{"id":617553,"date":"2026-09-16T06:12:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T06:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/617553\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T06:12:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T06:12:18","slug":"all-the-times-2-or-more-cma-single-of-year-nominees-were-top-10-hits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/617553\/","title":{"rendered":"All the Times 2 or More CMA Single of Year Nominees Were Top 10 Hits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThree of the five nominees for single of year at the upcoming 60th annual CMA Awards made the top five on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. It\u2019s the first time that has happened since 1975, when, remarkably, all five nominees had made the top five.<\/p>\n

\n\tIf you missed last week\u2019s announcement, this year\u2019s nominees for single of the year are Ella Langley<\/a>\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas,\u201d which has logged a record-tying 22 weeks<\/a> at No. 1 on the Hot 100; Taylor Swift<\/a>\u2019s \u201cI Knew It, I Knew You,\u201d which spent two weeks on top in June; Langley\u2019s \u201cBe Her,\u201d which spent two weeks at No. 2 in May; Cody Johnson<\/a>\u2019s \u201cThe Fall,\u201d which peaked at No. 26 in April; and Lainey Wilson<\/a>\u2019s \u201cSomewhere Over Laredo,\u201d which topped out at No. 36 in December 2025.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn 1975, four of the single of the year nominees had reached No. 1.\u00a0Glen Campbell<\/a>\u2019s \u201cRhinestone Cowboy\u201d spent two weeks on top, while\u00a0B.J. Thomas<\/a>\u2019 \u201c(Hey Won\u2019t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,\u201d Freddy Fender<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0\u201cBefore the Teardrops Falls\u201d\u00a0and John Denver<\/a>\u2019s \u201cThank God I\u2019m a Country Boy\u201d each topped the chart for one week. The lowest-charting single of the year nominee that year was\u00a0Jessi Colter<\/a>\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m Not Lisa,\u201d which peaked at No. 4.<\/p>\n

\n\tLooking back at the rate of country crossover hits on the Hot 100, you realize it ebbs and flows. In 1985, just 10 years after country crossover reached its dizzying peak, not one of the CMA single of the year nominees cracked the Hot 100. (The Judds<\/a>\u2019 \u201cWhy Not Me\u201d was the winner that year.)<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd that year wasn\u2019t an aberration, but rather the start of a long dry spell for country\/pop crossover. In the seven years between 1985 and 1991, just one single of the year nominee cracked the Hot 100:\u00a0Dan Seals<\/a>\u2018 \u201cBop,\u201d which peaked at No. 42 on the Hot 100. (That single, by a former member of pop hitmakers\u00a0England Dan & John Ford Coley<\/a>, won the 1986 award.)<\/p>\n

\n\tStreaming has leveled the playing field and improved country music\u2019s fortunes on the Hot 100 considerably in recent years.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn 13 of the first 60 years of the CMA Awards, two or more of the nominees for single of the year were top 10 hits on the Hot 100. Here\u2019s a full list. All chart references are to the Hot 100. The number shown in each header is the number of that year\u2019s nominees that were top 10 hits.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
<\/a><\/p>\n

\t1968: 2<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Bobby Goldsboro\u2019s sentimental \u201cHoney\u201d spent five weeks on top. Jeannie C. Riley\u2019s \u201cHarper Valley P.T.A.,\u201d in which she put hypocrites and gossips on blast, was No. 1 for one week.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Glen Campbell\u2019s \u201cBy the Time I Get to Phoenix\u201d (No. 26), Johnny Cash\u2019s \u201cFolsom Prison Blues\u201d (No. 32), Tammy Wynette\u2019s \u201cD-I-V-O-R-C-E\u201d (No. 63)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cHarper Valley, P.T.A.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t1969:\u00a02<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Johnny Cash\u2019s novelty smash \u201cA Boy Named Sue\u201d logged three weeks at No. 2. Glen Campbell\u2019s tender reading of Jimmy Webb\u2019s \u201cGalveston\u201d reached No. 4.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Johnny Cash\u2019s \u201cDaddy Sang Bass\u201d (No. 42), Charley Pride\u2019s \u201cAll I Have to Offer You (Is Me)\u201d (No. 91), Freddy Weller\u2019s country version of Joe South\u2019s pop hit \u201cGames People Play\u201d (didn\u2019t chart)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cA Boy Named Sue\u201d<\/p>\n

\t1971: 4<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Lynn Anderson\u2019s spunky \u201cRose Garden\u201d peaked at No. 3. Sammi Smith\u2019s \u201cHelp Me Make It Through the Night\u201d and Jerry Reed\u2019s \u201cAmos Moses\u201d both reached No. 8. Another Reed hit, \u201cWhen You\u2019re Hot, You\u2019re Hot,\u201d peaked at No. 9 and spawned a catchphrase of the era.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominee: Freddie Hart\u2019s \u201cEasy Loving\u201d (No. 17)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cHelp Me Make It Through the Night\u201d<\/p>\n

\t1974: 3<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Ray Stevens\u2019 topical novelty smash \u201cThe Streak,\u201d which commented on that year\u2019s streaking craze, spent three weeks at No. 1. Charlie Rich\u2019s tender \u201cThe Most Beautiful Girl\u201d\u00a0spent two weeks on top. Olivia Newton-John\u2019s \u201cIf You Love Me (Let Me Know)\u201d peaked at No. 5, becoming her first of 13 top five hits.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Cal Smith\u2019s \u201cCountry Bumpkin\u201d (didn\u2019t chart), Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty\u2019s \u201cAs Soon As I Hang Up the Phone\u201d (didn\u2019t chart)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cCountry Bumpkin\u201d \u2013 the first single of the year winner that didn\u2019t crack the Hot 100.<\/p>\n

