All the Times 2 or More Single of the Year Nominees at the CMA Awards Were Top 10 Hot 100 Hits: Full List

Three 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’s the first time that has happened since 1975, when, remarkably, all five nominees had made the top five.

If you missed last week’s announcement, this year’s nominees for single of the year are Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” which has logged a record-tying 22 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100; Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which spent two weeks on top in June; Langley’s “Be Her,” which spent two weeks at No. 2 in May; Cody Johnson’s “The Fall,” which peaked at No. 26 in April; and Lainey Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo,” which topped out at No. 36 in December 2025.

In 1975, four of the single of the year nominees had reached No. 1. Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” spent two weeks on top, while B.J. Thomas’ “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” Freddy Fender’s “Before the Teardrops Falls” and John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” each topped the chart for one week. The lowest-charting single of the year nominee that year was Jessi Colter’s “I’m Not Lisa,” which peaked at No. 4.

Looking 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’ “Why Not Me” was the winner that year.)

And that year wasn’t 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: Dan Seals‘ “Bop,” which peaked at No. 42 on the Hot 100. (That single, by a former member of pop hitmakers England Dan & John Ford Coley, won the 1986 award.)

Streaming has leveled the playing field and improved country music’s fortunes on the Hot 100 considerably in recent years.

In 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’s a full list. All chart references are to the Hot 100. The number shown in each header is the number of that year’s nominees that were top 10 hits.

• 1968: 2

  Top 10 hits: Bobby Goldsboro’s sentimental “Honey” spent five weeks on top. Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” in which she put hypocrites and gossips on blast, was No. 1 for one week.

  Other nominees: Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (No. 26), Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” (No. 32), Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” (No. 63)

  Winner: “Harper Valley, P.T.A.” 

• 1969: 2

  Top 10 hits: Johnny Cash’s novelty smash “A Boy Named Sue” logged three weeks at No. 2. Glen Campbell’s tender reading of Jimmy Webb’s “Galveston” reached No. 4.

  Other nominees: Johnny Cash’s “Daddy Sang Bass” (No. 42), Charley Pride’s “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)” (No. 91), Freddy Weller’s country version of Joe South’s pop hit “Games People Play” (didn’t chart)

  Winner: “A Boy Named Sue”

• 1971: 4

  Top 10 hits: Lynn Anderson’s spunky “Rose Garden” peaked at No. 3. Sammi Smith’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and Jerry Reed’s “Amos Moses” both reached No. 8. Another Reed hit, “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” peaked at No. 9 and spawned a catchphrase of the era.

  Other nominee: Freddie Hart’s “Easy Loving” (No. 17)

  Winner: “Help Me Make It Through the Night”

• 1974: 3

  Top 10 hits: Ray Stevens’ topical novelty smash “The Streak,” which commented on that year’s streaking craze, spent three weeks at No. 1. Charlie Rich’s tender “The Most Beautiful Girl” spent two weeks on top. Olivia Newton-John’s “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” peaked at No. 5, becoming her first of 13 top five hits.

  Other nominees: Cal Smith’s “Country Bumpkin” (didn’t chart), Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty’s “As Soon As I Hang Up the Phone” (didn’t chart)

  Winner: “Country Bumpkin” – the first single of the year winner that didn’t crack the Hot 100.

• 1975: 5

  Top 10 hits: Glen Campbell’s signature smash “Rhinestone Cowboy” spent two weeks on top. B.J. Thomas’ “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” Freddy Fender’s “Before the Teardrop Falls” and John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” each topped the chart for one week. The lowest-charting single of the year nominee that year was Jessi Colter’s “I’m Not Lisa,” which peaked at No. 4.

  Winner: “Before the Next Teardrops Falls”

• 1977: 3

  Top 10 hits: Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights” was No. 1 for one week. Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille” reached No. 5. Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” peaked at No. 8.

  Other nominees: Ronnie Milsap’s “It Was Almost Like a Song” (No. 16), Waylon Jennings’ “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” (No 25)

  Winner: “Lucille”

• 1978: 2

  Top 10 hits: Linda Ronstadt’s exquisite cover of Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” and Dolly Parton’s winsome reading of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil’s “Here You Come Again” both reached No. 3.

  Other nominees: Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson’s “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” (No. 42), The Kendalls’ “Heaven’s Just a Sin Away” (No. 69), Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It” (didn’t chart)

   Winner: “Heaven’s Just a Sin Away”

• 1979: 2

  Top 10 hits: Anne Murray’s “You Needed Me” spent a week at No. 1, becoming her biggest hit. Charlie Daniels Band’s classic “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” peaked at No. 3.

  Other nominees: Kenny Rogers’ signature song “The Gambler” (No. 16), Barbara Mandrell’s remake of Luther Ingram’s “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” (No. 31), Waylon Jennings’ “Amanda” (No. 54)

  Winner: “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”

• 1984: 2

  Top 10 hits: Kenny Rogers’s duet with Dolly Parton, “Islands in the Stream,” spent two weeks at No. 1. Another smash duet, Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson’s “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” peaked at No. 5.

  Other nominees: Anne Murray’s “A Little Good News” (No. 74), Earl Thomas Conley’s “Holding Her and Loving You” (didn’t chart), The Judds’ “Mama He’s Crazy” (didn’t chart)

  Winner: “A Little Good News” won in a major upset. Murray was (and still is) widely admired, but “Islands in the Stream” is a country duet for the ages.

• 1999: 2

  Top 10 hits: Lonestar‘s “Amazed” spent two weeks at No. 1. Tim McGraw’s “Please Remember Me” peaked at No. 10.

  Other nominees: Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks)’ “Wide Open Spaces” (No. 41), Mark Wills’ “Don’t Laugh at Me” (No. 73), George Jones’ “Choices” (didn’t chart)

  Winner: “Wide Open Spaces”

• 2020: 2

  Top 10 hits: Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” reached No. 3. Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber’s “10,000 Hours” peaked at No. 4. Note: The Hot 100 credited Charlie Puth as a featured artist on Barrett’s record, but he didn’t receive a CMA nod.

  Other nominees: Maren Morris’ “The Bones” (No. 12), Luke Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart” (No. 21), Miranda Lambert’s “Bluebird” (No. 26)

  Winner: “The Bones”

• 2024: 2

  Top 10 hits: Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” logged a then-record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1. Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” stayed on top for six weeks.

  Other nominees: Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse” (No. 12), Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine” (No. 21), Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap” (No. 43)

  Winner: “White Horse”

• 2026: 3

  Top 10 hits: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has logged a record-tying 22 weeks at No. 1. Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” spent two weeks on top. Langley’s “Be Her” spent two weeks at No. 2.

  Other nominees: Cody Johnson’s “The Fall” (No. 26); Lainey Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo” (No. 36)

  Winner: We’ll find out on Nov. 18.