Contemporary Country is a 22-volume series issued by Time-Life during the early 1990s, spotlighting country music of the 1970s through mid 1990s.
Each volume in the series chronicled a specific time period – the early-1970s, the mid-1970s, the late-1970s, the early-1980s, the mid-1980s, the late-1980s, the early-1990s and the mid-1990s. Each volume was issued on a compact disc or cassette. Individual volumes contained 22 tracks, and represented the highlighted time period's most popular and noteworthy tracks. Also included was a booklet, containing liner notes written by some of the most respected historians of the genre, photographs of the artists, and information on the songs (writers, performers and peak position on Billboard magazine's country charts).
All told, the entire series contains 484 tracks.
History "Contemporary Country" was first issued during the summer of 1991, and essentially picked up where Time-Life Music left off with its Country USA series; the earlier series covered country music from the 1950s through early 1970s. This series continued Time-Life's attempt at chronicling country music's post-1950 history.
During its peak, the "Contemporary Country" series was advertised in television and magazine advertisements. The series was available by subscription (by calling a 1-800 number); those who purchased the series in that fashion received a new volume roughly every other month (on the format of their choice), and had the option of keeping the volumes they wanted. Each volume was also offered for individual sale.
New volumes continued to be issued through 1993, the final one being a volume covering country music from the early 1990s. Another volume – "The Mid-1990s," with 20 tracks from 1991 to 1998 – was released as part of the series in 2000, seven years after the last disc was issued.
Time-Life continued to offer "Contemporary Country" through the early 2000s (decade). The series has essentially been replaced four series:
"Classic Country," a series cataloging the music from the 1940s through mid-1980s (with some additional volumes containing post-1984 music). "Country Gold," covering the 1980s through mid-1990s. Three volumes of "Contemporary Country" have been repackaged as part of this series. Also part of this series is "Country's Got Heart," providing post-1990 country music highlights. "Superstars of Country," containing highlights from the mid-1960s through mid-1980s. "Lifetime of Country Romance," similar to "Superstars of Country" but focusing more on ballads and love-themed songs.
The series As with many of Time-Life Records' multi-volume releases, the volumes were not issued in a logical, sequential order by date or era of the subject; that is, issuing volumes covering the early 1970s before progressing to the mid-1970s. In the track information section, the volumes will be listed sequentially by era; the following list is the order in which the volumes were released.
1991 Contemporary Country: The Mid ‘80s Contemporary Country: The Late ‘70s Contemporary Country: The Early ‘80s Contemporary Country: The Mid ‘70s Contemporary Country: The Late ‘80s
1992 Contemporary Country: The Early ‘70s Contemporary Country: The Mid '80s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Mid '70s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Early '80s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Late '70s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Late '80s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Early '70s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Mid '80s Hot Hits
1993 Contemporary Country: The Late '70s Hot Hits Contemporary Country: The Early '80s Hot Hits Contemporary Country: The Mid '70s Hot Hits Contemporary Country: The Late '80s Hot Hits Contemporary Country: The Early '70s Hot Hits Contemporary Country: The '70s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The '80s Pure Gold Contemporary Country: The Early '90s
2000 Contemporary Country: The Mid '90s
Track listing Contemporary Country: The '70s Pure Gold "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" – Johnny Cash "It's Been a Great Afternoon" – Merle Haggard "If I Could Only Win Your Love" – Emmylou Harris "All of Me" – Willie Nelson "Room Full of Roses" – Mickey Gilley "Among My Souvenirs" – Marty Robbins "You're the One" – Oak Ridge Boys "Rated "X"" – Loretta Lynn "Don't Be Angry" – Donna Fargo "I May Never Get to Heaven" – Conway Twitty "A Picture of Me" – George Jones "Ruby (Are You Mad)" – Buck Owens "Baby Boy" – Mary Kay Place (as Loretta Haggers) "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer" – Johnny Russell "Sometimes" – Bill Anderson and Mary Lou Turner "Feelins'" – Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn "Before My Time" – John Conlee "I'll Go to My Grave Loving You" – Statler Brothers "Me and Bobby McGee" – Jerry Lee Lewis "Say It Again" – Don Williams "Broken Down in Tiny Pieces" – Billy "Crash" Craddock "Secret Love" – Freddy Fender
Contemporary Country: The Early '70s "The Fightin' Side of Me" – Merle Haggard "Coal Miner's Daughter" – Loretta Lynn "Easy Loving" – Freddie Hart "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" – Don Gibson "Hello Darlin'" – Conway Twitty "Would You Take Another Chance on Me" – Jerry Lee Lewis "He Loves Me All the Way" – Tammy Wynette "Loving You Could Never Be Better" – George Jones "Empty Arms" – Sonny James "Help Me Make It Through the Night" – Sammi Smith "For the Good Times" – Ray Price "Me and Little Andy" – Dolly Parton "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" – Charley Pride "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." – Donna Fargo "Made in Japan" – Buck Owens "Behind Closed Doors" – Charlie Rich "When You're Hot, You're Hot" – Jerry Reed "Rose Garden" – Lynn Anderson "Lead Me On" – Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" – Tom T. Hall "Why Me" – Kris Kristofferson "Sunday Morning Coming Down" – Johnny Cash
Contemporary Country: The Early '70s Pure Gold "You're Lookin' At Country" – Loretta Lynn "I Ain't Never" – Mel Tillis "How I Got to Memphis" – Bobby Bare "It's Not Love" – Merle Haggard "How Much More Can She Stand" – Conway Twitty "Lovin' on Back Streets" – Mel Street "She's All I Got" – Johnny Paycheck "After the Fire Is Gone" – Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" – Cal Smith "A Good Year for the Roses" – George Jones "My Hang-Up Is You" – Freddie Hart "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms" – Buck Owens "Coat of Many Colors" – Dolly Parton "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone" – Charley Pride "Soul Song" – Joe Stampley "Flesh and Blood" – Johnny Cash "Think About It Darlin'" – Jerry Lee Lewis "What's Your Mama's Name" – Tanya Tucker "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico" – Johnny Rodriguez "'Til I Get It Right" – Tammy Wynette "It's Four in the Morning" – Faron Young "I Won't Mention It Again" – Ray Price
Contemporary Country: Early '70s Hot Hits "Mr. Lovemaker" – Johnny Paycheck "We're Gonna Hold On" – George Jones and Tammy Wynette "Borrowed Angel" – Mel Street "Good Hearted Woman" – Waylon Jennings "Man in Black" – Johnny Cash "I'm Just Me" – Charley Pride "One's on the Way" – Loretta Lynn "Do You Remember These" – Statler Brothers "You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)" – Johnny Rodriguez "Fifteen Years Ago" – Conway Twitty "Once More with Feeling" – Jerry Lee Lewis "I'm a Truck" – Red Simpson "Big in Vegas" – Buck Owens "The Pool Shark" – Dave Dudley "We Can Make It" – George Jones "It's Just a Matter of Time" – Sonny James "Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man" – Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton "Come Sundown" – Bobby Bare "Just One Time" – Connie Smith "Got the All Overs for You (All over Me)" – Freddie Hart "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry" – Jerry Wallace "Eleven Roses" – Hank Williams Jr.
