See also: 1967 in country music, 1968 in music, other events of 1968, 1969 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

• January 13 — Johnny Cash records his legendary concert at Folsom State Prison. The resulting album, At Folsom Prison, becomes a huge international success and a cornerstone of his music catalog; the lead single, "Folsom Prison Blues" (an update of his 1956 hit) becomes one of the most famous recordings of his career.
• February 1 — Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, is born in Memphis, Tennessee.
• March 1 — Johnny Cash and June Carter are married.
• November — The Country Music Association Awards are aired on television for the first time. Hosted by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the awards show is taped in October and aired on NBC a month later.
• December 3 — Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special airs on NBC. Although this special focuses more on the pop/rock side of his musical talents, the special will reinvigorate Presley's career in both the country and mainstream pop genres.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

• January 20 - "Sing Me Back Home" - Merle Haggard and the Strangers
• February 3 - "Skip a Rope" - Henson Cargill
• March 9 - "Take Me to Your World" - Tammy Wynette
• March 16 - "A World of Our Own" - Sonny James
• April 6 - "How Long Will My Baby Be Gone" - Buck Owens and the Buckaroos
• April 13 - "You Are My Treasure" - Jack Greene
• April 20 - "Fist City" - Loretta Lynn
• April 27 - "The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde" - Merle Haggard and the Strangers
• May 11 - "Have a Little Faith" - David Houston
• May 18 - "I Wanna Live" - Glen Campbell
• May 25 - "Honey" - Bobby Goldsboro

"I Wanna Live" by Glen Campbell returns to No. 1 on June 15

• June 29 - "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" - Tammy Wynette
• July 20 - "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash
• August 17 - "Heaven Says Hello" - Sonny James
• August 24 - "Already it's Heaven" - David Houston
• August 31 - "Mama Tried" - Merle Haggard and the Strangers
• September 28 - "Harper Valley PTA" - Jeannie C. Riley
• October 19 - "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" - Eddy Arnold
• November 2 - "Next In Line" - Conway Twitty
• November 9 - "I Walk Alone" - Marty Robbins
• November 23 - "Stand by Your Man" - Tammy Wynette
• December 14 - "Born to Be With You" - Sonny James
• December 21 - "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell

Other major hits

• "Another Place Another Time" - Jerry Lee Lewis
• "As Long As I Live" - George Jones
• "Baby's Back Again" - Connie Smith
• "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Lynn Anderson
• "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" – Glen Campbell
• "Country Girl" - Dottie West
• "The Country Hall of Fame" - Hank Locklin
• "The Day the World Stood Still" - Charley Pride
• "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife" – Glen Campbell
• "The Easy Part's Over" – Charley Pride
• "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere" - Lynn Anderson
• "Happy State of Mind" - Bill Anderson
• "Here Comes Heaven" - Eddy Arnold
• "Here Comes the Rain, Baby" - Eddy Arnold
• "Holdin' On to Nothin' - Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
• "I Got You" - Waylon Jennings and Anita Carter
• "I've Got You on My Mind Again" - Buck Owens
• "The Image of Me" – Conway Twitty
• "It Takes People Like You (To Make People Like Me)" - Buck Owens
• "It's All Over But the Crying" - Hank Williams Jr.
• "It's Over" - Eddy Arnold
• "Just Because I'm a Woman" - Dolly Parton
• "Just For You" - Ferlin Husky
• "The Last Thing on My Mind" – Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
• "Let the Chips Fall" - Charley Pride
• "Let the World Keep On A-Turnin' - Buck Owens and Buddy Alan
• "Little Arrows" - Leapy Lee
• "Little Green Apples" - Roger Miller
• "Love Takes Care of Me" - Jack Greene
• "Milwaukee, Here I Come" - George Jones and Brenda Carter
• "No Another Time" - Lynn Anderson
• "On Tap, In the Can, Or in the Bottle" - Hank Thompson
• "The Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" - Waylon Jennings
• "Plastic Saddle" - Nat Stuckey
• "Promises, Promises" - Lynn Anderson
• "Roseanna's Going Wild" - Johnny Cash
• "Run Away Little Tears" - Connie Smith
• "Say It's Not You" - George Jones
• "She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)" - Jerry Lee Lewis
• "She Wears My Ring" - Ray Price
• "Sweet Rosie Jones" - Buck Owens
• "Take Me As I Am (Or Let Me Go)" - Ray Price
• "Undo the Right" - Johnny Bush
• "We'll Get Ahead Someday" - Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
• "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)" - Jerry Lee Lewis
• "Wild Weekend" – Bill Anderson
• "With Pen in Hand" - Johnny Darrell
• "You Just Stepped In (From Stepping Out on Me)" - Loretta Lynn
• "Your Squaw's on the Warpath" – Loretta Lynn

Top new album releases

• The Best of Bobby Bare Vol. 2 - Bobby Bare (RCA)
• The Bottom of the Bottle – Porter Wagoner (RCA)
• Country Girl - Dottie West (RCA)
• D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Tammy Wynette (Epic)
• Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry - Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry (Capitol)
• Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley (Plantation)
• Honey - Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists)
• Just Because I'm a Woman - Dolly Parton (RCA)
• Liz Anderson Sings Her Favorites - Liz Anderson (RCA)
• Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash (Columbia)
• Promises, Promises - Lynn Anderson (Chart)
• Walking in Love Land - Eddy Arnold (RCA)

Births

• January 27 - Tracy Lawrence, singer with a string of hits in the 1990s and 2000s ("Sticks and Stones", "Alibis", "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", and others)
• March 26 — Kenny Chesney, became one of the genre's leading superstars from the 2000s.

Deaths

• June 14 — Ernest "Pop" Stoneman, 75, country music pioneer and leader of the Stoneman Family.
• September 19 — Red Foley, 58, one of country music's top stars of the 1940s and 1950s (heart attack).

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

• Bob Wills (1905-1975)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

Academy of Country Music

• Single Of The Year -- "Little Green Apples" - Roger Miller
• Album Of The Year -- Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry - Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry
• Top Male Vocalist -- Glen Campbell
• Top Female Vocalist -- Cathie Taylor
• Top Vocal Duo -- Johnny Mosby and Jonie Mosby
• Top New Male Vocalist -- Ray Sanders
• Top New Female Vocalist -- Cheryl Poole

Country Music Association

• Entertainer of the Year --
• Male Vocalist of the Year --
• Female Vocalist of the Year --
• Instrumental Group of the Year –-
• Comedian of the Year –-
• Vocal Group of the Year --
• Vocal Duo of the Year --
• Single of the Year --
• Song of the Year --
• Album of the Year --
• Instrumentalist of the Year --

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
• 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.

Other links

• Country Music Association
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

External links

• Country Music Hall of Fame