80's Ladies of Country Rankdown

[Tim]

Ok...going to do one more before the weekend gets started!

Hint: she is the first woman and the first Canadian to win the CMA Album of the Year

[Tim]

Anne Murray

Anne Murray is the first Canadian singer in our rankdown and was not just successful in country music but in the pop and adult contemporary formats. Altogether her albums have sold over 55 million copies worldwide.

With the release of "Snowbird" in 1970, Anne became the first Canadian female solo singer to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts and also the first to earn a Gold record for the song. Anne's string of success would continue well on into the 70's with such hits as "Danny's Song," "A Love Song," "He Thinks I Still Care," and "You Needed Me."

In 1984 Anne became the first woman and and the first Canadian to win the CMA Album of the Year for her 1983 release A Little Good News. That same year the title track also went on to win the CMA Single of the Year award.

Our next song in the rankdown "Could I Have This Dance" is perhaps her most well known song as it was featured in the movie Urban Cowboy and went on to become Anne's fifth number one country hit as a solo artist.

[Kanenrá:ke]

Oh Gail was almost not included! I love her, I would've been shocked to not see her name here!

Janie's my favorite of this set, but Charly comes close. If they'd just release more of her albums again I'd buy them all up instantly.

Nanci's a name I didn't think to be included but I'm so glad she was chosen as her influence is really important.

Lacy J. was an artist I always thought really stood out for her sound and comparing her to Bonnie Raitt is really spot on!

I always feel weird being Canadian and not being that into Anne Murray, though I keep telling myself I'll one day explore her discography more.

[someguy]

Mar 16, 2018 15:52:57 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

I always feel weird being Canadian and not being that into Anne Murray, though I keep telling myself I'll one day explore her discography more.

I've always casually liked Anne Murray, but never anything more than that. That kind of changed when I got her Friends & Legends duets album from a few years ago. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for some of her songs. If you haven't heard it before, I would recommend starting there.

[Tim]

Going to reveal a total of five artists and songs later tonight...here are some clues!

[.indulgecountry]

Guessing that the LeAnn Rimes clue is for one of Reba's songs, but the question is whether it'll be "How Blue" or "Can't Even Get the Blues." I'm guessing the former because it has a similar vocal style... but maybe it's both, lol.

[Kanenrá:ke]

The Queen of Hearts card is probably for Juice Newton who had a song called "Queen Of Hearts"
Same with The Matador is probably for Sylvia's hit of the same name.
Barbara Mandrell is probably a hint for her sister Louise.

The Nutrisystem one is confusing me and I have to head out the door so I'll be surprised when it comes lol

Edit: Wait didn't Marie Osmond have a commercial for Nutrisystem?

[Tim]

Mar 18, 2018 12:47:03 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Guessing that the LeAnn Rimes clue is for one of Reba's songs, but the question is whether it'll be "How Blue" or "Can't Even Get the Blues." I'm guessing the former because it has a similar vocal style... but maybe it's both, lol.

That's a great guess and I put that one in there to throw y'all off lol

Mar 18, 2018 14:22:20 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

The Queen of Hearts card is probably for Juice Newton who had a song called "Queen Of Hearts"
Same with The Matador is probably for Sylvia's hit of the same name.
Barbara Mandrell is probably a hint for her sister Louise.

The Nutrisystem one is confusing me and I have to head out the door so I'll be surprised when it comes lol

Edit: Wait didn't Marie Osmond have a commercial for Nutrisystem?

I'll give you 3...err 3.5 correct ones as the matador picture references one of the songs for that artist

[Tim]

Juice Newton

Our next artist to be revealed is country and pop singer Juice Newton. In the 1980s she charted numerous top-10 hits across all genres of music with six songs hitting No. 1.

Her first big hit came in 1981 with the best-selling version of the song “Angel of the Morning.” The song would go on to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 22 on the Billboard country chart, and spend three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. The video for “Angel of the Morning” would also become the first country-music video to be aired on MTV.

One of her best known country songs was released in 1981 and can still be heard on the radio today; this song was also listed by Rolling Stone as the No. 92 greatest country songs of all time. I present to you all “Queen of Hearts!”

[Tim]

Sylvia

Sylvia is our next singer to be revealed! She has enjoyed success across both the country music and adult contemporary formats.

With the success of her album Just Sylvia, Sylvia would go on to win the Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 1982 as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Female Vocalist.

