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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1988.
| List of years in country music (Table) |
|---|
| … 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 – 1988 – 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 … |
| Related time period or subjects |
| … 1985 •
1986 • 1987 – 1988 – 1989 • 1990 • 1991 … … 1950s • 1960s • 1970s – 1980s – 1990s • 2000s • 2010s … … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century … |
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Contents |
(as certified by Billboard)
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | CAN peak | Spec. Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9 | I Can't Get Close Enough | Exile | 1 | [B] | |
| January 16 | One Friend | Dan Seals | 1 | ||
| January 23 | Where Do the Nights Go | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | ||
| January 30 | Goin' Gone | Kathy Mattea | 1 | 3 | [A] |
| February 6 | Wheels | Restless Heart | 1 | ||
| February 13 | Tennessee Flat Top Box | Rosanne Cash | 1 |
|
|
| February 20 | Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star | Merle Haggard | 1 | [B] | |
| February 27 | I Won't Take Less Than Your Love | Tanya Tucker, Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet | 1 | 10 | [A] - Paul
Overstreet [B] - Paul Davis |
| March 5 | Face to Face | Alabama | 1 | ||
| March 12 | Too Gone Too Long | Randy Travis | 1 | ||
| March 19 | Life Turned Her That Way | Ricky Van Shelton | 1 | ||
| March 26 | Turn It Loose | The Judds | 1 | 5 | |
| April 2 | Love Will Find Its Way to You | Reba McEntire | 1 | ||
| April 9 | Famous Last Words of a Fool | George Strait | 1 | ||
| April 16 | I Wanna Dance With You | Eddie Rabbitt | 1 | ||
| April 23 | I'll Always Come Back | K. T. Oslin | 1 | ||
| April 30 | It's Such a Small World | Rodney Crowell with Rosanne Cash | 1 | [A] - Rodney Crowell
|
|
| May 7 | Cry, Cry, Cry | Highway 101 | 1 | ||
| May 14 | I'm Gonna Get You | Eddy Raven | 1 | ||
| May 21 | Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses | Kathy Mattea | 2 | ||
| June 4 | What She is (is a Woman in Love) | Earl Thomas Conley | 1 | 2 | |
| June 11 | I Told You So | Randy Travis | 2 | ||
| June 25 | He's Back and I'm Blue | The Desert Rose Band | 1 | [A] | |
| July 2 | If It Don't Come Easy | Tanya Tucker | 1 | — | |
| July 9 | Fallin' Again | Alabama | 1 | ||
| July 16 | If You Change Your Mind | Rosanne Cash | 1 | ||
| July 23 | Set 'Em Up Joe | Vern Gosdin | 1 | 2 |
|
| July 30 | Don't We All Have the Right | Ricky Van Shelton | 1 | ||
| August 6 | Baby Blue | George Strait | 1 | 3 | |
| August 13 | Don't Close Your Eyes | Keith Whitley | 1 | 2 | [1], [A] |
| August 20 | Bluest Eyes in Texas | Restless Heart | 1 | 2 | |
| August 27 | The Wanderer | Eddie Rabbitt | 1 |
|
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| September 3 | I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried | Rodney Crowell | 1 | ||
| September 10 | (Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes | Highway 101 | 1 | ||
| September 17 | Joe Knows How to Live | Eddy Raven | 1 | ||
| September 24 | Addicted | Dan Seals | 1 | ||
| October 1 | We Believe in Happy Endings | Earl Thomas Conley with Emmylou Harris | 1 | [B] - Emmylou Harris | |
| October 8 | Honky Tonk Moon | Randy Travis | 1 | ? | |
| October 15 | Streets of Bakersfield | Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens | 1 | ? | [A] - Dwight
Yoakam [B] - Buck Owens
|
| October 22 | Strong Enough to Bend | Tanya Tucker | 1 | ? | [B] |
| October 29 | Gonna Take a Lot of River (Mississippi, Monongahela, Ohio) | The Oak Ridge Boys | 1 | ? |
|
| November 5 | Darlene | T. Graham Brown | 1 | ? | [B] |
| November 12 | Runaway Train | Rosanne Cash | 1 | ? |
|
| November 19 | I'll Leave This World Loving You | Ricky Van Shelton | 2 | ? | |
| December 3 | I Know How He Feels | Reba McEntire | 1 | ? | |
| December 10 | If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin') | George Strait | 1 | ? |
|
| December 17 | A Tender Lie | Restless Heart | 1 | ? | [B] |
| December 24 | When You Say Nothing at All | Keith Whitley | 2 | ? |
(as certified by RPM). Note: Charts from October 1988-April 1989 are missing from the RPM archives.
