This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1972. [edit] Events - During 1972, James inks a recording deal with Columbia Records; "When the Snow..." is his first hit with his new label.
- March — Merle Haggard is pardoned by California Gov. Ronald Reagan for his 1957 robbery; which had landed him a prison term that lasted two-and-a-half years.
- June — The first Fan Fair is held in Nashville, Tennessee.
- June 3 — The Opryland USA country music theme park opens in Nashville.
- June 13 — The Country Music Foundation Library and Media Center is dedicated.
- September — The premiere issue of Country Music magazine hits the newsstand. The magazine, which will be issued monthly (later bi-monthly), is an immediate hit with critics and readers.
- October — The Country Music Association moves from NBC to CBS, where it remained until 2006 when the awards show moved to ABC. Loretta Lynn becomes the first woman to win the CMA's Entertainer of the Year award.
[edit] No dates - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a California-based country-folk-rock band, releases their landmark Will the Circle Be Unbroken. The album of folk and country standards, recorded in Nashville alongside traditional country artists, is a huge critical and commercial success. Two additional volumes would be released in 1989 and 2002.
- Music and Billboard chart historian Joel Whitburn releases "Top Country Songs 1944-1971." The book, published by Record Research, marks the first time a listing of every song and artist that had ever appeared on the chart had appeared in a single volume. Six more updated volumes will follow (the latest scheduled for release in late 2008), as well as two editions focusing on strictly those songs reaching the Top 40 (the original released in 1996, and an updated version in 2006).
- Buck Owens returns to his musical roots when Jerry Brightman is added on pedal steel for records and tours.
[edit] Top hits of the year [edit] Number one hits [edit] United States (as certified by Billboard) - Notes
- 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
- 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
- A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
- B^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
- C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
[edit] Canada (as certified by RPM) - Notes
- 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
- A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
- B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
- C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
[edit] Other major hits [edit] Singles released by American artists [edit] Singles released by Canadian artists [edit] Top new album releases [edit] Other top albums [edit] Christmas albums [edit] Births [edit] Deaths [edit] Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees [edit] Major awards [edit] Grammy Awards [edit] Juno Awards [edit] Academy of Country Music [edit] Country Music Association [edit] Further reading - Kingsbury, Paul, "The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories," Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995
- Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947-1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
- Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.
[edit] Other links [edit] External links |
