This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1985.
Events
January — In radio, the United Stations Programming Network’s "Solid Gold Country," a country music spinoff of the oldies-focused "Solid Gold Scrapbook," switches from a three-hour-a-week show to a five-day-a-week program (with the option to air all five hours in as a weekly program). Under the new format, each hourly program covered a different topic, such as a profile on a singer, songwriter or producer; a look back at the popular songs from the current week in a past year, gold records from the current month and other topics under virtually every conceivable topic. The new program will run 8-1/2 years.
May 8 - 20th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, George Strait, and Reba McEntire win
A story published in The New York Times declares that country music is "dead." However, a number of new acts – Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam among them – are working behind the scenes to change the trend.
The Country Music Association Awards introduced a new award, Music Video of the Year. The first recipient was Hank Williams Jr.'s video for "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight."
Top hits of the year
Singles released by American artists
Singles released by Canadian artists
Top new album releases
Other top albums
On television
Regular series
Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)
That Nashville Music (1970–1985, syndicated)
Specials
Births
January 20 – Brantley Gilbert, singer of the 2010s best known for "Country Must Be Country Wide" and "You Don't Know Her Like I Do"
May 20 – Jon Pardi, country singer of the 2010s
June 12 – Chris Young, winner on the fourth season of Nashville Star
August 26 – Brian Kelley, member of Florida Georgia Line, a duo of the 2010s.
September 1 — Charlie Worsham, singer/multi-instrumentalist honored by the Mississippi state senate
September 19 — Chase Rice, country singer of the 2010s
Deaths
July 17 – Wynn Stewart, 51, key progenitor of the Bakersfield sound, known for hits such as "It's Such a Pretty World Today" (heart attack)
August 8 – Benny Barnes, 51, former rhythm guitarist for George Jones, best known for his 1956 hit "Poor Man's Riches"
October 11 -- Tex Williams, 68, Western swing and talking blues performer best known for "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" (pancreatic cancer)
Hall of Fame inductees
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Flatt and Scruggs (Lester Flatt 1914–1979 and Earl Scruggs 1924–2012)
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Don Messer
Hank Snow
Major awards
Grammy Awards
Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me", Rosanne Cash
Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "Lost in the Fifties Tonight", Ronnie Milsap
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Why Not Me" The Judds
Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Cosmic Square Dance", Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
Best Country Song — "Highwayman," Jimmy Webb (Performer: The Highwaymen)
Juno Awards
Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Murray McLauchlan
Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
Country Group or Duo of the Year — Family Brown
Academy of Country Music
Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
Song of the Year — "Lost in the Fifties Tonight", Fred Parris, Mike Reid and Troy Seals (Performer: Ronnie Milsap)
Single of the Year — "Highwayman", The Highwaymen
Album of the Year — Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, George Strait
Top Male Vocalist — George Strait
Top Female Vocalist — Reba McEntire
Top Vocal Duo — The Judds
Top Vocal Group — Alabama
Top New Male Vocalist — Randy Travis
Top New Female Vocalist — Judy Rodman
Video of the Year — "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?", George Jones (Directors: Marc Ball)
Canadian Country Music Association
Entertainer of the Year — Dick Damron
Male Artist of the Year — Terry Carisse
Female Artist of the Year — Carroll Baker
Group of the Year — The Mercey Brothers
SOCAN Song of the Year — "Counting the I Love You's", Terry Carisse, Bruce Rawlins (Performer: Terry Carisse)
Single of the Year — "Riding on the Wind", Gary Fjellgaard
Album of the Year — Closest Thing to You, Terry Carisse
Top Selling Album — Once Upon a Christmas, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
Vista Rising Star Award — Ginny Mitchell
Duo of the Year — Anita Perras and Tim Taylor
Country Music Association
Entertainer of the Year — Ricky Skaggs
Song of the Year — "God Bless the USA", Lee Greenwood (Performer: Lee Greenwood)
Single of the Year — "Why Not Me", The Judds
Album of the Year — Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, George Strait
Male Vocalist of the Year — George Strait
Female Vocalist of the Year — Reba McEntire
Vocal Duo of the Year — Dave Loggins and Anne Murray
Vocal Group of the Year — The Judds
Horizon Award — Sawyer Brown
Music Video of the Year — "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight", Hank Williams Jr. (Director: John Goodhue)
Instrumentalist of the Year — Chet Atkins
Instrumental Group of the Year — Ricky Skaggs Band
See also
Country Music Association
Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame
References
Further reading
Kingsbury, Paul, The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories, Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995 (ISBN 978-0679435563)
Kingsbury, Paul, Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989, Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
Millard, Bob, Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music, HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
Whitburn, Joel, Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition. 2005 (ISBN 978-0898201659)