Which George Jones recording was named the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in 1980?
Answer
He Stopped Loving Her Today
George Jones’s recording “He Stopped Loving Her Today” was named the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in 1980.
The song was written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman and presents a dramatic story about a man whose love supposedly ends only when he dies. Billy Sherrill produced Jones’s recording for Epic Records, shaping it into a slow, orchestral country ballad.
Although Jones initially disliked the song and was struggling professionally, the recording became a major comeback. It reached the top five of Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart and won major honors, including the CMA Song of the Year award and Grammy recognition.
The song is often called Jones’s signature recording and is frequently ranked among the greatest country songs ever made. Its emotional premise can cause confusion: the title refers to death ending the man’s love, not to a change of heart during his lifetime.