Earl Thomas Conley Makes Pop and Country Music History

Kevin Richards' Country Music Memories- July 2025

This week on the Saturday Morning Classic Country Hall of Fame Show we salute a Country Music Memory from Earl Thomas Conley!  Conley is one of the 80s most under appreciated consistent hitmakers that was often absent from awards shows.  The man also deserved more credit for making Country and Pop music history in July of 1984 when he became the first artist, in any genre, to have 4 singles go to Number One from the same album.  This includes besting pop stars like Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Cher, Elton John and Billy Joel- and beating out headline country stars like Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers and Anne Murray. 

In all, Earl Thomas Conley landed at Number One 18 times, on the Billboard charts, with songs like 'What I'd Say' 'Somewhere Between Right and Wrong' 'Fire and Smoke' 'Once In A Blue Moon' 'I Can't Win For Losing You' 'That Was A Close One' ''We Believe In Happy Endings' (with Emmlou Harris) 'Too Many Times' (with Anita Pointer) and 'Brotherly Love' (with Keith Whitley).

In July 0f 1984, 'Angel In Disguise' hit Number One, making Earl Thomas Conley the first artist to have four singles go to Number One from the same studio album.  The others included the title track- 'Don't Make It Easy For Me' 'Your Love's On The Line' and 'Holding Her and Loving You'.

Earl Thomas Conley passed in 2019 at the age of 77, never really receiving the praise and accolades for his contribution to Country Music in the 1980s.

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