2021 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2021.

Events January 1 – Tom T. Hall celebrates his 50th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary January 4 – Florida Georgia Line duo members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley announce plans to release solo music, but will not be separating. January 20 – Following the release of his album Dangerous: The Double Album, Morgan Wallen becomes the first artist to have six songs in the top ten of the Hot Country Songs charts at the same time. He also becomes the first artist to debut at the top of the Hot Country Songs and Top Country Albums charts simultaneously, as well as the first artist to have more than one song debut at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart. January 27 – At the age of 84, legendary singer-songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson officially announces his retirement from performing after more than five active decades in the entertainment industry. February 3 – Morgan Wallen, whose album Dangerous was number one on the Billboard 200 at the time, has his recording contract with Big Loud Records indefinitely suspended after a video emerges of him using a racial slur. Wallen was also removed from numerous playlists and dropped from more than 400 radio stations. The Academy of Country Music Awards subsequently announced that he would be removed from eligibility for their forthcoming 2021 ceremony. T.J Osborne, frontman and half of successful duo Brothers Osborne, comes out as gay, making him the first openly gay male artist signed to a major country label. February 23 – Taylor Swift's "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", a re-recorded version of her 2008 hit "Love Story", debuts at #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first artist to hit #1 twice on that chart with a single song, since Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", in 1974 and 1982. March 5 – Lonestar lead singer Richie McDonald announces that he will be leaving the band to pursue a career with The Frontmen, a trio also consisting of Tim Rushlow and Larry Stewart, the former lead singers of Little Texas and Restless Heart, respectively, and will be replaced with former Sons of the Desert lead singer Drew Womack. McDonald previously departed Lonestar in 2007 to pursue a solo career, but then returned in 2011. March 22 – Morgan Wallen's Dangerous: The Double Album becomes the first album to spend its first ten weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 since 1987. April 1 – Confederate Railroad lead singer Danny Shirley breaks his back in an undisclosed accident. April 18 – Music writer Holly G. founds the Black Opry, a website and touring revue dedicated to black artists in country music. June 9 – Jon Randall quest Miranda Lambert and Jack Ingram at the 2021 CMT Music Awards. June 11 – High Valley mandolin player Curtis Rempel announces he is leaving the group and moving back to his hometown in Alberta to pursue a business with his wife, leaving older brother and frontman Brad Rempel as the last remaining of three brothers who formed the group. July 3 – Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are married at their Tishomingo ranch in Oklahoma, 6 months after their engagement. July 13 – Ashley Monroe announces that she has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. July 16 – Bill Anderson celebrates his 60th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary Tanya Tucker announces she underwent emergency hip replacement surgery and was forced to cancel all tour dates. September 28 – Alan Jackson announces he has been diagnosed with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease for a decade, affecting his ability to perform on tour. October 8 – Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox announces that the band is disbanding following the cancellation of their farewell tour and band member Joe Don Rooney's departure and DUI arrest one month prior. October 18 – Luke Bryan is announced as host for the 2021 CMA Awards, marking the first solo host in 18 years, since Vince Gill hosted the 2003 ceremony.

Grand Ole Opry January 21 – The members of Lady A are invited by Darius Rucker to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, effective immediately. February 6 – A year after her invitation on February 29, 2020, Rhonda Vincent is officially inducted by Dierks Bentley as an Opry member after her initial induction date was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. June 22 – Carly Pearce was invited by Dolly Parton to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry and she was officially inducted on August 3, 2021 by Trisha Yearwood. August 10 – Southern gospel group The Isaacs are invited by Ricky Skaggs to become Opry members and were inducted by him and The Whites on September 14. September 28 – Nashville vocalist Mandy Barnett was invited by Connie Smith to be a member of the Opry on her birthday and after making more than 500 appearances over thirty years and was officially inducted by her and her husband Marty Stuart on November 2. December 4 – The Kentucky Headhunters play the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. The band had previously been rejected from this position in 1990. December 18 – Lauren Alaina is invited by Trisha Yearwood to become an Opry member. The induction is set for early 2022.

