List of Top Country Albums number ones of 1985

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1985, 14 different albums topped the chart, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.[1]

Ray Charles (center, pictured in 1984 with then-President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan) was more associated with the soul and rhythm and blues genres, but in 1985 he had a number one on the country chart.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, the band Exile was at number one with the album Kentucky Hearts, its third week in the top spot.[2] Two weeks later it was replaced by Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind by George Strait, who was the only act with more than one number one during the year; he returned to the peak position in December with Something Special. The band Alabama's album 40-Hour Week had both the longest unbroken run at number one and the highest total number of weeks in the to spot; it spent 12 consecutive weeks atop the chart from March to June and then returned to the top spot for two further weeks in August. In March Ray Charles achieved his first number-one country album with Friendship.[3] Although he was far more associated with the soul and rhythm and blues genres during his lengthy career,[4][5] Charles had several entries on the country albums chart in the mid-1980s,[3] including Friendship, on which he duetted with a range of contemporary country singers.[6]

Several other acts reached number one for the first time in 1985, beginning with the Judds, who topped the chart in February with their second chart entry, Why Not Me.[7] The pair would go on to be one of the most successful country acts of the 1980s before Naomi Judd, the elder member of the mother-daughter duo, was forced to retire due to a serious illness.[8] The Judds were among a number of 1985's chart-topping acts, along with George Strait and Ricky Skaggs, to be identified with the neotraditional country trend, which moved away from the pop music-influenced style which had dominated the country charts in the earlier part of the decade in favour of a sound closer to the genre's roots.[9][10] In October the Statler Brothers, who had first entered the chart in 1966, spent the only week of their career at number one when the album Pardners in Rhyme reached the top spot for a single week.[11] In December, Gary Morris likewise spent his only week atop the chart with Anything Goes.[12] It was displaced by the year's final number one, The Heart of the Matter by Kenny Rogers, in the issue of Billboard dated December 28. Rogers' album would go on to spend a total of six weeks at number one but would prove to be the last of the 11 chart-toppers which the singer achieved in his lifetime;[13] he would top the chart again in 2020 shortly after his death.[14][15]

Chart history

Rhythm & Romance was a number one for Rosanne Cash.
Ronnie Milsap topped the chart with the compilation album Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 5 Kentucky HeartsExile[2]
January 12 [16]
January 19 Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your MindGeorge Strait[17]
January 26 [18]
February 2 Why Not MeThe Judds[19]
February 9 [20]
February 16 [21]
February 23 Country BoyRicky Skaggs[22]
March 2 [23]
March 9 [24]
March 16 Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your MindGeorge Strait[25]
March 23 FriendshipRay Charles[26]
March 30 40-Hour WeekAlabama[27]
April 6 [28]
April 13 [29]
April 20 [30]
April 27 [31]
May 4 [32]
May 11 [33]
May 18 [34]
May 25 [35]
June 1 [36]
June 8 [37]
June 15 [38]
June 22 Five-OHank Williams Jr.[39]
June 29 [40]
July 6 [41]
July 13 [42]
July 20 [43]
July 27 [44]
August 3 40-Hour WeekAlabama[45]
August 10 [46]
August 17 Five-OHank Williams Jr.[47]
August 24 [48]
August 31 [49]
September 7 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2Ronnie Milsap[50]
September 14 [51]
September 21 [52]
September 28 HighwaymanThe Highwaymen[53]
October 5 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2Ronnie Milsap[54]
October 12 [55]
October 19 Pardners in RhymeThe Statler Brothers[56]
October 26 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2Ronnie Milsap[57]
November 2 [58]
November 9 [59]
November 16 [60]
November 23 [61]
November 30 [62]
December 7 Rhythm & RomanceRosanne Cash[63]
December 14 Something SpecialGeorge Strait[64]
December 21 Anything GoesGary Morris[65]
December 28 The Heart of the MatterKenny Rogers[66]

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. "Country Albums chart for January 5, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 57. ISBN 9780898201734.
  4. Unterberger, Richie. "Ray Charles Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  5. "Ray Charles". The Independent. June 12, 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  6. Erlewine, Steven Thomas. "Friendship review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 132. ISBN 9780898201734.
  8. Huey, Steve. "The Judds Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  9. Wolff, Kurt (2000). Country Music: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 458. ISBN 9781858285344.
  10. Thompson, William Forde (2014). Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: An Encyclopedia. SAGE Publications. p. 274. ISBN 9781452283029.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 237. ISBN 9780898201734.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 171. ISBN 9780898201734.
  13. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. pp. 216–217. ISBN 9780898201734.
  14. "Country Albums chart for April 4, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  15. Thorpe, Vanessa (March 21, 2020). "Kenny Rogers, country music star, dies aged 81". The Guardian. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  16. "Country Albums chart for January 12, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  17. "Country Albums chart for January 19, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  18. "Country Albums chart for January 26, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  19. "Country Albums chart for February 2, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  20. "Country Albums chart for February 9, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  21. "Country Albums chart for February 16, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  22. "Country Albums chart for February 23, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  23. "Country Albums chart for March 2, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  24. "Country Albums chart for March 9, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  25. "Country Albums chart for March 16, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  26. "Country Albums chart for March 23, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  27. "Country Albums chart for March 30, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  28. "Country Albums chart for April 6, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  29. "Country Albums chart for April 13, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  30. "Country Albums chart for April 20, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  31. "Country Albums chart for April 27, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  32. "Country Albums chart for May 4, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  33. "Country Albums chart for May 11, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  34. "Country Albums chart for May 18, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  35. "Country Albums chart for May 25, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  36. "Country Albums chart for June 1, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  37. "Country Albums chart for June 8, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  38. "Country Albums chart for June 15, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  39. "Country Albums chart for June 22, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  40. "Country Albums chart for June 29, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  41. "Country Albums chart for July 6, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  42. "Country Albums chart for July 13, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  43. "Country Albums chart for July 20, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  44. "Country Albums chart for July 27, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  45. "Country Albums chart for August 3, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  46. "Country Albums chart for August 10, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  47. "Country Albums chart for August 17, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  48. "Country Albums chart for August 24, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  49. "Country Albums chart for August 31, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  50. "Country Albums chart for September 7, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  51. "Country Albums chart for September 14, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  52. "Country Albums chart for September 21, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  53. "Country Albums chart for September 28, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  54. "Country Albums chart for October 5, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  55. "Country Albums chart for October 12, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  56. "Country Albums chart for October 19, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  57. "Country Albums chart for October 26, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  58. "Country Albums chart for November 2, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  59. "Country Albums chart for November 9, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  60. "Country Albums chart for November 16, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  61. "Country Albums chart for November 23, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  62. "Country Albums chart for November 30, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  63. "Country Albums chart for December 7, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  64. "Country Albums chart for December 14, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  65. "Country Albums chart for December 21, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  66. "Country Albums chart for December 28, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
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