80's Ladies of Country Rankdown

[Tim]

/ee/’ll have two more big reveals for y’all later this evening!

[Tim]

The Judds

Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna Judd took over the country music world in late 1983 with the release of their debut single “Had /æ/ Dream (For the Heart)." That was soon followed by their No. 1 hit single “Mama He’s Crazy.” The duo would go on to score eight consecutive number one singles including “Girls’ Night Out,” “Love Is Alive,” “Have Mercy,” “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ol’ Days,” “Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain,” and “Cry Myself to Sleep.”

The duo won the 1984 CMA Horizon Award and would go on to win the Vocal Group of the Year from 1985-1987 followed by the Vocal Duo of the Year from 1988-1991.

Their first [/ee/]Greatest Hits[//ee/] compilation was released in 1988 and included the hit singles “Give /æ/ Little Love” and another No. 1 song “Change of Heart.”

/ee/ have chosen two of my favorite songs by The Judds including the 1985 CMA Single of the Year “Why Not Me” and the 1988 No. 1 song “Turn It Loose.”

[Tim]

Reba McEntire

Ladies and gents /ee/ present to you the 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and your 1986 CMA Entertainer of the Year Reba McEntire!

Reba first signed with Mercury Records in 1975 and released her debut single “/ee/ Don’t Want to Be /æ/ One Night Stand.” She would release /æ/ handful of singles but failed to gain much traction at radio. It wasn’t until 1979 when her cover of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams” would go on to become her first Top 20 hit. She would follow that up with her first Top 10 record “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven.” Reba released her fifth album, [/ee/]Unlimited[//ee/], in 1982 which would spawn her first number one singles including “You’re the First Time /ee/’ve Thought About Leaving.”

In 1984 Reba signed with MCA Nashville and released her next album [/ee/]Just /æ/ Little Love[//ee/] followed by her highest-peaking album at the time [/ee/]My Kind of Country[//ee/]. That album spawned two number-one singles including “How Blue” and “Somebody Should Leave.” Reba would co-produce her next album with Jimmy Bowen which contained the No. 5 hit “Only In My Mind” that was written entirely by herself.

She would win her very first Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1987 and soon thereafter MCA would release /æ/ [/ee/]Greatest Hits[//ee/] album encompassing some of her biggest hits since 1984.

Reba closed out the decade with her fourteenth studio album [/ee/]Sweet Sixteen[//ee/] which included the number one hits “Cathy’s Clown” and “Walk On.”

Selected for this rankdown is Reba’s first No. 1 song from 1983 “Can’t Even Get the Blues No More” and one of her signature songs “Whoever’s in New England.”

[Cody Wants Out...]

THE JUDDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bboat11]

REBA MCENTIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tim]

Trio

Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris

In 1987 Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris released /æ/ collaboration album called [/ee/]Trio[//ee/]. The album went on to sell over 4 million copies worldwide and spawned four top ten singles including “Telling Me Lies,” “Those Memories of You,” and “Wildflowers.”

[/ee/]Trio[//ee/] received several awards including the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by /æ/ Duo/Group and Best Country Song for “Telling Me Lies.” It would also win the Academy of Country Music Album of the Year for 1987 and the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year in 1988.

Showcased for the rankdown is the first single from the album and No. 1 song “To Know Him Is To Love Him.”

[Tim]

One more showcase coming up...and this artist happened to be my favorite discovery.

[Tim]

Emmylou Harris

/ee/ present to you the 2018 recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Emmylou Harris!

Emmylou’s career goes all the way back to the 1960s where she supported herself by performing folk songs in New York City coffeehouses. Gram Parsons was soon introduced to her and Emmylou began touring with Parsons’s band assisting with vocal harmonies and duets.

Her first major label debut, [/ee/]Pieces of the Sky[//ee/], was released in 1975 and contained cover versions of songs by the Beatles, Merle Haggard, and the Louvin Brothers. The record contained Emmylou’s first big hit, “If /ee/ Could Only Win Your Love.” Her second album, [/ee/]Elite Hotel[//ee/], won /æ/ Grammy in 1976 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

Emmylou began to shift her focus towards more traditional country in the late 70’s and released the award winning album [/ee/]Blue Kentucky Girl[//ee/] in 1979; it would produce the hits “Beneath Still Waters” and “Save the Last Dance For Me.” She would win the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Award in 1980.

She followed up her success the previous year with 1981’s [/ee/]Cimarron[//ee/]; it featured three top-ten singles including “Born to Run,” “Tennessee Rose,” and the Don Williams duet “If /ee/ Needed You.”

Emmylou continued to release critically acclaimed albums during the mid to late 80’s including 1986’s [/ee/]Thirteen[//ee/] which included /æ/ cover of Merle Haggard’s song “Today /ee/ Started Loving You Again.”

/ee/ have chosen Emmylou’s last Top 20 hit “Heaven Only Knows” from the 1989 Grammy nominated album [/ee/]Bluebird[//ee/].

[Tim]

As /ee/ hinted to above Emmylou Harris is my favorite artist /ee/ discovered while researching artists and songs for the rankdown. /ee/ can't believe /ee/ never thought to listen to her discography before and couldn't believe how impressive each album was. /ee/ found her to be an albums artist whose great work can really only be appreciated by taking the time to listen to her albums from beginning to end.

That's all the reveals for tonight...here's /æ/ hint for one of the next artists that /ee/'ll be showcasing:

[Cody Wants Out...]

Wow @ bboat11 using the [/ee/]exact[//ee/] same number of s as me and /æ/ bigger font size too! You win, like always.

[Tim]

Sweethearts of the Rodeo

Our second country music female duo to be presented is Sweethearts of the Rodeo!

Janis Oliver and her sister Kristine Arnold originally performed bluegrass music as The Oliver Sisters, but later became Sweethearts of the Rodeo (as hinted above the name derived from The Bryrds’ album [/ee/]Sweetheart of the Rodeo[//ee/]). Emmylou Harris discovered the duo in the mid 70’s and began performing as opening acts and backing vocalists for other artists.

They would win the Wrangler Country showdown talent contest in 1985 and singed with Columbia Records soon thereafter. Their first single, “Hey Doll Baby,” debuted in 1986 followed by the release of their self-titled debut album. The duo would score multiple top 10 hits in the late 80’s, including “Since /ee/ Found You,” “Midnight Girl/Sunset Town,” “Gotta Get Away,” and “Blue to the Bone.”

Showcased for the rankdown is their 1988 Top 5 single “Satisfy You.”

[Kanenrá:ke]

Mar 21, 2018 12:06:00 GMT -5 Tim said:

Sweethearts of the Rodeo

Our second country music female duo to be presented is Sweethearts of the Rodeo!

Janis Oliver and her sister Kristine Arnold originally performed bluegrass music as The Oliver Sisters, but later became Sweethearts of the Rodeo (as hinted above the name derived from The Bryrds’ album [/ee/]Sweetheart of the Rodeo[//ee/]). Emmylou Harris discovered the duo in the mid 70’s and began performing as opening acts and backing vocalists for other artists.

They would win the Wrangler Country showdown talent contest in 1985 and singed with Columbia Records soon thereafter. Their first single, “Hey Doll Baby,” debuted in 1986 followed by the release of their self-titled debut album. The duo would score multiple top 10 hits in the late 80’s, including “Since /ee/ Found You,” “Midnight Girl/Sunset Town,” “Gotta Get Away,” and “Blue to the Bone.”

Showcased for the rankdown is their 1988 Top 5 single “Satisfy You.”

/ee/ don't have all their albums but /ee/ do love the 4 /ee/ have from them! /ee/ wish they had got to keep having hits into the 90's.

[Cody Wants Out...]

These ladies helped me complete the jigsaw puzzle that is the Billboard Year-End Country Songs for 1989 (the only one to date that has [/ee/]exactly[//ee/] 100 songs on it).

[Tim]

Holly Dunn

The next featured artist in our 80’s showcase is Holly Dunn!

Holly first got her start in Nashville working as /æ/ demo singer and then as /æ/ songwriter. Louise Mandrell had /æ/ top-10 hit in 1984 with “/ee/’m Not Through Loving You Yet” which Holly co-wrote.

Her self-titled debut album was released in 1986 followed by her 1987 release [/ee/]Cornerstone[//ee/] which contained three top-10 hits, including “Love Someone Like Me,” “Only When /ee/ Love,” and “Strangers Again.”

Holly would end the decade with the successful album [/ee/]The Blue Rose of Texas[//ee/] which spawned the No. 1 hit “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” and the Top 5 hit “There Goes My Heart Again.”

Sadly, Holly Dunn passed away in 2016 from ovarian cancer. She was only 59 years old.

/ee/ chose Holly’s first Top 10 record “Daddy’s Hands” as the next song for the rankdown.

[Tim]

Paulette Carlson

of Highway 101

Paulette Carlson rose to fame in the 1980s as the founder and lead vocalist for the country band Highway 101. She lead the band over /æ/ course of three albums and charted ten consecutive Top Ten hits, including the No. 1 songs “Somewhere Tonight,” “Cry, Cry, Cry” “(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes,” and “Who’s Lonely Now.”

