Not my favourite genre, but I can find some that I enjoy.  This one is technically not a country song (and debatable to some if it is even an 80s song), but it reached the country charts in both the US (#85) and Canada (#64).  Released in 1979, Longer by Dan Fogelberg peaked in both charts in early 1980.  This is such a beautiful song!

ImlDHQkPf8Q

---------------------------------------------------------

Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night) is a 1985 single by Ronnie Milsap and was a #1 hit in both the US and Canadian country charts.  And rightfully so that it should have been.  He did a fantastic job with this one!

uHD4kGY7tbs

Chris Hillman
"Desert Rose"
1984

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cKeusBPZMk&list=PLX66jEixZe1wOLntcBnHx-ZZWLdCBZCt1&index=5

Chris Hillman
"Desert Rose"
1984



That one is not bad.  Is that the same Chris Hillman of The Byrds?

Here is the 1987 song Try by a Canadian country-rock band called Blue Rodeo.  This peaked at #1 on the Canadian Country Chart, #6 on the pop chart, was certified Gold in sales and won the 1989 Juno (Canada's version of the Grammy) for Single and Video of the year!

hkMaBy6EX0w

-----------------------------------------------------------

There was an American country group called Atlanta who had a few hits between 1983-1988, the biggest of which was called Sweet Country Music which peaked in the country charts at #5 in the US and #2 in Canada.  This song features a violin solo that is similar in style to that of the 1983 hit Mountain Music by Alabama, and it's so very similar, I think Atlanta took inspiration from it

31yusmmNMpA

That one is not bad.  Is that the same Chris Hillman of The Byrds?


Of course. :)  He also went on to form the Desert Rose Band in the 80s and they took their name from that song. They had many, many country hits in that decade. In the 70s he was in Manassas with Stephen Stills and one whole side of their classic 1972 debut double album was pretty much pure country. But very real. No schlock.

In fact, a few years ago, just before Tom Petty died, he produced an album for Hillman called "Bidin' My Time" which has a  country-ish feel to it and is one of the best albums I have heard in years and years.

The Charlie Daniels Band
"Still In Saigon"
1982

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmslaEudR3M

One that comes to mind for me is "Queen Of Hearts" by Juice Newton, from 1981... but I think it could be classified as a mix of country and pop.

i_oTNGNkejI

She also released her cover version of "Angel Of The Morning" earlier that year, which I also kinda like.

One that comes to mind for me is "Queen Of Hearts" by Juice Newton, from 1981... but I think it could be classified as a mix of country and pop.


That's a good one, and yes, I'd say a mix of both country and pop.  She did a good job turning a rockabilly song into country-pop.  The original was by Dave Edmunds in 1979

VLwrCbj6Xbw

That's a good one, and yes, I'd say a mix of both country and pop.  She did a good job turning a rockabilly song into country-pop.  The original was by Dave Edmunds in 1979


Somehow I knew that, although I am most familiar with Juice's version. My parents seemed to like it too. (In fact, I think they have one of her albums on casette.)

Somehow I knew that, although I am most familiar with Juice's version. My parents seemed to like it too. (In fact, I think they have one of her albums on casette.)


Many of Juice's 80s hits were actually cover songs.  1981's Angel of the Morning (Merilee Rush in 1968), 1982's Break it to Me Gently (Brenda Lee in 1962), 1983's Tell Her No (The Zombies in 1965) and even her 1981 hit The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known) was a cover of a song she had already recorded back in 1975 under the name Juice Newton and Silver Spur (though I am not sure if you can call it a cover song if she is covering a song she already once sang)

She had a really catchy minor pop hit (US #66 / CAN #85) in 1984 called Can't Wait All Night that did not make the US Country chart.  It was written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, so I guess it's more rock than country, but you can still hear the country in it

0gKu11vvWis

I didn't appreciate it at the time, but Clint Black had some great songs back then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv_x4DWiS_s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmPoYTLFps4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mxIHL6d-RM
Johnny Lee- Looking For Love

It wasn't a hit or anything, it was tucked away on one of his albums, but I like it and it certainly is country. This being 1984, notice the very clear cold war message.

