List of Top Country LPs number ones of 1980

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1980, ten different albums topped the chart, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide. The chart was published under the title Top Country LP's (with an apostrophe) through the issue of Billboard dated May 24, and Top Country LPs (without an apostrophe) thereafter.[1]

Singer Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers spent the most weeks at number one in 1980.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, Kenny Rogers was at number one with his album Kenny, its ninth week in the top spot.[2] The album remained atop the chart through the issue dated April 26 for a final total of 25 consecutive weeks at number one, the longest uninterrupted run atop the chart in its history.[3] Two weeks after the album was displaced from the top spot, Rogers was back at number one with Gideon, a concept album featuring songs co-written by Kim Carnes which spent seven weeks atop the listing. Later in the year he returned once more to number one with Greatest Hits, which spent six weeks in the top spot before the year's end, meaning that he spent 30 weeks at number one during 1980. Rogers was at the peak of his career at the time, with the smooth production of his records appealing to both country and pop audiences.[4] Between 1978 and 1980 he reached number one on the Hot Country Singles chart with five consecutive releases, including the title track from the album The Gambler.[4]

The album that ended the record-breaking run at number one by Kenny was Charley Pride's There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me. The first African-American performer to achieve stardom in country music, Pride had been one of the genre's most successful singers of the 1970s and early 1980s,[5] but his tribute to the songs of Hank Williams would be his last release to top the albums chart.[6] Later in the year, both Eddie Rabbitt and Ronnie Milsap achieved their first chart-topping albums.[7] Milsap had reached the top five with eight previous albums, three of which had been honoured with the Album of the Year award from the Country Music Association, but it was not until he released a compilation of his most successful songs that he reached number one for the first time.[8] Two film soundtrack albums topped the chart in 1980, the first such releases to reach number one.[3] In August, the soundtrack album of the film Urban Cowboy reached the top spot, where it would spend eight non-consecutive weeks. The film and its soundtrack are credited with dramatically increasing the mainstream popularity of country music, and the pop-influenced style which it featured would go on to dominate the country charts for most of the 1980s.[9][10] It was followed into the top spot by Honeysuckle Rose, the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which consisted primarily of songs by Willie Nelson, the film's star.[11][12]

Chart history

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One of the biggest country stars of the 1970s, Charley Pride, had his final number-one album in 1980.
 
Ronnie Milsap topped the chart for the first time with his compilation album Greatest Hits.
 
Waylon Jennings had two number ones in 1980.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 5 Kenny Kenny Rogers [2]
January 12 [13]
January 19 [14]
January 26 [15]
February 2 [16]
February 9 [17]
February 16 [18]
February 23 [19]
March 1 [20]
March 8 [21]
March 15 [22]
March 22 [23]
March 29 [24]
April 5 [25]
April 12 [26]
April 19 [27]
April 26 [28]
May 3 There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me Charley Pride [29]
May 10 Gideon Kenny Rogers [30]
May 17 There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me Charley Pride [31]
May 24 Gideon Kenny Rogers [32]
May 31 Greatest Hits Waylon Jennings [33]
June 7 Gideon Kenny Rogers [34]
June 14 [35]
June 21 [36]
June 28 [37]
July 5 [38]
July 12 Music Man Waylon Jennings [39]
July 19 [40]
July 26 [41]
August 2 Urban Cowboy Soundtrack [42]
August 9 [43]
August 16 [44]
August 23 [45]
August 30 [46]
September 6 [47]
September 13 Horizon Eddie Rabbitt [48]
September 20 Urban Cowboy Soundtrack [49]
September 27 [50]
October 4 Honeysuckle Rose [51]
October 11 [52]
October 18 [53]
October 25 [54]
November 1 [55]
November 8 [56]
November 15 Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers [57]
November 22 [58]
November 29 [59]
December 6 [60]
December 13 [61]
December 20 Greatest Hits Ronnie Milsap [62]
December 27 Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers [63]

References

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  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. ^ a b "Country Albums chart for January 5, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. pp. 333–335. ISBN 9780898201734.
  4. ^ a b Vinopal, David. "Kenny Rogers Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Vinopal, David. "Charley Pride Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 201. ISBN 9780898201734.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 203. ISBN 9780898201734.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 167. ISBN 9780898201734.
  9. ^ "Urban Cowboy Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Moss, Marissa R. (June 12, 2015). "Inside Country Music's Polarizing 'Urban Cowboy' Movement". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  11. ^ "Honeysuckle Rose". Variety. December 31, 1979. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  12. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Honeysuckle Rose – Willie Nelson". AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  13. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 12, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  14. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 19, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  15. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 26, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  16. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 2, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  17. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 9, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  18. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 16, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  19. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 23, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  20. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 1, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  21. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 8, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  22. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 15, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  23. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 22, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  24. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 29, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  25. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 5, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  26. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 12, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  27. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 19, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  28. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 26, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  29. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 3, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  30. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 10, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  31. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 17, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  32. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 24, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  33. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 31, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  34. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 7, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  35. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 14, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  36. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 21, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  37. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 28, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  38. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 5, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  39. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 12, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  40. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 19, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  41. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 26, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  42. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 2, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  43. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 9, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  44. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 16, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  45. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 23, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  46. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 30, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  47. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 6, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  48. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 13, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  49. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 20, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  50. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 27, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  51. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 4, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  52. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 11, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  53. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 18, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  54. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 25, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  55. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 1, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  56. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 8, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  57. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 15, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  58. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 22, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  59. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 29, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  60. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 6, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  61. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 13, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  62. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 20, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  63. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 27, 1980". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2020.