# 2000 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2000.

## Events

* March 4 — "Amazed" by Lonestar becomes the first country song to have topped both the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and the Billboard Hot 100 chart since the Kenny Rogers-Dolly Parton duet, "Islands In The Stream" in October 1983. The country-leaning "Amazed" — which had a brief run in the Hot 100 during the summer of 1999 — had been remixed for Top 40 radio, launching it to its run of pop-radio success.
* March 7 - George Strait and Alan Jackson release "Murder on Music Row". While the song is not officially released as a single, the song stirs up controversy for its lyrics of how country pop is taking over traditional country music.
* March 10 — Vince Gill and Christian singer Amy Grant are married.
* May 13 - Kenny Rogers makes chart history as "Buy Me a Rose" hits #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, making it not only his first #1 since his 1987 duet with Ronnie Milsap, "Make No Mistake, She's Mine", but also the oldest singer to have a #1 single until 2003 (Rogers was 61 at the time). The song is also the only #1 for Alison Krauss and Billy Dean, who are credited as guest vocalists.
* October 26 - Garth Brooks announces his retirement from touring during a party to celebrate his certification for sales of 100 million albums, at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center.
* December – RFD-TV, a cable network devoted to rural Americans culture, is launched. In addition to agriculture- and farming-centric shows, a large programming block is devoted to classic country music television shows.

## Top hits of the year
### Singles released by American artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| 19 | 37 | Almost Doesn't Count | Mark Wills |
| 15 | 21 | Another Nine Minutes | Yankee Grey |
| 2 | 1 | Back at One | Mark Wills |
| 8 | 11 | Because You Love Me | Jo Dee Messina |
| 5 | 1 | Been There | Clint Black with Steve Wariner |
| 19 | 12 | Beer Thirty | Brooks & Dunn |
| 1 | 7 | The Best Day | George Strait |
| 1 | 3 | Best of Intentions | Travis Tritt |
| 6 | 3 | Big Deal | LeAnn Rimes |
| 1 | 9 | Buy Me a Rose | Kenny Rogers featuring Alison Krauss and Billy Dean |
| 5 | 1 | Carlene | Phil Vassar |
| 3 | 6 | The Chain of Love | Clay Walker |
| 10 | 7 | Cold Day in July | Dixie Chicks |
| 3 | 1 | Couldn't Last a Moment | Collin Raye |
| 4 | 3 | Country Comes to Town | Toby Keith |
| 1 | 1 | Cowboy Take Me Away | Dixie Chicks |
| 17 | 19 | Daddy Won't Sell the Farm | Montgomery Gentry |
| 13 | 18 | Do What You Gotta Do | Garth Brooks |
| 6 | 13 | Feels Like Love | Vince Gill |
| 6 | 3 | Flowers on the Wall | Eric Heatherly |
| 2 | 1 | Go On | George Strait |
| 13 | 5 | Goodbye Earl | Dixie Chicks |
| 1 | 1 | How Do You Like Me Now?! | Toby Keith |
| 1 | 1 | I Hope You Dance | Lee Ann Womack featuring Sons of the Desert |
| 3 | 21 | I Lost It | Kenny Chesney |
| 8 | 16 | I Need You | LeAnn Rimes |
| 2 | 3 | I Will… But | SHeDAISY |
| 4 | 4 | I'll Be | Reba McEntire |
| 1 | 4 | It Must Be Love | Alan Jackson |
| 11 | 37 | It Was | Chely Wright |
| 18 | 25 | It's a Love Thing | Keith Urban |
| 5 | 11 | It's Always Somethin' | Joe Diffie |
| 1 | 2 | Just Another Day in Paradise | Phil Vassar |
| 22 | 10 | Katie Wants a Fast One | Steve Wariner with Garth Brooks |
| 1 | 3 | Kiss This | Aaron Tippin |
| 3 | 3 | Lessons Learned | Tracy Lawrence |
| 6 | 5 | Let's Make Love | Faith Hill with Tim McGraw |
| 20 | 26 | Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye | Vince Gill |
| 1 | 1 | The Little Girl | John Michael Montgomery |
| 11 | 21 | Live, Laugh, Love | Clay Walker |
| 18 | 24 | Lonely | Tracy Lawrence |
| 3 | 2 | Love's the Only House | Martina McBride |
| 18 | 21 | Me Neither | Brad Paisley |
| 18 | 39 | Meanwhile Back at the Ranch | The Clark Family Experience |
| 10 | 4 | More | Trace Adkins |
| 1 | 4 | My Best Friend | Tim McGraw |
| 15 | 32 | My Love Goes On and On | Chris Cagle |
| 1 | 6 | My Next Thirty Years | Tim McGraw |
| 20 | 23 | One Voice | Billy Gilman |
| 3 | 4 | Prayin' for Daylight | Rascal Flatts |
| 11 | 25 | Put Your Hand in Mine | Tracy Byrd |
| 16 | 20 | Real Live Woman | Trisha Yearwood |
| 11 | 20 | She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy | Kenny Chesney |
| 2 | 2 | She's More | Andy Griggs |
| 1 | 1 | Smile | Lonestar |
| 12 | 5 | Smoke Rings in the Dark | Gary Allan |
| 7 | 1 | Some Things Never Change | Tim McGraw |
| 26 | 16 | Stuck in Love | The Judds |
| 13 | 38 | That's the Kind of Mood I'm In | Patty Loveless |
| 1 | 1 | That's the Way | Jo Dee Messina |
| 10 | 19 | There You Are | Martina McBride |
| 9 | 18 | This Woman Needs | SHeDAISY |
| 3 | 9 | Unconditional | Clay Davidson |
| 1 | 1 | The Way You Love Me | Faith Hill |
| 20 | 27 | We're So Good Together | Reba McEntire |
| 1 | 12 | We Danced | Brad Paisley |
| 1 | 1 | What About Now | Lonestar |
| 3 | 5 | What Do You Say | Reba McEntire |
| 8 | 7 | What I Need to Do | Kenny Chesney |
| 15 | 30 | When You Need My Love | Darryl Worley |
| 6 | 26 | www.memory | Alan Jackson |
| 1 | 1 | Yes! | Chad Brock |
| 17 | 33 | You Won't Be Lonely Now | Billy Ray Cyrus |
| 5 | 7 | You'll Always Be Loved by Me | Brooks & Dunn |
| 4 | 20 | Your Everything | Keith Urban |

