2005 in country music

Events

Top Hits of the Year

No. 1 Hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

January 22 -- "Awful, Beautiful Life" -- Darryl Worley
February 5 -- "Mud on the Tires" -- Brad Paisley
February 12 -- "Bless the Broken Road" -- Rascal Flatts
March 19 -- "Nothin' to Lose" -- Josh Gracin
March 26 -- "That's What I Love About Sunday" -- Craig Morgan
April 23 -- "Anything But Mine" -- Kenny Chesney
May 7 -- "It's Getting Better All the Time" -- Brooks & Dunn
May 14 -- "My Give a Damn's Busted" -- Jo Dee Messina
May 28 -- "Making Memories of Us" -- Keith Urban
July 2 -- "Fast Cars and Freedom" -- Rascal Flatts
July 23 -- "As Good as I Once Was" -- Toby Keith
September 3 -- "Mississippi Girl" – Faith Hill
September 17 -- "Play Something Country – Brooks & Dunn
September 24 -- "A Real Fine Place to Start" – Sara Evans
October 8 -- "Something to be Proud Of" - Montgomery Gentry
October 22 -- "Better Life" - Keith Urban

Other Major Hits

"Alberta Bound" – Paul Brandt
"Alcohol" - Brad Paisley
"All Jacked Up" – Gretchen Wilson
"Arlington" – Trace Adkins
"Baby Girl" -- Sugarland
"Best I Ever Had" – Gary Allan
"Big Blue Note" – Toby Keith
"Big Time" -- Big & Rich
"Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On" – Neal McCoy
"Boondocks" – Little Big Town
"Come A Little Closer" -- Dierks Bentley
"Do You Want Fries With That" –- Tim McGraw
"Don't Ask Me How I Know" –- Bobby Pinson
"Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing" - SHeDaisy
"Drugs or Jesus" -- Tim McGraw
"Georgia Rain" -- Trisha Yearwood
"Gone" -- Montgomery Gentry
"Good Ride Cowboy" – Garth Brooks
"Goodbye Time" - Blake Shelton
"He Gets That From Me" -- Reba McEntire
"Help Somebody" -- Van Zant
"Hicktown" – Jason Aldean
"Homewrecker" -- Gretchen Wilson
"Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" – Trace Adkins
"Honky Tonk U" -- Toby Keith
"I May Hate Myself in the Morning" -- Lee Ann Womack
"I'll Take That as a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)" -- Phil Vassar
"If Heaven" -- Andy Griggs
"If Something Should Happen" -- Darryl Worley
"Keg in the Closet" -- Kenny Chesney
"Leaving" – Paul Brandt
"Let Them Be Little" -- Billy Dean
"Like We Never Loved at All" – Faith Hill with Tim McGraw
"Long, Slow Kisses" -- Jeff Bates
"Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" -- Dierks Bentley
"Monday Morning Church" -- Alan Jackson
"Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" – Billy Currington
"My Old Friend" – Tim McGraw
"My Sister" -- Reba McEntire
"Nothing 'Bout Love Makes Sense" -- LeAnn Rimes
"Pickin' Wildflowers" -- Keith Anderson
"Probably Wouldn't Be This Way" -- LeAnn Rimes
"Redneck Yacht Club" – Craig Morgan
"She Let Herself Go" – George Strait
"Skin (Sarabeth)" – Rascal Flatts
"Somebody's Hero" – Jamie O'Neal
"Something More" -- Sugarland
"Songs About Me" -- Trace Adkins
"Stay With Me (Brass Bed)" – Josh Gracin
"Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" -- Joe Nichols
"USA Today" – Alan Jackson
"What's a Guy Gotta Do" -- Joe Nichols
"When I Think About Cheatin'" -- Gretchen Wilson
"Who You'd Be Today" –- Kenny Chesney
"You'll Be There" -- George Strait
"You're Like Comin' Home" – Lonestar
"You're My Better Half" -- Keith Urban

Top New Album Releases

III – Joe Nichols (Universal South)
All Jacked Up – Gretchen Wilson (Epic/Sony)
Anywhere But Here – Chris Cagle (Capitol)
Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair -- Kenny Chesney (BNA)
Coming Home – Lonestar (BNA)
Delicious Surprise -- Jo Dee Messina (Curb)
Doin' Something Right – Billy Currington (Mercury/Polygram)
Fireflies – Faith Hill (Warner Bros.)
Get Right With The Man -- Van Zant (Columbia/Sony)
Glory Train: Songs Of Faith, Worship And Praise – Randy Travis (Word/Curb)
Hillbilly Deluxe – Brooks & Dunn (Arista Nashville)
Honkytonk University –- Toby Keith (DreamWorks)
Jasper County – Trisha Yearwood (MCA Nashville)
Jason Aldean – Jason Aldean (Broken Bow)
Kerosene – Miranda Lambert (Epic)
The Legend of Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash (Legacy/Columbia/American/Island)
Loco Motive – Cowboy Troy (Raybaw/Warner Bros.)
Modern Day Drifter -- Dierks Bentley (Capitol)
My Kind of Livin' – Craig Morgan (Broken Bow)
Put The O Back In Country – Shooter Jennings (Universal South)
Real Fine Place – Sara Evans (RCA)
The Right To Bare Arms – Larry The Cable Guy (Jack/Warner Bros.)
The Road and the Radio – Kenny Chesney (BNA)
The Road to Here – Little Big Town (Equity)
Somewhere Down in Texas – George Strait (MCA Nashville)
Songs About Me -- Trace Adkins (Capitol)
That's Life – Neal McCoy (903 Music)
Then & Now: The Hits Collection – Tracy Lawrence (Mercury/Polygram)
This Woman – LeAnn Rimes (Curb)
Those Were the Days – Dolly Parton (Blue Eye/Sugar Hill)
Three Chord Country And American Rock & Roll – Keith Anderson (Arista Nashville)
Time Well Wasted – Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Timeless – Martina McBride (RCA)
Totally Country Vol. 4 -- Various Artists (Sony/BMG/WEA/Universal)

Deaths

February 6 — Merle Kilgore, 70, prolific songwriter ("Wolverton Mountain," "Ring of Fire") and manager of Hank Williams Jr.
February 12 — Sammi Smith, 61, best known for "Help Me Make it Through the Night."
March 2 — Joe Carter, 78, son of A.P. and Sara Carter.
March 9 — Chris LeDoux, 56, world champion bareback rider who sang about the rodeo circuit and cowboy life.
May 14 — Jimmy Martin, 77, the "King of Bluegrass."
August 16 – Vassar Clements, 77, legendary fiddle player. (cancer)

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Alabama (Randy Owen (born 1949); Teddy Gentry (born 1952); Jeff Cook (born 1949); and Mark Herndon (born 1955)).
DeFord Bailey (1899-1982)
Glen Campbell (born 1936)

Major Awards

Grammy Awards

Best Female Country Vocal Performance -- "Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson.
Best Male Country Vocal Peformance -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw.
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -- "Top of the World" (live recording), Dixie Chicks.
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals -- "Portland, Oregon," Loretta Lynn and Jack White.
Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Earl's Breakdown," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas.
Best Country Song -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman.
Best Country Album -- Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn.
Best Bluegrass Album -- Brand New Strings, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder.

Academy of Country Music

(presented May 17 in Las Vegas)

Entertainer of the Year -- Kenny Chesney
Top Male Vocalist -- Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist -- Gretchen Wilson
Top New Artist -- Gretchen Wilson
Top Vocal Group -- Rascal Flatts
Top Vocal Duo -- Brooks & Dunn
Vocal Event of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby", Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss
Single of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying", Tim McGraw
Song of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying", Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
Album of the Year -- Be Here, Keith Urban
Video of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby", Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss (director: Rick Schroder).
ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian of the Year -- Neal McCoy

Country Music Association

(presented November 15 in New York City)

Entertainer of the Year -- Keith Urban
Male Vocalist of the Year -- Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year -- Gretchen Wilson
Horizon Award -- Dierks Bentley
Vocal Group of the Year -- Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year -- Brooks & Dunn
Vocal Event of the Year -- "Good News, Bad News" George Strait and Lee Ann Womack
Single of the Year -- "I May Hate Myself in the Morning", Lee Ann Womack
Song of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby", Bill Anderson and Jon Randall
Album of the Year -- There's More Where That Came From, Lee Ann Womack
Video of the Year -- "As Good As I Once Was" Toby Keith (Director: Michael Salomon)
Musician of the Year -- Jerry Douglas

External links

Announcement of 2005 Country Music Association Hall of Fame inductees