met YouJudy Rodman10—Walk the Way the Wind BlowsKathy Mattea32We've Got a Good Fire Goin'Don Williams87What You'll Do When I'm GoneWaylon Jennings11What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This)John Schneider1727When It's Down to Me and YouCharly McClain (with Wayne Massey)2033When You Get to the HeartBarbara Mandrell (with The Oak Ridge Boys)13Whoever's in New EnglandReba McEntire55Will the Wolf SurviveWaylon Jennings1013Wine Colored RosesGeorge Jones1619Working Class ManLacy J. Dalton75Working Without a NetWaylon Jennings108You Are My Music, You Are My SongCharly McClain (with Wayne Massey)11You Can Dream of MeSteve Wariner9—You Can't Stop LoveSchuyler, Knobloch & Overstreet2420You Made a Rock of a Rolling StoneThe Oak Ridge Boys33You Should Have Been Gone by NowEddy Raven44You're Something Special to MeGeorge Strait11You're Still New to MeMarie Osmond with Paul Davis11You're the Last Thing I Needed TonightJohn Schneider52Your Memory Ain't What It Used to BeMickey Gilley
Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist919Being a Fool AgainAudie Henry—15Call Me UpRae Palmer—16Fiddlin' ManWhiskey Jack—13Forget About MeAnne Lord—4He's My Gentle ManAudie Henry—10Heads You Win (Tails I Lose)Anita Perras—8Hot on the Heels of LoveThe Haggertys—6I'll Never Get Over YouAnne Lord—13I'm Best at Lovin' YouMurray McLauchlan—9I'm Taking Care of MyselfCarroll Baker—5In My Arms TonightBootleg—9It's Times Like ThisCarol Martyn—18Love CrazyGilles Godard—6Love Sweet LoveTerry Carisse—16Lovin' the Night AwayTerry Sumsion11Now and Forever (You and Me)Anne Murray—8Pretty Diamond RingMercey Brothers—9Reach Out and Touch HerHarvey Henry—14Rise Against the WindDick Damron with Ginny Mitchell—19Something GoodAnita Perras with Tim Taylor—14Stealer of HeartsRonnie Prophet—17Summer NightsThe Ellis Family Band—6Take a Little Chance on LoveMercey Brothers—15Two Hearts in a Lonely MindJules808What If It's RightFamily Brown—18You Can't Hide from LoveStoker Bros
Top new album releases
US Album Artist Record label 1 #7 George Strait MCA 1 Black & White Janie Frickie Columbia 22 Born Yesterday The Everly Brothers Mercury/PolyGram 15 Class of '55 Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis,Roy Orbison & Johnny Cash America/Smash 17 Countrified John Anderson Warner Bros. 7 Four for the Show The Statler Brothers Mercury/PolyGram 2 A Friend in California Merle Haggard Epic 16 From the Pages of My Mind Ray Charles Columbia 20 Girls Like Me Tanya Tucker Capitol 1 Greatest Hits Alabama RCA 2 Greatest Hits Exile Epic 1 Guitar Town Steve Earle MCA 1 Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. Dwight Yoakam Reprise 9 Harmony John Conlee Columbia 13 Heroes Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings Columbia 19 I Only Wanted You Marie Osmond Capitol/Curb 15 I Tell It Like It Used to Be T. Graham Brown Capitol 23 Judy Judy Rodman MTM 25 Just Can't Sit Down Music Mel McDaniel Capitol 21 Looking Ahead Billy Joe Royal Atlantic America 9 Love Will Find Its Way to You Lee Greenwood MCA 3 Love's Gonna Get Ya! Ricky Skaggs Epic 14 Lyle Lovett Lyle Lovett Curb/MCA 17 Merry Christmas Strait to You George Strait MCA 1 Montana Cafe Hank Williams, Jr. Curb/Warner Bros. 9 The O'Kanes The O'Kanes Columbia 12 On the Front Line Dan Seals Capitol 15 Out Among the Stars Merle Haggard Epic 8 Out Goin' Cattin' Sawyer Brown Capitol/Curb 13 Partners Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Columbia 13 Partners Willie Nelson Columbia 9 Plain Brown Wrapper Gary Morris Warner Bros. 1 The Promiseland Willie Nelson Columbia 6 Rabbitt Trax Eddie Rabbitt RCA 8 Seasons The Oak Ridge Boys MCA 2 Something to Talk About Anne Murray Capitol 1 Storms of Life Randy Travis Warner Bros. 12 Straight to the Heart Crystal Gayle Warner Bros. 11 Surely You Joust Ray Stevens MCA 8 Sweethearts of the Rodeo Sweethearts of the Rodeo Columbia 17 Take the Long Way Home John Schneider MCA 16 They Don't Make ThemLike They Used To Kenny Rogers RCA 9 Thirteen Emmylou Harris Warner Bros. 3 Too Many Times Earl Thomas Conley RCA 1 The Touch Alabama RCA 10 Twenty Years of Dirt Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Warner Bros. 13 Walk the Way the Wind Blows Kathy Mattea Mercury 1 What Am I Gonna Do About You Reba McEntire MCA 1 Wheels Restless Heart RCA 1 Whoever's in New England Reba McEntire MCA 1 Will the Wolf Survive Waylon Jennings MCA 5 Wine Colored Roses George Jones Epic
Other top albums