Prior to the band’s foundation, Carlson recorded on RCA Records as /æ/ solo singer and charted three Top 75 singles.

Carlson would leave the the band for /æ/ solo career in 1990 and charted with one top 40 hit “/ee/’ll Start With You.”

Included in the rankdown is Highway 101's 1987 No. 2 hit "Whiskey, If You Were /æ/ Woman."

[Cody Wants Out...]

Highway 101!

[Tim]

k.d. lang

Our next country female artist to showcase for the 80’s is Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter Kathryn Dawn Lang, or better known as k.d. lang. She has won the Canadian Country Music Association Entertainer (Fans' Choice) of the Year Award in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990 as well as the CCMA's Female Artist of the Year in 1988 and 1989.

Lang first established herself at country and western venues in Canada with an appearance and style referred to as “cowboy punk.” She earned /æ/ 1985 June Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist and in 1986 signed onto /æ/ contract with an American producer in Nashville, Tennessee. She received critical acclaim for her 1987 album [/ee/]Angel with /æ/ Lariat[//ee/].

Lang’s career received /æ/ huge boost when Roy Orbison chose her to record /æ/ duet on his song “Crying.” The collaboration would win them the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration in 1989. Lang also won the American Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance for her 1989 Album, [/ee/]Absolute Torch and Twang[//ee/].

k.d. lang has been /æ/ champion of gay rights causes since she first came out as /æ/ lesbian in /æ/ 1992 article of the news magazine [/ee/]The Advocate[//ee/].

CMT has previously ranked lang as one of the 40 Greatest Women in Country Music.

Selected for the rankdown is the Roger Miller penned “Lock, Stock & Teardrops” from her 1988 Owen Bradley produced album [/ee/]Shadowland[//ee/].

(Audio only version [/æ/ href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVIC-NktjGA"]here[//æ/])

[Tim]

We are nearing the end of the 80’s Ladies of Country presentations! Tomorrow /ee/ will showcase the theme song behind the rankdown and the artist who wrote the song.

Finally, on Sunday /ee/’ll present the Class of ‘89 and after that we are open for submissions!

[Tim]

K.T. Oslin

/ee/ present to you the 80’s lady herself K.T. Oslin!

Oslin became the first female songwriter to win the Country Music Association Song of the Year award for “80’s Ladies” in 1988; she would go on to win CMA Female Vocalist of the Year as well. The song also earned her /æ/ Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

At the Academy of Country Music awards, Oslin won the 1987 Top New Female Vocalist award and proceeded to win the 1988 Top Female Vocalist award while her sophomore album [/ee/]This Woman[//ee/] won Album of the Year honors.

In 1989, K.T. Oslin picked up two more additional Grammy Awards including Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song for her No. 1 hit “Hold Me.”

Selected for the rankdown is the song chosen as the theme, “80’s Ladies,” as well as her No. 1 hit “/ee/’ll Always Come Back" which is /æ/ sentimental favorite of mine.

[Tim]

Kathy Mattea

Our next country female artist to showcase is Kathy Mattea!

Active since 1984, she has charted more than thirty singles including top hits such as “Love at the Five and Dime,” “Walk the Way the Wind Blows,” “Come from the Heart,” and “Where’ve You Been.” She scored her first No. 1 song in 1988 with “Goin’ Gone.”

Kathy was one of the most formidable female vocalists in country music in the late 80’s and was awarded the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year award in both 1989 and 1990. She also earned /æ/ nomination for the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1990.

Selected for the rankdown is the 1988 CMA Single of the Year and No. 1 song “Eighteen Wheels and /æ/ Dozen Roses.”

[Kanenrá:ke]

Perfect choices for K.T./o/.!

And omg /ee/ think* my #1 was just announced with 18 Wheels!!!



*may change my mind but probably not.

[Tim]

Mar 22, 2018 22:28:38 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Perfect choices for K.T./o/.!

And omg /ee/ think* my #1 was just announced with 18 Wheels!!!



*may change my mind but probably not.

/ee/ almost went with “Hold Me” as the second song, but /ee/ just love “/ee/’ll Always Come Back.” /ee/ also like how they continued the storyline from the video in “80’s Ladies” to “/ee/’ll Always Come Back.”