### Singles released by Canadian artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| — | 16 | 1999 | The Wilkinsons |
| — | 8 | Angeline | Sean Hogan |
| — | 4 | Black Is Black | Amanda Stott |
| — | 18 | Dream Vacation | Sean Hogan |
| — | 5 | Forever Loving You | Julian Austin |
| 25 | 4 | Georgia | Carolyn Dawn Johnson |
| — | 2 | Horseshoes | Adam Gregory |
| — | 10 | I Surrender | Michelle Wright |
| — | 14 | I Will Be Loving You | Tara Lyn Hart |
| 17 | 4 | I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life) | Shania Twain |
| — | 10 | I'm Missin' You | Shirley Myers |
| — | 11 | In the Middle of Something | Diane Chase |
| 34 | 11 | Jimmy's Got a Girlfriend | The Wilkinsons |
| — | 3 | Kind of Like It's Love | Jason McCoy |
| — | 6 | Kiss 'Em All | Lace |
| 13 | 9 | A Little Gasoline | Terri Clark |
| — | 16 | Long Gone and Forgotten | John Landry |
| — | 14 | More Where That Came From | Rick Tippe |
| — | 7 | No One Hurts Me More Than Me | Chris Cummings |
| — | 7 | One Beat at a Time | Jim Witter |
| — | 4 | Only Know I Do | Adam Gregory |
| — | 8 | Right Here, Right Now | Charlie Major |
| 30 | 3 | Rock This Country! | Shania Twain |
| — | 14 | Same Things | The Poverty Plainsmen |
| — | 5 | Save Me | Tara Lyn Hart |
| 49 | 10 | Shame on Me | The Wilkinsons |
| — | 12 | Somebody to Love | Amanda Stott |
| — | 18 | Something Undeniable | Lisa Brokop |
| — | 16 | Sunny Day in the Park | Jamie Warren |
| — | 7 | The Sycamore Tree | Paul Brandt |
| — | 4 | Take the Money and Run | Julian Austin |
| — | 4 | That'll Teach Her | Chris Cummings |
| — | 7 | Tough as a Pickup Truck | Jim Witter |
| — | 15 | True Love (Never Goes Out of Style) | Lace |
| — | 7 | Walkin' in the Sunshine | Farmer's Daughter |
| — | 19 | Walking Away with You | Diane Chase |
| — | 19 | What My Heart Don't Know | Colin Amey |
| — | 5 | When I Found You | Michelle Wright |
| — | 16 | When You Say Jump | Rick Tippe |
| — | 11 | You and Only You | Farmer's Daughter |
| — | 10 | You Better Be Sure | Shirley Myers |
| — | 20 | You're the One | J. R. Vautour |