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | U.S. peak | Spec. Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 16 | Somewhere Tonight | Highway 101 | 1 | ||
| January 23 | I Can't Get Close Enough | Exile | 1 | [B] | |
| January 30 | One Friend | Dan Seals | 1 | ||
| February 6 | Where Do the Nights Go | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | ||
| February 13 | Wheels | Restless Heart | 1 | ||
| February 20 | Tennessee Flat Top Box | Rosanne Cash | 1 | ||
| February 27 | Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star | Merle Haggard | 1 | [B] | |
| March 5 | Face to Face | Alabama | 1 | ||
| March 12 | Too Gone Too Long | Randy Travis | 1 | ||
| March 19 | This Missin' You Heart of Mine | Sawyer Brown | 2 | 2 | |
| April 2 | Life Turned Her That Way | Ricky Van Shelton | 1 | [A] | |
| April 9 | Love Will Find Its Way to You | Reba McEntire | 1 | ||
| April 16 | Famous Last Words of a Fool | George Strait | 1 | ||
| April 23 | I Wanna Dance With You | Eddie Rabbitt | 1 | ||
| April 30 | I'll Always Come Back | K. T. Oslin | 1 | [A] | |
| May 7 | It's Such a Small World | Rodney Crowell with Rosanne Cash | 1 | [A] - Rodney Crowell | |
| May 14 | I'm Gonna Get You | Eddy Raven | 1 | ||
| May 21 | Cry, Cry, Cry | Highway 101 | 1 | ||
| May 28 | Baby I'm Yours | Steve Wariner | 1 | 2 | |
| June 4 | Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses | Kathy Mattea | 1 | [A] | |
| June 11 | I Told You So | Randy Travis | 3 | ||
| July 2 | If You Change Your Mind | Rosanne Cash | 1 | ||
| July 9 | He's Back and I'm Blue | The Desert Rose Band | 1 | [A] | |
| July 16 | Fallin' Again | Alabama | 1 | ||
| July 23 | Til I Find My Love | Family Brown | 1 | — | |
| July 30 | Talkin' to the Wrong Man | Michael Martin Murphey with Ryan Murphey | 1 | 4 | [B] - Michael Martin
Murphey [C] - Ryan Murphey |
| August 6 | Don't We All Have the Right | Ricky Van Shelton | 1 | ||
| August 13 | The Wanderer | Eddie Rabbitt | 2 | ||
| August 27 | Give a Little Love | The Judds | 1 | 2 | |
| September 3 | Addicted | Dan Seals | 2 | ||
| September 17 | I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried | Rodney Crowell | 1 | ||
| September 24 | (Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes | Highway 101 | 1 | ||
| October 1 | Joe Knows How to Live | Eddy Raven | 1 | ||
| October 8 | I Should Be with You | Steve Wariner | 1 | 2 | |
| October 15 | We Believe in Happy Endings | Earl Thomas Conley with Emmylou Harris | 1 | [B] - Emmylou Harris |
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 5 | Always Late with Your Kisses | Dwight Yoakam |
| 8 | Americana | Moe Bandy | |
| 5 | Another Place, Another Time | Don Williams | |
| 15 | 33 | The Best I Know How | The Statler Brothers |
| 10 | ? | Blue Love | The O'Kanes |
| 5 | ? | Blue to the Bone | Sweethearts of the Rodeo |
| 10 | ? | Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues | Charlie Daniels |
| 4 | ? | Button Off My Shirt | Ronnie Milsap |
| 9 | 12 | Chill Factor | Merle Haggard |
| 6 | ? | Chiseled in Stone | Vern Gosdin |
| 4 | 8 | Crying Shame | Michael Johnson |
| 7 | ? | Desperately | Don Williams |
| 4 | 13 | Do You Believe Me Now | Vern Gosdin |
| 10 | ? | Don't Give Candy to a Stranger | Larry Boone |
| 11 | 3 | Everybody's Sweetheart | Vince Gill |
| 6 | 3 | The Factory | Kenny Rogers |
| 4 | 2 | The Gift | The McCarters |
| 8 | 8 | Givers and Takers | S-K-B |
| 7 | 11 | Goodbye Time | Conway Twitty |
| 4 | 13 | Heaven Can't Be Found | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 14 | 12 | High Ridin' Heroes | David Lynn Jones with Waylon Jennings |
| 12 | 14 | I Didn't (Every Chance I Had) | Johnny Rodriguez |
| 8 | ? | I Don't Have Far to Fall | Skip Ewing |
| 7 | 44 | I Have You | Glen Campbell |
| 12 | 18 | I Still Believe | Lee Greenwood |
| 18 | 41 | I Want a Love Like That | Judy Rodman |
| 7 | 19 | I Will Whisper Your Name | Michael Johnson |
| 5 | ? | I Wish That I Could Fall in Love Today | Barbara Mandrell |
| 9 | 7 | I Wouldn't Be a Man | Don Williams |