One more reveal tomorrow before /ee/ wrap up the presentations on Sunday. As /ee/ mentioned above /ee/’ll showcase the Class of ‘89...and then the grand finale 😉

[Tim]

Patty Loveless

Initially signed to /æ/ singles-only recording contract with MCA Nashville in 1985, Patty Loveless released her self-titled debut album in 1987. It was her second album in 1988, [/ee/]If My Heart Had Windows[//ee/], that would bring her radio success with the top 10 hits “If My Heart Had Windows” and “/æ/ Little Bit in Love.”

Loveless released her breakthrough album, [/ee/]Honky Tonk Angel[//ee/], in late 1988 which spawned five successful singles including the No. 1 hit “Chains.”

At the 1989 American Music Awards, Patty Loveless was awarded Favorite New Country Artist.

Selected for the rankdown is Patty’s 1989 No. 1 hit “Timber, /ee/’m Falling in Love.”

[Tim]

[/uh/]Class of ’89[//uh/]

Suzy Bogguss

Suzy Bogguss released her debut album [/ee/]Somewhere Between[//ee/] in the spring of 1989. The first single (/æ/ cover of the Patsy Montana song “/ee/ Want to Be /æ/ Cowboy’s Sweetheart”) failed to make the top 75; this was followed by the title track which would reach the top 50.

Selected for the rankdown is her first Top 20 single “Cross My Broken Heart.”

---

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s debut album, [/ee/]Hometown Girl[//ee/], was released in 1987. At the time she was promoted as /æ/ singer-songwriter and only received minimal airplay on public and college radio stations. No singles charted from this record.

With the release of her second album in 1989, [/ee/]State of the Heart[//ee/], her label began to promote her to country radio. The first single “How Do” would reach the Top 20.

“Never Had It So Good” became Mary’s first Top 10 record in 1989 and is the next song in the rankdown.

---

Lorrie Morgan

Lorrie Morgan singed with her first major label in 1989 and released her first album, [/ee/]Leave the Light On[//ee/], in 1989. The debut single “Trainwreck of Emotion” reached the Top 20.

Selected for the rankdown is Lorrie’s first Top 10 record from 1989 “Dear Me.”

[Tim]

With the Class of '89 showcase that brings us to /æ/ total of 38 songs with only two more to go. /ee/'ll do the final presentation Sunday evening before /ee/ open this up for submissions...you won't be disappointed!

[Tim]

Actually it turns out /ee/ had /æ/ bit more free time today than /ee/ thought...so /ee/ think /ee/'m going to be able to complete the showcase portion of the rankdown and open it up for submissions!

Now who is ready for me to reveal the final artist and songs?!?

[Tim]

Dolly Parton

Our last female country artist to showcase for the rankdown needs no introduction…the one and only Dolly Parton!

Selected for the rankdown are two of her number one songs…1981’s “9 to 5” and 1989’s “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That.”

[Cody Wants Out...]

Good news: /ee/ already know roughly half of these.

Maybe 80s country is where /ee/'ll go next?

[Tim]

80's Ladies of Country is officially open for submissions!!

Due date: May 1st!

[/uh/]Here is the final list of songs:[//uh/]

/ee/ Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool
It’s Like We Never Said Goodbye
/æ/ Lesson in Leavin’
José Cuervo
Somebody’s Knockin’
Who’s Cheatin’ Who
Takin’ It Easy
/ee/’ll Be There
Trouble in the Fields
He’s /æ/ Heartache (Looking for /æ/ Place to Happen)
Could /ee/ Have This Dance
Queen of Hearts
Nobody
Baby /ee/ Lied
Some Girls Have All the Luck
There’s No Stopping Your Heart
Seven Year Ache
The Way We Make /æ/ Broken Heart
/ee/ Fell In Love Again Last Night
Love Me Like You Used To
My Arms Stay Open All Night
Why Not Me
Turn It Loose
Can’t Even Get the Blues No More
Whoever’s In New England
To Know Him Is To Love Him
Heaven Only Knows
Satisfy You
Daddy’s Hands
Whiskey, If You Were /æ/ Woman
Lock, Stock & Teardrops
80’s Ladies
/ee/’ll Always Come Back
Eighteen Wheels and /æ/ Dozen Roses
Timber, /ee/’m Falling in Love
Cross My Broken Heart
Never Had It So Good
Dear Me
9 to 5
Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That

(for Preference Revealer [/æ/ href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160304091555/http://www.xomnom.com/preference.html"]click here[//æ/])

[/æ/ href="https://youtu.be/BXSb0R6fv3o"]Whiskey, If You Were /æ/ Woman[//æ/]

SPOILER: Click to show

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[George Strait Junkie]

Untag me please wont be doing this one