## Top new album releases

| US | CAN | Album | Artist | Record Label |
| 4 | | 20 Greatest Hits | Glen Campbell | Capitol Nashville |
| | 10 | Back in Your Life | Julian Austin | ViK. |
| 7 | | Blue Moon | Steve Holy | Curb |
| 6 | 12 | Born to Fly | Sara Evans | RCA Nashville |
| 2 | 4 | Brand New Me | John Michael Montgomery | Warner Bros. |
| 10 | | Brand New Year | SHeDAISY | Lyric Street |
| 1 | 1 | Burn | Jo Dee Messina | Curb |
| 4 | | Classic Christmas | Billy Gilman | Epic |
| 1 | 1 | Coyote Ugly Soundtrack | Various Artists | Curb |
| | 5 | The Days in Between | Blue Rodeo | Warner |
| 8 | 18 | Down the Road I Go | Travis Tritt | Columbia |
| 24 | 6 | dwightyoakamacoustic.net | Dwight Yoakam | Reprise |
| 19 | 7 | Everlasting Love Songs | Various Artists | UTV |
| 8 | 4 | Fearless | Terri Clark | Mercury Nashville |
| 1 | 8 | George Strait | George Strait | MCA Nashville |
| 1 | 15 | Greatest Hits | Kenny Chesney | BNA |
| 1 | | Greatest Hits | Tim McGraw | Curb |
| 13 | 5 | Here and Now | The Wilkinsons | Giant |
| | 9 | Honky Tonk Sonatas | Jason McCoy | Universal |
| 1 | 4 | I Hope You Dance | Lee Ann Womack | MCA Nashville |
| 1 | 5 | Latest Greatest Straitest Hits | George Strait | MCA Nashville |
| 9 | 37 | Lessons Learned | Tracy Lawrence | Atlantic |
| 4 | 6 | Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye | Vince Gill | MCA Nashville |
| | 9 | Milk Cow Blues | Willie Nelson | Island |
| | 2 | New Country 7 | Various Artists | Warner |
| 5 | 6 | New Day Dawning | Wynonna Judd | Mercury/Curb |
| 1 | | O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack | Various Artists | Lost Highway |
| 2 | 6 | One Voice | Billy Gilman | Epic |
| 5 | 16 | People Like Us | Aaron Tippin | Lyric Street |
| 3 | 8 | Permanently | Mark Wills | Mercury Nashville |
| 3 | 14 | Rascal Flatts | Rascal Flatts | Lyric Street |
| 4 | 6 | Real Live Woman | Trisha Yearwood | MCA Nashville |
| 5 | 3 | Red Dirt Girl | Emmylou Harris | Nonesuch |
| 17 | 6 | Swimming in Champagne | Eric Heatherly | Mercury Nashville |
| 7 | 28 | Tomorrow's Sounds Today | Dwight Yoakam | Reprise |
| 9 | 8 | Tracks | Collin Raye | Epic |
| 5 | 8 | Transcendental Blues | Steve Earle | E-Squared |
| | 3 | Ultimate Classic Country | Various Artists | Warner |
| | 10 | The Way I'm Made | Adam Gregory | Epic |
| 1 | | When Somebody Loves You | Alan Jackson | Arista Nashville |