Contemporary Country: The Mid '70s "The Grand Tour" – George Jones "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" – Gary Stewart "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" – Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn "You're My Best Friend" – Don Williams "Together Again" – Emmylou Harris "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" – Freddy Fender "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" – Mickey Gilley "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" – B.J. Thomas "Would You Lay with Me" – Tanya Tucker "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" – Willie Nelson "El Paso City" – Marty Robbins "Rhinestone Cowboy" – Glen Campbell "The Most Beautiful Girl" – Charlie Rich "You've Never Been This Far Before" – Conway Twitty "Jolene" – Dolly Parton "If We Make It Through December" – Merle Haggard "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" – Waylon Jennings "Satin Sheets" – Jeanne Pruett "I Love" – Tom T. Hall "I'm Not Lisa" – Jessi Colter "'Til the Rivers All Run Dry" – Don Williams "Reconsider Me" – Narvel Felts
Contemporary Country: The Mid '70s Pure Gold "I Can Help" – Billy Swan "All These Things" – Joe Stampley "Love Is Like a Butterfly" – Dolly Parton "(Turn Out the Light And) Love Me Tonight" – Don Williams "The Door" – George Jones "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" – Freddy Fender "Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life" – Moe Bandy "Drinkin' Thing" – Gary Stewart "I Never Go Around Mirrors" – Lefty Frizzell "Country Bumpkin" – Cal Smith "Sweet Dreams" – Emmylou Harris "Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)" – Tom T. Hall "Love Is the Foundation" – Loretta Lynn "(I'm A) Stand by My Woman Man" – Ronnie Milsap "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" – Tammy Wynette "I See the Want To in Your Eyes" – Conway Twitty "Just Get Up and Close the Door" – Johnny Rodriguez "A Very Special Love Song" – Charlie Rich "San Antonio Stroll" – Tanya Tucker "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" – Willie Nelson "One Piece at a Time" – Johnny Cash "Convoy" – C.W. McCall
Contemporary Country: The Mid '70s Hot Hits "As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" – Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn "Out of Hand" – Gary Stewart "I'm a Ramblin' Man" – Waylon Jennings "Stranger" – Johnny Duncan "Once You've Had the Best" – George Jones "Devil in the Bottle" – T.G. Sheppard "Blood Red and Goin' Down" – Tanya Tucker "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" – Cal Smith "The Bargain Store" – Dolly Parton "Love in the Hot Afternoon" – Gene Watson "Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight)" – Loretta Lynn "Rub It In" – Billy "Crash" Craddock "Daydreams About Night Things" – Ronnie Milsap "After All the Good Is Gone" – Conway Twitty "Golden Ring" – George Jones and Tammy Wynette "I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me" – Don Williams "9,999,999 Tears" – Dickey Lee "You'll Lose a Good Thing" – Freddy Fender "Country Sunshine" – Dottie West "Blanket on the Ground" – Billie Jo Spears "I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind" – Johnny Rodriguez "Teddy Bear" – Red Sovine
Contemporary Country: The Late '70s "Family Tradition" – Hank Williams Jr. "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" – The Kendalls "It's a Cheating Situation" – Moe Bandy "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson "It Was Almost Like a Song" – Ronnie Milsap "Ramblin' Fever" – Merle Haggard "Here You Come Again" – Dolly Parton "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" – Bellamy Brothers "Near You" – George Jones and Tammy Wynette "Happy Birthday Darlin'" – Conway Twitty "Blue Skies" – Willie Nelson "Two More Bottles of Wine" – Emmylou Harris "Take This Job and Shove It" – Johnny Paycheck "Rose Colored Glasses" – John Conlee "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" – Crystal Gayle "Moody Blue" – Elvis Presley "Tulsa Time" – Don Williams "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" – Waylon Jennings "Southern Nights" – Glen Campbell "Bartender's Blues" – George Jones (feat. James Taylor) "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" – Barbara Mandrell "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" – Charlie Daniels Band
Contemporary Country: The Late '70s Pure Gold "Just Good Ol' Boys" – Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" – Hank Williams Jr.