1990 in country music

Events

• January 20 — Billboard magazine begins basing the Hot Country Singles chart entirely on radio airplay through Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, which uses a computerized system to detect actual radio spins. The number of chart positions is reduced from 100 to 75. The new system has an immediate effect on how long the year's biggest songs stay at No. 1:
• * February 3 — "Nobody’s Home" by Clint Black becomes the first three-week No. 1 since Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen" in 1987.
• * April 7 — Travis' "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" breaks the four-week barrier, the first since 1978's "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
• * July 7 — "Love Without End, Amen" by George Strait is Billboard's first five-week No. 1 song, matching 1977's "Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton. Incidentally, "Love Without End, Amen" is Strait's first multi-week chart-topper, after his first 18 No. 1s had spent just one week on top.

  No dates

• The Smithsonian Institution releases , a 100-track, four-volume set including the most important and notable songs in the genre's history, from 1924 to 1987. The set, which includes an 84-page booklet by historian Bill Malone, replaces the Smithsonian's eight-volume, 143-track set – titled The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music – issued in 1981.

  Top hits of the year

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

Other top albums

On television

Regular series

• Hee Haw

  Births

• March 2 — Luke Combs, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
• March 30 — Thomas Rhett, singer-songwriter, son of singer-songwriter Rhett Akins.
• April 10 — Maren Morris, musician and singer-songwriter known for her 2016 hit "My Church".
• April 24 — Carly Pearce, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
• May 17 — Kree Harrison, singer and musician, who was the runner-up on the twelfth season of American Idol.
• May 27 — Brett Kissel, Canadian country singer of the 2010s.
• July 23 — Neil Perry, member of The Band Perry.
• July 27 — Cheyenne Kimball, member of Gloriana from 2008–2011.
• October 22 — Dylan Scott, singer known for his hits "My Girl" and "Hooked".

  Deaths

• April 26 – Wesley Rose, 72, president of Acuff-Rose Music publishing.
• August 15 — Lew DeWitt, 52, tenor and founding member of the Statler Brothers
• October 31 — Carl Belew, 59, best known for writing the song "Am I That Easy to Forget"

  Hall of Fame inductees

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

• Tennessee Ernie Ford

  Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

• Gordie Tapp
• Ron Sparling

  Major awards

Grammy Awards

• Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Where've You Been", Kathy Mattea
• Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "When I Call Your Name", Vince Gill
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — Pickin' on Nashville, The Kentucky Headhunters
• Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Poor Boy Blues", Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
• Best Country Instrumental Performance — "So Soft, Your Goodbye", Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
• Best Country Song — "Where've You Been", Don Henry and Jon Vezner
• Best Bluegrass Recording — "I've Got That Old Feeling", Alison Krauss

  Juno Awards

• Country Male Vocalist of the Year — George Fox
• Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Rita MacNeil
• Country Group or Duo of the Year — Prairie Oyster

  Academy of Country Music

• Entertainer of the Year — Garth Brooks
• Song of the Year — "The Dance", Tony Arata
• Single of the Year — "Friends in Low Places", Garth Brooks
• Album of the Year — No Fences, Garth Brooks
• Top Male Vocalist — Garth Brooks
• Top Female Vocalist — Reba McEntire
• Top Vocal Duo — The Judds
• Top Vocal Group — Shenandoah
• Top New Male Vocalist — Alan Jackson
• Top New Female Vocalist — Shelby Lynne
• Top New Vocal Duo or Group — Pirates of the Mississippi
• Video of the Year — "The Dance", Garth Brooks

  ARIA Awards

• Best Country Album' - Warragul''

  Canadian Country Music Association

• Bud Country Fans' Choice Award — k.d. lang
• Male Artist of the Year — George Fox
• Female Artist of the Year — Michelle Wright
• Group of the Year — Prairie Oyster
• SOCAN Song of the Year — "Pioneers", Barry Brown
• Single of the Year — "Goodbye, So Long, Hello", Prairie Oyster
• Album of the Year — Absolute Torch and Twang, k.d. lang
• Top Selling Album — Rita, Rita MacNeil
• Video of the Year — "Pioneers", Family Brown
• Vista Rising Star Award — Patricia Conroy
• Duo of the Year — Gary Fjellgaard and Linda Kidder

  Country Music Association

• Entertainer of the Year — George Strait
• Song of the Year — "Where've You Been", Don Henry and Jon Vezner
• Single of the Year — "When I Call Your Name", Vince Gill
• Album of the Year — Pickin' on Nashville, The Kentucky Headhunters
• Male Vocalist of the Year — Clint Black
• Female Vocalist of the Year — Kathy Mattea
• Vocal Duo of the Year — The Judds
• Vocal Group of the Year — The Kentucky Headhunters
• Horizon Award — Garth Brooks
• Music Video of the Year — "The Dance", Garth Brooks
• Vocal Event of the Year — "'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose", Lorrie Morgan and Keith Whitley
• Musician of the Year — Johnny Gimble

  Other links

• Country Music Association
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame