CMA Single of the Year Nominees: Chart Performance of Hot 100 Hits

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.

Related

Ella Langley Leads Nominations for 2026 CMA Awards: Full List

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.)

Related

Ella Langley Has Two CMA Awards Nods for Single of the Year — Who Else Has Done That?

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.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/lists/cma-awards-single-of-year-nominees-top-10-hits-full-list/)._