\t1975: 5<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Glen Campbell\u2019s signature smash \u201cRhinestone Cowboy\u201d spent two weeks on top. B.J. Thomas\u2019 \u201c(Hey Won\u2019t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,\u201d Freddy Fender\u2019s\u00a0\u201cBefore the Teardrop Falls\u201d\u00a0and John Denver\u2019s \u201cThank God I\u2019m a Country Boy\u201d each topped the chart for one week. The lowest-charting single of the year nominee that year was\u00a0Jessi Colter\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m Not Lisa,\u201d which peaked at No. 4.<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cBefore the Next Teardrops Falls\u201d<\/p>\n

\t1977: 3<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Glen Campbell\u2019s \u201cSouthern Nights\u201d was No. 1 for one week. Kenny Rogers\u2019 \u201cLucille\u201d reached No. 5. Jimmy Buffett\u2019s \u201cMargaritaville\u201d peaked at No. 8.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Ronnie Milsap\u2019s \u201cIt Was Almost Like a Song\u201d (No. 16), Waylon Jennings\u2019 \u201cLuckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)\u201d (No 25)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cLucille\u201d<\/p>\n

\t1978:\u00a02<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Linda Ronstadt\u2019s exquisite cover of Roy Orbison\u2019s \u201cBlue Bayou\u201d and Dolly Parton\u2019s winsome reading of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil\u2019s \u201cHere You Come Again\u201d both reached No. 3.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson\u2019s \u201cMammas Don\u2019t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys\u201d (No. 42), The Kendalls\u2019 \u201cHeaven\u2019s Just a Sin Away\u201d (No. 69), Johnny Paycheck\u2019s \u201cTake This Job and Shove It\u201d (didn\u2019t chart)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0Winner: \u201cHeaven\u2019s Just a Sin Away\u201d<\/p>\n

\t1979:\u00a02<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Anne Murray\u2019s \u201cYou Needed Me\u201d spent a week at No. 1, becoming her biggest hit. Charlie Daniels Band\u2019s classic \u201cThe Devil Went Down to Georgia\u201d peaked at No. 3.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Kenny Rogers\u2019 signature song \u201cThe Gambler\u201d (No. 16), Barbara Mandrell\u2019s remake of Luther Ingram\u2019s \u201c(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don\u2019t Want to Be Right\u201d (No. 31), Waylon Jennings\u2019 \u201cAmanda\u201d (No. 54)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cThe Devil Went Down to Georgia\u201d<\/p>\n

\t1984: 2<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Kenny Rogers\u2019s duet with Dolly Parton, \u201cIslands in the Stream,\u201d spent two weeks at No. 1. Another smash duet, Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson\u2019s \u201cTo All the Girls I\u2019ve Loved Before,\u201d peaked at No. 5.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Anne Murray\u2019s \u201cA Little Good News\u201d (No. 74), Earl Thomas Conley\u2019s \u201cHolding Her and Loving You\u201d (didn\u2019t chart), The Judds\u2019 \u201cMama He\u2019s Crazy\u201d (didn\u2019t chart)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cA Little Good News\u201d won in a major upset. Murray was (and still is<\/a>) widely admired, but \u201cIslands in the Stream\u201d is a country duet for the ages.<\/p>\n

\t1999: 2<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Lonestar\u2018s \u201cAmazed\u201d spent two weeks at No. 1. Tim McGraw\u2019s \u201cPlease Remember Me\u201d peaked at No. 10.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks)\u2019 \u201cWide Open Spaces\u201d (No. 41), Mark Wills\u2019 \u201cDon\u2019t Laugh at Me\u201d (No. 73), George Jones\u2019 \u201cChoices\u201d (didn\u2019t chart)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cWide Open Spaces\u201d<\/p>\n

\t2020: 2<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Gabby Barrett\u2019s \u201cI Hope\u201d reached No. 3. Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber\u2019s \u201c10,000 Hours\u201d peaked at No. 4. Note: The Hot 100 credited Charlie Puth as a featured artist on Barrett\u2019s record, but he didn\u2019t receive a CMA nod.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Maren Morris\u2019 \u201cThe Bones\u201d (No. 12), Luke Combs\u2019 \u201cBeer Never Broke My Heart\u201d (No. 21), Miranda Lambert\u2019s \u201cBluebird\u201d (No. 26)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cThe Bones\u201d<\/p>\n

\t2024: 2<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Shaboozey\u2019s \u201cA Bar Song (Tipsy)\u201d logged a then-record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1. Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen\u2019s \u201cI Had Some Help\u201d stayed on top for six weeks.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Chris Stapleton\u2019s \u201cWhite Horse\u201d (No. 12), Lainey Wilson\u2019s \u201cWatermelon Moonshine\u201d (No. 21), Cody Johnson\u2019s \u201cDirt Cheap\u201d (No. 43)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: \u201cWhite Horse\u201d<\/p>\n

\t2026: 3<\/p>\n

\n\tTop 10 hits: Ella Langley\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d has logged a record-tying 22 weeks at No. 1. Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cI Knew It, I Knew You,\u201d spent two weeks on top. Langley\u2019s \u201cBe Her\u201d spent two weeks at No. 2.<\/p>\n

\n\tOther nominees: Cody Johnson\u2019s \u201cThe Fall\u201d (No. 26); Lainey Wilson\u2019s \u201cSomewhere Over Laredo\u201d (No. 36)<\/p>\n

\n\tWinner: We\u2019ll find out on Nov. 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three of the five nominees for single of year at the upcoming 60th annual CMA Awards made the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":617554,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[1096,7953,146,10880,85,46,409],"class_list":["post-617553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-awards","tag-cma-awards","tag-entertainment","tag-genre-country","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}