### Other top albums

| US | CAN | Album | Artist | Record Label |
| 28 | | 24-7-365 | Neal McCoy | Giant |
| 19 | | 40 #1 Hits | Ronnie Milsap | Virgin Nashville |
| | 18 | Amanda Stott | Amanda Stott | Warner |
| 11 | | American III: Solitary Man | Johnny Cash | Lost Highway |
| 15 | 30 | Big Funny | Jeff Foxworthy | DreamWorks Nashville |
| 42 | | Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe | Ricky Skaggs | Skaggs Family |
| 45 | | Buddy & Julie Miller | Buddy & Julie Miller | Hightone |
| 46 | | Coast to Coast | BR5-49 | Arista Nashville |
| 22 | | A Country Superstar Christmas III | Various Artists | Hip-O |
| 17 | | Cowboy | Chris LeDoux | Capitol Nashville |
| 19 | | The Elvis Presley Collection – Country | Elvis Presley | RCA |
| 31 | | Faith in You | Steve Wariner | Capitol Nashville |
| 36 | | The Fun of Your Love | Jennifer Day | BNA |
| | 27 | Furnace Room Lullaby | Neko Case | Mint |
| 26 | | Greatest Fits: The Best of How Big a Boy Are Ya? | Roy D. Mercer | Virgin Nashville |
| 18 | 18 | Greatest Hits | BlackHawk | Arista Nashville |
| 25 | | Greatest Hits | Bryan White | Asylum |
| 43 | | Greatest Hits | John Berry | Capitol Nashville |
| | 12 | Greatest Hits/Souvenirs | Stompin' Tom Connors | EMI |
| 42 | | Guitar Genius/Relaxin' with Chet/Nashville Gold | Chet Atkins | RCA Nashville |
| 33 | | Hard Rain Don't Last | Darryl Worley | DreamWorks Nashville |
| 26 | | The Hardest Part | Allison Moorer | MCA Nashville |
| 48 | | Hillbilly Homebody: 27 Comedy Classics | Tim Wilson | Capitol Nashville |
| 35 | | The Hits Live | Sawyer Brown | Curb |
| 32 | | How Big a Boy Are Ya? Volume 7 | Roy D. Mercer | Virgin Nashville |
| 18 | | I'm Diggin' It | Alecia Elliott | MCA Nashville |
| 26 | | If I Could Only Fly | Merle Haggard | Epitaph |
| 18 | | II | The Kinleys | Epic |
| 35 | | The Innocent Years | Kathy Mattea | MCA Nashville |
| 34 | | Inspirational Journey | Randy Travis | Warner Bros. |
| 25 | | Just Another Day in Parodies | Cledus T. Judd | Monument |
| 34 | | King of Nothing | The Warren Brothers | BNA |
| | 17 | Lonesomeville | Chris Cummings | Warner |
| 43 | | Love Songs | Collin Raye | Epic |
| 18 | | Morning Wood | Rodney Carrington | Capitol Nashville |
| 13 | | Nickel Creek | Nickel Creek | Sugar Hill |
| 14 | | Now That's Awesome | Bill Engvall | BNA |
| 23 | | Phil Vassar | Phil Vassar | Arista Nashville |
| 19 | | Play It Loud | Chris Cagle | Virgin Nashville |
| 16 | 16 | The Judds Reunion Live | The Judds | Mercury/Curb |
| 14 | | Shiver | Jamie O'Neal | Mercury Nashville |
| 37 | | Still Country | Loretta Lynn | Audium |
| 13 | 24 | Southern Rain | Billy Ray Cyrus | Monument |
| 13 | 24 | Strong Heart | Patty Loveless | Epic |
| | 15 | String of Pearls: A Greatest Hits Collection | Prairie Oyster | ViK. |
| 46 | | Super Hits | Mindy McCready | BNA |
| 50 | | Super Hits | Travis Tritt | Warner Bros. |
| 17 | | There You Go Again | Kenny Rogers | Dreamcatcher |
| 11 | | This Christmas Time | Lonestar | BNA |
| 38 | | TJM Prime Country Hits | Various Artists | Foundation |
| 21 | 21 | To Get to You: Greatest Hits Collection | Lorrie Morgan | BNA |
| 49 | | The Ultimate Collection | Patsy Cline | UTV |
| 17 | | Ultimate Country Party 2 | Various Artists | Arista Nashville |
| 33 | | Unconditional | Clay Davidson | Virgin Nashville |
| 18 | 31 | Where the Heart Is Soundtrack | Various Artists | BNA |
| 17 | 21 | Yes! | Chad Brock | Warner Bros. |