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 2021: Singles released by American and Australian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences11512"7 Summers"Morgan Wallen13——"865"Morgan Wallen25254"All Night"Brothers Osborne1——"All Too Well (Taylor's Version)"Taylor Swift756"Almost Maybes"Jordan Davis152—"Am I the Only One"Aaron Lewis712"Beers and Sunshine"Darius Rucker111"Better Together"Luke Combs511"Blame It on You"Jason Aldean413"Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s"Sam Hunt711"Champagne Night"Lady A324"Chasing After You"Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris511"Cold as You"Luke Combs316"Cold Beer Calling My Name"Jameson Rodgers featuring Luke Combs511"Country Again"Thomas Rhett15——"Cover Me Up"Morgan Wallen17——"Dangerous"Morgan Wallen511"Down to One"Luke Bryan311"Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God. Amen."Chase Rice featuring Florida Georgia Line211"Famous Friends"Chris Young and Kane Brown113"Fancy Like"Walker Hayes111"Forever After All"Luke Combs218"Glad You Exist"Dan + Shay222"Gone"Dierks Bentley113"The Good Ones"Gabby Barrett1110"Good Time"Niko Moon10210"Happy Does"Kenny Chesney211"Hell of a View"Eric Church621"Hole in the Bottle"Kelsea Ballerini18433"How They Remember You"Rascal Flatts4226"I Should Probably Go to Bed"Dan + Shay891"I Was on a Boat That Day"Old Dominion211"If I Didn't Love You"Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood302043"It's 'Cause I Am"Callista Clark171439"Just About Over You"Priscilla Block311"Just the Way"Parmalee & Blanco Brown1027"Knowing You"Kenny Chesney719”Lady”Brett Young20134"Like a Lady"Lady A342—"Lil Bit"Nelly & Florida Georgia Line411"Long Live"Florida Georgia Line157—"Love Story (Taylor's Version)"Taylor Swift311"Made for You"Jake Owen9——"Memory"Kane Brown & Blackbear511"Memory I Don't Mess With"Lee Brice1299"Minimum Wage"Blake Shelton2——"Mr. Perfectly Fine"Taylor Swift8535"Momma's House"Dustin Lynch19——"More Surprised Than Me"Morgan Wallen4129"My Boy"Elvie Shane18——"Neon Eyes"Morgan Wallen23152"Next Girl"Carly Pearce254—"No Body, No Crime"Taylor Swift featuring Haim5223"Nobody"Dylan Scott10101"One Too Many"Keith Urban featuring P!nk813"Same Boat" Zac Brown Band661"Settling Down"Miranda Lambert412"Single Saturday Night"Cole Swindell123"Starting Over"Chris Stapleton23745"Take Me Home for Christmas"Dan + Shay314"Things a Man Oughta Know"Lainey Wilson212"Thinking 'Bout You"Dustin Lynch featuring Lauren Alaina or MacKenzie Porter23164"Undivided"Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard10——"Warning"Morgan Wallen211"Waves"Luke Bryan711"We Didn't Have Much"Justin Moore111"What's Your Country Song"Thomas Rhett6——"You All Over Me"Taylor Swift featuring Maren Morris7123"You Time"Scotty McCreery

Singles released by Canadian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences——1"All Night to Figure It Out"Jade EaglesonJade Eagleson chart peaks: "All Night to Figure It Out": ——12"Been a Minute"Hunter Brothers——1"Boy Like Me"Aaron Goodvin——1"Boys"Dean Brody featuring Mickey Guyton——20"Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass"Gord Bamford——5"Drinkin' Songs"MacKenzie PorterMacKenzie Porter chart peaks: "Drinkin' Songs": ——15"Every Time You Take Your Time"Aaron Goodvin—598"F-150"Robyn OttoliniRobyn Ottolini chart peaks: "F-150": ——1"A Few Good Stories"Brett Kissel——8"Fighting"Tyler Joe MillerTyler Joe Miller chart peaks: "Fighting": "Sometimes I Do": ——5"Girl Who Didn't Care"Tenille Townes——6"Give It to Me Straight"Tenille Arts——10"Good on You"Lindsay Ell——5"In a Bar"Matt Lang——17"It Didn't"Madeline Merlo——7"Lightning Bug"Dean Brody——9"Lightning in a Bottle"Nate HallerNate Haller chart peaks: "Lightning in a Bottle": ——1"Make a Life, Not a Living"Brett Kissel——15"Mapdot"Jess Moskaluke——9"Me Without You"Tim & the Glory BoysTim & the Glory Boys chart peaks: "Without a Prayer": "Me Without You": ——1"More Drinkin' Than Fishin'"Jade Eagleson and Dean Brody——17"Never Run Outta Road"The Washboard Union——13"Neverland"Andrew Hyatt"Neverland": ——13"Never Giving Up on You"Meghan Patrick——5"Not Gonna Not"Reklaws——13"Nothin' I Don't Love About You"Jess Moskaluke——11"Only a Woman"Matt Lang——1"Over All Over Again"James Barker Band——1"River's Still Running"High Valley——12"Shotgun Rider"Tebey——1"Some Things Never Change"Dallas Smith featuring Hardy739"Somebody Like That"Tenille Arts——5"Sometimes I Do"Tyler Joe Miller——10"Without a Prayer"Tim & the Glory Boys

2021 in country music

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