Sylvia is credited for releasing the first “concept” music video to air on CMT in 1981 for the single The Matador. You can click on the link to watch the video...I do have to wonder what ever happened to the strapping young matador in the video

I chose her most well known song and No. 1 record “Nobody” to be presented for the rankdown. The song would also cross over to the Billboard Hot 100 and become a top five adult contemporary hit.

[Tim]

Deborah Allen

Our next female country artist got her first break while working at a Nashville IHOP restaurant where Roy Orbison happened to be dining that day. He took notice of her spunk and weeks later hired Deborah Allen to sing background vocals.

During the 1980s, Deborah would go on to score multiple hits including “Nobody’s Fools,” “You Make Me Wonder Why,” “You Look Like the One I Love,” and “After Tonight.” Deborah had pleaded with her label to let her record “Don’t Worry ‘bout Me Baby” (a song she had co-written) and when the label refused she teamed up with Janie Fricke to record it. That song would go on to become a No. 1 record for Janie.

LeAnn Rimes recorded five Deborah Allen co-written songs, including “Hurt Me" and “My Baby” for Blue and “Undeniable,” “Rock Me,” and “All the Lovin’ and Hurtin’” for Sittin’ on Top of the World.

Deborah Allen’s No. 4 country hit “Baby I Lied” is the next song to be revealed for the rankdown.

[Kanenrá:ke]

Deborah!!! Yay! I love "Baby I Lied"!

I also love Shannon Brown's cover of it from like 2002.

I really want to hear her album Telepathy, but haven't ever been able to find it.

[Tim]

Louise Mandrell

The younger sister of fellow country singer Barbara Mandrell, Louise Mandrell went on to have a successful singing career from the 1970s, with a string of hits all during the 1980s.

Lousie released a handful of successful songs to country radio from 1982 to 1986, including “Save Me,” “Runaway Heart,” Too Hot to Sleep,” “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet,” and “Maybe My Baby.”

I chose the fun “Some Girls Have All the Luck” as the next song for the rankdown. This was released in 1985 and was the first video Louise released (link here).

[Tim]

Marie Osmond

Marie Osmond (now most famous for appearing as a spokesperson for Nutrisystem) has built a career that spans across over five decades dating back to the early 1970s.

Her music career first began in 1973 with the release of “Paper Roses” which would go on to become a No. 1 country record. After the success of this song, Marie began to focus on television and hosted her own special variety show with her brother Donny Osmond.

Marie would return to country music in 1985 where the successful duet “Meet Me in Montana” with Dan Seals went on to become a No. 1 record and win them the Vocal Duo of the Year at the CMA Awards. Marie would release her next album There’s No Stopping Your Heart that same year. Her third and final No. 1 song “You’re Still New to Me” was a duet with Paul Davis.

Marie returned to television in the 1990s and co-hosted a talk/entertainment show with her brother Danny. She also had a successful run performing Broadway musicals, appearing in the productions of The King and I and The Sound of Music.

Our next song is the title track to her 1985 album and No. 1 song “There’s No Stopping Your Heart.”

[Kanenrá:ke]

I like Marie's singles, and I own two of her albums but I do need to listen to more of them one day. I always felt she was underrated and looked down on because of her work with her brother.

[Tim]

Mar 18, 2018 22:28:53 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

I like Marie's singles, and I own two of her albums but I do need to listen to more of them one day. I always felt she was underrated and looked down on because of her work with her brother.

Prior to researching for this rankdown I wasn’t at all familiar with any of her songs other than “Meet Me In Montana.” I went back and forth with a couple songs, but I thought this one was one of her best solo releases.

[Tim]

That's all for tonight. Tomorrow we present the first artist with two songs in the rankdown and one of the biggest (and overlooked/underrated) hitmakers of the early and mid 80's.

Who could it be???

[Kanenrá:ke]

I'd almost guess Rosanne Cash, but she had hits till the end of the decade. Hmm I'll think on this while I sleep lol

[Tim]

Mar 18, 2018 23:07:55 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

I'd almost guess Rosanne Cash, but she had hits till the end of the decade. Hmm I'll think on this while I sleep lol

Well...

[Kanenrá:ke]

Mar 18, 2018 23:08:58 GMT -5 Tim said:

Mar 18, 2018 23:07:55 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

I'd almost guess Rosanne Cash, but she had hits till the end of the decade. Hmm I'll think on this while I sleep lol

Well...

Wait it's Rosanne? But she had #1's in 1989...

[Tim]

Mar 18, 2018 23:15:52 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Mar 18, 2018 23:08:58 GMT -5 Tim said:

Well...

Wait it's Rosanne? But she had #1's in 1989...

