April 19, 1980: A Historic Date In Country Music History

Now I've seen it all.

That may have been what people said on April 19, 1980.

It's hard to be the 'first' in anything, and it's even tougher to be the 'only', but that's exactly what happened on that date in country music history. It's something that hadn't ever happened before, and hasn't happened since.

• What Artist Had An Incredible 5 Number 1 Hits in 1974?

The ladies ruled.

It was that issue of Billboard Magazine (at that time the bible of music) that showed something it had never shown before: The Top Five spots on the country music singles chart were all female.

For many years in the early days of country music (or, if you will, country & western music), they were 'girl singers', women that generally might sing along with the fella's. Artist's like Patsy Montana and Kitty Wells helped change that, and by 1980 country music was filled with great female artist's. Loretta and Dolly, Tammy and Patsy and many more.

But for the first (and only) time, the ladies ruled the Top 5 spots on the singles chart for the week of April 19, 1980:

1) Crystal Gayle-'It's Like We Never Said Goodbye'

2) Dottie West-'A Lesson In Leavin''

3) Debby Boone-'Are You On The Road To Lovin' Me Again'

4) Emmylou Harris-'Beneath Still Waters'

5) Tammy Wynette (Duet With George Jones)-'Two Story House'

Now, when i first saw this I thought 'Hmmm, there's George's name on that list'. But, tis true, Tammy's name is there on the Top 5 so...the ladies rule.

So will the ladies ever rise to the top five all in the same week again? Maybe, maybe not, but one things for sure....It's going to be darn tough to top the talent that did it that one and only time, the week of April 19, 1980.