| 6 | 12 | I'll Give You All My Love Tonight | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 5 | 17 | I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow | Billy Joe Royal |
| 13 | 33 | I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio | Charley Pride |
| 3 | 4 | I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl | Michael Martin Murphey |
| 18 | 6 | I'm Tired | Ricky Skaggs |
| 2 | ? | I've Been Lookin' | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
| 10 | 9 | If My Heart Had Windows | Patty Loveless |
| 16 | 37 | If Ole Hank Could Only See Us Now | Waylon Jennings |
| 8 | 22 | If the South Woulda Won | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 67 | 9 | If You're Gonna Tell Me Lies | Rosemary Sharp |
| 17 | ? | It Keeps Right on Hurtin' | Billy Joe Royal |
| 8 | 5 | It's Only Make Believe | Ronnie McDowell with Conway Twitty |
| 5 | 9 | Just Lovin' You | The O'Kanes |
| 9 | 3 | Just One Kiss | Exile |
| 4 | 4 | The Last Resort | T. Graham Brown |
| 9 | 7 | Letter Home | The Forester Sisters |
| 18 | A Little Bit Closer | Tom Wopat | |
| 2 | ? | A Little Bit in Love | Patty Loveless |
| 20 | Louisiana Rain | John Wesley Ryles | |
| 3 | ? | Love Helps Those | Paul Overstreet |
| 4 | 3 | Love of a Lifetime | Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers |
| 5 | 5 | Lyin' in His Arms Again | The Forester Sisters |
| 5 | ? | Mama Knows | Shenandoah |
| 14 | 16 | Midnight Highway | Southern Pacific |
| 13 | 11 | Money | K. T. Oslin |
| 11 | ? | My Baby's Gone | Sawyer Brown |
| 2 | ? | New Shade of Blue | Southern Pacific |
| 7 | 2 | No More One More Time | Jo-El Sonnier |
| 5 | Oh What a Love | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | |
| 2 | 12 | Old Folks | Ronnie Milsap with Mike Reid |
| 15 | 2 | One Step Forward | The Desert Rose Band |
| 4 | 5 | One True Love | The O'Kanes |
| 11 | 18 | Only Love Can Save Me Now | Crystal Gayle |
| 10 | 7 | Out of Sight and on My Mind | Billy Joe Royal |
| 6 | 2 | Please, Please Baby | Dwight Yoakam |
| 9 | 4 | Real Good Feel Good Song | Mel McDaniel |
| 9 | ? | Rebels Without a Clue | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 5 | 2 | Santa Fe | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 5 | 11 | Satisfy You | Sweethearts of the Rodeo |
| 9 | ? | Saturday Night Special | Conway Twitty |
| 9 | 36 | She Doesn't Cry Anymore | Shenandoah |
| 17 | 8 | She's No Lady | Lyle Lovett |
| 5 | 29 | Shouldn't It Be Easier Than This | Charley Pride |
| 16 | 32 | Some Old Side Road | Keith Whitley |
| 8 | ? | Spanish Eyes | Willie Nelson with Julio Iglesias |
| 5 | 47 | Still Within the Sound of My Voice | Glen Campbell |
| 7 | 36 | Strangers Again | Holly Dunn |
| 2 | ? | Summer Wind | The Desert Rose Band |
| 5 | 9 | Sunday Kind of Love | Reba McEntire |
| 8 | 8 | Sure Thing | Foster & Lloyd |
| 16 | 23 | Talkin' to Myself Again | Tammy Wynette |
| 9 | 6 | Tear Stained Letter | Jo-El Sonnier |
| 8 | 2 | Tell Me True | Juice Newton |
| 18 | Texas in 1880 | Foster & Lloyd | |
| 17 | 10 | Thanks Again | Ricky Skaggs |
| 6 | 4 | That's My Job | Conway Twitty |
| 9 | ? | That's That | Michael Johnson |
| 5 | 6 | That's What Your Love Does to Me | Holly Dunn |
| 5 | 6 | Timeless and True Love | The McCarters |
| 5 | 3 | Touch and Go Crazy | Lee Greenwood |
| 5 | 21 | True Heart | The Oak Ridge Boys |
| 4 | ? | Untold Stories | Kathy Mattea |
| 7 | ? | We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 6 | ? | What Do You Want from Me This Time | Foster & Lloyd |
| 9 | 7 | Wilder Days | Baillie & the Boys |
| 6 | 8 | Wildflowers | Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris |
| 4 | 6 | Workin' Man (Nowhere to Go) | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
| 72 | 10 | You Are My Angel | Billy Parker |
| 20 | ? | You Can't Fall in Love When You're Cryin' | Lee Greenwood |
| 2 | 2 | Young Country | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 17 | Your Memory Wins Again | Skip Ewing |