Stephen Stills
"No Hiding Place"
1984

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_-_m-nIlQ4

Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys.

This is MY video and yes, that is my cat, Elvira. I sing this song to her all the time. Wow, that was 10 years ago and she still is a character. (Unfortunately, the other cats in the video has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  :\'( :\'( :\'()

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7RooTxuhAE&t=58s


Cat

This thread needs some Bocephus.  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQNkIrg-Tk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8V4nF9oOI

I wasn't that familiar with country music in the 80s - I'm guessing Dolly Parton was too crossover to be classed as pure country.

I remember Alabama winning a lot of Grammy awards for "Best Country" artist.

I got into Reba McEntire as an adult, so I guess I'll go with "Whoever's In New England".

Es1xpUxrMhU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQW7I62TNOw
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton- Islands In The Stream

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Fishin in the Dark (1987)

Yh3ml8gzrd4

Don't know if "Queen of hearts" is country or not. I can remember my parents playing the radio and they would play this song. It's one of the few vague memories I have of 1981 or 82 lol. It's not really my favorite but I remember it.

Juice Newton - Queen of hearts (1981)

NW5K0YVgyqk                                           

Don't know if "Queen of hearts" is country or not. I can remember my parents playing the radio and they would play this song. It's one of the few vague memories I have of 1981 or 82 lol. It's not really my favorite but I remember it.

Juice Newton - Queen of hearts (1981)

Good choice. I guess great minds think alike, because I already posted it earlier! :)



One that comes to mind for me is "Queen Of Hearts" by Juice Newton, from 1981... but I think it could be classified as a mix of country and pop.

She also released her cover version of "Angel Of The Morning" earlier that year, which I also kinda like.


(And yes, I too remember my parents playing the radio in the car when we went places when I was little.)

When American pop music duo England Dan and John Ford Coley split in 1980, Dan Seals went on to a highly successful country music career in the 80s, scoring several #1 hits, the best known of which was Bop, which also peaked at #42 in the US Hot 100 and topped the pop chart in Canada.  This one was huge and I remember it very well!

xkeV_xorAuY

---------------------------------------------------------

In 1982, American singer David Frizzell scored his biggest hit when I'm Gonna Hire A Wino to Decorate Our Home peaked in the country chart at #1 in the US and #3 in Canada.  I knew this song well because it was also a surprise pop hit here in Canada where it peaked at #20.  I love this one a lot!

IWXXvnsnvGwp

Here is American-born Canadian singer Ronnie Hawkins with his fantastic 1981 version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song (Stuck in) Lodi.  This made it to #8 on the Canadian Country Chart

IoEHtRg1HmQ

-----------------------------------------------------------

This is Legendary Irish Flutist James Galway and American singer Sylvia with their version of the classic The Wayward Wind.  This peaked in the country charts in 1983 at #57 in the US and #29 in Canada. 

UQhWLiJHiqo

Kris Kristofferson
"Shipwrecked In the 80s"
1986

This song expresses how a lot of us who came through the 60s and 70s felt in the 80s. I first saw him play it at the first Farm Aid in 1985. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUNC9BrAEp0

The Highwaymen
"The Highwayman"
1985

A great one by some of the greats!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgCRdAzizxY

Here is the 1983 #1 US and Canadian Country hit Houston (Means I'm One Day Close to You) by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Band.  Another guilty pleasure of mine

4y41B-TAHy4

---------------------------------------------------------

This one sadly never made it out of Canada, which is a shame as it's just so good.  From 1989, this is called Times Like These by The Razorbacks.  It peaked at #42 on the Country chart and #95 on the Pop chart

_iObT3NVwmg

Dolly Parton
"House of the Rising Sun"
1981

Dolly's version of this classic reached number 14 on the US country singles chart and crossed over to the pop charts, where it reached number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also reached number 30 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

This version also makes quite clear what the song is about.

"There is a house in New Orleans
Down in the view Carre
A house they call the Rising Sun
Where love and money are made"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmrrAxS3z7I

The Desert Rose Band
"Love Reunited"
1987

This song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1987.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVX-iFv0ZkE