I fixed it above

[.indulgecountry]

Mar 18, 2018 21:08:52 GMT -5 Tim said:

Mar 18, 2018 12:47:03 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Guessing that the LeAnn Rimes clue is for one of Reba's songs, but the question is whether it'll be "How Blue" or "Can't Even Get the Blues." I'm guessing the former because it has a similar vocal style... but maybe it's both, lol.

That's a great guess and I put that one in there to throw y'all off lol

So if that wasn't the clue then what was it?  

[Tim]

Since Kanenrá:ke correctly guessed the next reveal, I'm going to go ahead and present her!

[Tim]

Rosanne Cash

As the eldest daughter of country music icon Johnny Cash, I proudly present one of the most consistent hitmakers of the 80’s…Rosanne Cash!

Cash’s first studio album Right or Wrong was released in early 1980 and produced three Top 25 singles. It was her second album Seven Year Ache where she would achieve critical and commercial success. The album yielded three No. 1 hits including the title track, “My Baby Thinks He’s a Train,” and “Blue Moon with Heartache.”

Rosanne would release her fourth critically acclaimed studio album in 1985, Rhymthm & Romance, which produced two No. 1 hits, “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me” and “Never Be You.” She would go on to win the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

In 1987, Cash released her most critically acclaimed album of her career, King’s Record Shop. It would produce four No. 1 hits, including “Tennesse Flat Top Box,” “The Way We Make a Broken Heart,” “If You Change Your Mind,” and “Runaway Train.”

Rosanne scored another hit record in 1988 and No. 1 duet with her then husband/producer Rodney Crowell called “It’s Such a Small World.”

Her first hit compilation was released in 1989 and would include yet another No. 1 song with the Beatles cover “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party.”

Considered one of the most successful female country artists of the 1980s with 11 No. 1 records, Rosanne Cash is the first artist in the rankdown that includes two songs - her 1981 hit “Seven Year Ache” and my favorite single from King’s Record Shop “The Way We Make A Broken Heart.”

[Tim]

Mar 18, 2018 23:40:14 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Mar 18, 2018 21:08:52 GMT -5 Tim said:

That's a great guess and I put that one in there to throw y'all off lol

So if that wasn't the clue then what was it?  

Deborah Allen

edit: I posted the LeAnn Rimes info in the bio line

[Tim]

Ok that's officially it for tonight lol. Tomorrow we'll introduce one of our first country female groups of the 80s and another female singer who saw a career resurgence in the 80s.

[Tim]

The Forester Sisters

The Forester Sisters are a country music vocal group consisting of sisters Kathy, June, Kim and Christy Foster.

The quartet was first discovered at an arts festival. Their first single, “That’s What You Do (When You’re in Love),” reached the Top Ten. Their next three singles “Just In Case,” “Mama’s Never Seen Those Eyes,” and “I Fell in Love Again Last Night” all reached the top of the country charts in 1985 and 1986.

The Forester Sisters would continue to release records thru the late 80s and early 90s. A Greatest Hits compilation was released in late 1989 featuring their final top ten "Leave It Alone."

Featured in the rankdown is The Forester Sisters first No. 1 "I Fell in Love Again Last Night."

[Tim]

Tanya Tucker

Tanya Tucker’s first big hit “Delta Dawn” came in 1972 when she was only 13 years old. Tanya would later sign with MCA Records where she released a string of hit singles in the mid to late 70’s including the No. 1’s “What’s Your Mama’s Name,” “Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone),” “San Antonio Stroll,” “Here’s Some Love,” and the top 5 song “Texas (When I Die).”

By the early 1980’s Tanya’s sales and popularity would see a decline mostly due to her personal battles with alcohol and substance abuse. Tanya would not chart one single on the country charts in 1984 and 1985.

In 1986, Tanya signed with Capitol Records and released Girls Like Me which would bring her back to the Top 5 with “One Love at a Time” and “I’ll Come Back as Another Woman” as well as the No. 1 song “Just Another Love.”

Tanya would continue to release two more successful albums to close out the decade and score multiple hit singles, including “If It Don’t Come Easy,” “Strong Enough to Bend,” and the No. 1 duet with Paul Overstreet and Paul Davis “I Won’t Take Less Than Your Love.”

I have selected two songs to showcase from Tanya; her 1987 hit “Love Me Like You Used To” and “My Arms Stay Open All Night” which was released in late 1989 as a single from her Captiol Records Greatest Hits album.

[Cody Wants Out...]

"Love Me Like You Used To" is sooooo underrated!

[Kanenrá:ke]

Tanya!!!