This American Songwriter piece looks back at three country stars who defined the genre's 1980s boom, a decade when the music reached a wider audience than ever before. It highlights George Strait, Reba McEntire and Hank Williams Jr as artists who each embodied a distinct strand of the era's sound, from traditional honky-tonk to raw heartbreak ballads and rowdy outlaw anthems.

George Strait is credited with becoming the "King of Country Music" in the decade, notching 17 No. 1 singles after breakthrough songs such as "Fool Hearted Memory". Reba McEntire is singled out for her emotionally direct heartbreak songs, including "Whoever's In New England" and "I'm Not That Lonely Yet", while Hank Williams Jr is remembered for hell-raising hits like "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" and "A Country Boy Can Survive", building on his 1979 hit "Family Tradition".