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Angelina | George Fox | |
| 7 | Cheater's Moon | Carroll Baker | |
| 15 | Cinderella/Gingerbread Man | Dick Damron | |
| 18 | The Circle of Wood | Wayne Pronger | |
| 61 | 10 | Do You Have Any Doubts | Alibi |
| 8 | Fifty Years Ago | Ian Tyson | |
| 17 | The Gift | Ian Tyson | |
| 12 | Give In | Terry Carisse | |
| 8 | Gone So Long | The Good Brothers | |
| 10 | Highway to Heaven | Stoker Bros | |
| 14 | I Still Think of You | Colleen Peterson & Gilles Godard | |
| 21 | 7 | I'm Down to My Last Cigarette | K.D. Lang |
| 17 | If You're Up for Love | Ronnie Prophet | |
| 10 | Isn't That the Strangest Thing | Anita Perras & Tim Taylor | |
| 15 | Listening to the Singer | Cindi Cain | |
| 15 | The Music Still in Me | Cindi Cain | |
| 9 | One Smokey Rose | Anita Perras | |
| 8 | She Knows I Can't Say No | Ken Harnden | |
| 14 | Straight to Your Heart | Mercey Brothers | |
| 10 | Thank You for Being My Friend | The Ellis Family Band | |
| 14 | You Won't Fool This Fool This Time | The Good Brothers | |
| 7 | You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' | Carroll Baker |
| US | Album | Artist | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 10 | John Anderson | MCA |
| 26 | Across the Rio Grande | Holly Dunn | MTM |
| 46 | Alive & Well | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | Columbia |
| 29 | All in Love | Marie Osmond | Capitol/Curb |
| 45 | As I Am | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| 36 | Best of Eddy Raven | Eddy Raven | RCA |
| 60 | Brand New | Gary Stewart | Hightone |
| 52 | Chasing Rainbows | Mickey Gilley | Airborne |
| 61 | A Christmas Tradition, Vol. II | Various Artists | Warner Bros. |
| 29 | The Coast of Colorado | Skip Ewing | MCA |
| 56 | Every Christmas | Gary Morris | Warner Bros. |
| 33 | Exchange of Hearts | David Slater | Capitol |
| 36 | Full Circle | Waylon Jennings | MCA |
| 36 | The Gift | The McCarters | Warner Bros. |
| 66 | Greatest Hits | Kenny Rogers | RCA |
| 27 | Greatest Hits Volume Two | Lee Greenwood | MCA |
| 33 | The Heart of It All | Earl Thomas Conley | RCA |
| 49 | Higher Ground | John Denver | Windstar |
| 37 | Hot Dog! | Buck Owens | Capitol |
| 51 | I Guess I Just Missed You | Canyon | 16th Avenue |
| 52 | I Never Made a Record I Didn't Like | Ray Stevens | MCA |
| 34 | I Wanna Dance With You | Eddie Rabbitt | RCA |
| 35 | I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight | Barbara Mandrell | Capitol |
| 36 | I'm Gonna Love Her on the Radio | Charley Pride | 16th Avenue |
| 45 | I'm Still Missing You | Ronnie McDowell | Curb |
| 33 | If My Heart Had Windows | Patty Loveless | MCA |
| 64 | Just Enough Love | Ray Price | Step One |
| 58 | Light Years | Glen Campbell | MCA |
| 27 | Little Love Affairs | Nanci Griffith | MCA |
| 60 | Live at the Opry | Patsy Cline | MCA |
| 62 | Making Believe | Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn | MCA |
| 64 | New Faces of Country | Various Artists | K-Tel |
| 28 | No Regrets | Moe Bandy | Curb |
| 63 | Nobody's Angel | Crystal Gayle | Warner Bros. |
| 51 | Now You're Talkin' | Mel McDaniel | Capitol |
| 43 | One Fair Summer Evening | Nanci Griffith | MCA |
| 45 | Rebels Without a Clue | The Bellamy Brothers | Curb/MCA |
| 26 | Running | The Desert Rose Band | Curb/MCA |
| 64 | Saddle the Wind | Janie Fricke | Columbia |
| 30 | Sincerely | The Forester Sisters | Warner Bros. |
| 28 | Still in Your Dreams | Conway Twitty | MCA |
| 47 | Stout & High | The Wagoneers | A&M |
| 47 | Swingin' Doors, Sawdust Floors | Larry Boone | Mercury |
| 39 | View from the House | Kim Carnes | MCA |
| 48 | Water from the Wells of Home | Johnny Cash | Mercury |
| 34 | Western Standard Time | Asleep at the Wheel | Epic |
| 33 | Wide Open | Sawyer Brown | Capitol/Curb |
| 63 | Who Was That Stranger | Loretta Lynn | MCA |
| 33 | Workin' Band | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Warner Bros. |
| 27 | Zuma | Southern Pacific | Warner Bros. |
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