## Births

* January 27 — Bailey Zimmerman, up-and-coming singer of the 2020s ("Fall in Love", "Rock and a Hard Place")
* March 5 — Gabby Barrett, rose to fame as third-place contestant in sixteenth season of American Idol, singer-songwriter of the 2020s ("I Hope", "The Good Ones")
* October 6 — Jackson Dean, up-and-coming country singer of the 2020s ("Don't Come Lookin'")

## Deaths

* March 7 — Pee Wee King, 86, singer-songwriter (heart attack)
* March 14 — Tommy Collins, 69, singer and songwriter who helped create the Bakersfield Sound
* March 19 — Speck Rhodes, 84, comedian and musician best known for his work on The Porter Wagoner Show.
* April 21 — Neal Matthews, Jr., 70, member of The Jordanaires (heart attack)
* November 5 — Jimmie Davis, 101, the "Singing Governor", two-term governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948 and again from 1960 to 1964 (natural causes)

## Hall of Fame inductees
### Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Lance LeRoy
* Doc Watson

### Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Charley Pride (1934-2020)
* Faron Young (1932–1996)

### Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Colleen Peterson
* Leonard Rambeau

## Major awards
### Grammy Awards

* Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Breathe", Faith Hill
* Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "Solitary Man", Johnny Cash
* Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Cherokee Maiden", Asleep at the Wheel
* Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Let's Make Love", Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
* Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Leaving Cottondale", Alison Brown and Béla Fleck
* Best Country Song — "I Hope You Dance", Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers
* Best Country Album — Breathe, Faith Hill
* Best Bluegrass Album — The Grass Is Blue, Dolly Parton

### Juno Awards

* Best Country Male Artist — Paul Brandt
* Best Country Female Artist — Terri Clark
* Best Country Group or Duo — The Wilkinsons

### Academy of Country Music

* Entertainer of the Year — Dixie Chicks
* Song of the Year — "I Hope You Dance", Mark D. Sanders, Tia Sillers
* Single of the Year — "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann Womack
* Album of the Year — How Do You Like Me Now?!, Toby Keith
* Top Male Vocalist — Toby Keith
* Top Female Vocalist — Faith Hill
* Top Vocal Duo — Brooks & Dunn
* Top Vocal Group — Dixie Chicks
* Top New Male Vocalist — Keith Urban
* Top New Female Vocalist — Jamie O'Neal
* Top New Vocal Duo or Group — Rascal Flatts
* Video of the Year — "Goodbye Earl", Dixie Chicks (Director: Evan Bernard)
* Vocal Event of the Year — "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann Womack and Sons Of The Desert

### ARIA Awards

(presented in Sydney on October 24, 2000)
* Best Country Album - Big River (Troy Cassar-Daley)

### Canadian Country Music Association

* Chevy Fans' Choice Award — The Wilkinsons
* Male Artist of the Year — Paul Brandt
* Female Artist of the Year — Michelle Wright
* Group or Duo of the Year — The Wilkinsons
* SOCAN Song of the Year — "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm", Steve Fox, Robin Branda
* Single of the Year — "Jimmy's Got a Girlfriend", The Wilkinsons
* Album of the Year — Here and Now, The Wilkinsons
* Top Selling Album — Fly, Dixie Chicks
* Video of the Year — "That's the Truth", Paul Brandt
* FACTOR Rising Star Award — Tara Lyn Hart
* Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration of the Year — "Get Me Through December", Natalie MacMaster and Alison Krauss

### Country Music Association

* Entertainer of the Year — Dixie Chicks
* Song of the Year — "I Hope You Dance", Mark D. Sanders, Tia Sillers
* Single of the Year — "I Hope You Dance," Lee Ann Womack
* Album of the Year — Fly, Dixie Chicks
* Male Vocalist of the Year — Tim McGraw
* Female Vocalist of the Year — Faith Hill
* Vocal Duo of the Year — Montgomery Gentry
* Vocal Group of the Year — Dixie Chicks
* Horizon Award — Brad Paisley
* Music Video of the Year — "Goodbye Earl", Dixie Chicks (Director: Evan Bernard)
* Vocal Event of the Year — "Murder on Music Row", George Strait and Alan Jackson
* Musician of the Year — Hargus "Pig" Robbins