Carrie Underwood cried during recording duet with son, and it’s probably the most touching story you’ll ever hear. The country superstar may have performed duets with some of the biggest names in the music industry, but Underwood revealed that it was her five-year-old son who left a lasting impression. Three months before Christmas, Underwood released … Read more
In 2016, country singer Eric Church released “Record Year” as the second single from his album Mr. Misunderstood. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. After remarkably reaching two million units in sales and streams, it was certified … Read more
Sometimes, love is all about the bold gestures we have to do just to catch someone’s attention. And Dan + Shay tried to replicate this cliché to impress their women in the seductive 2018 track, “All to Myself.” Released as the third single from their self-titled album, the song reached the top of the Billboard … Read more
Country music powerhouse is leading the Top 40 Country Songs in October 2020! Lee Brice may have been ruling last month, but the three-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, Jason Aldean, slipped by him for the top spot with his highest-charting single since 2014’s “Burnin’ It Down.” Morgan Wallen is also proving he could be … Read more
In 1983, soft rock band Air Supply released “Making Love Out of Nothing At All” for their compilation album Greatest Hits. The song quickly reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for three weeks. Since then, the song has been covered by several other artists, with Bonnie Tyler’s version being … Read more
In 2002, country music band Diamond Rio released “I Believe” as the second single off their album Completely. The song became another No. 1 hit for the band as it climbed to the top spot of Billboard Hot Country Songs. It also reached No. 31 in the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Skip Ewing and … Read more
In 1963, American folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary made the song “Puff the Magic Dragon” popular. The song quickly sailed into several charts. In the United States, it reached No. 1 in the Billboard Middle-Road Singles, No. 2 both in the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and No. 10 in the … Read more
God must have been watching singer-songwriter Julie Gold one winter morning of 1985 while sitting down at her childhood piano to write “From a Distance.” During that time, Gold was working as a secretary for HBO, making both ends meet. But on her 30th birthday, she received a very special gift from her parents back … Read more
In 2018, country music and bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs treated CMA viewers for a performance of “There Goes My Everything” – and it’s a performance you won’t easily forget. During the celebration of the 50th Annual CMA Awards, some of the biggest names in country music paid tribute to a number of frequently nominated and … Read more
In 2014, Tim McGraw released “Shotgun Rider” as the third single from his album Sundown Heaven Town. The song then became another No. 1 hit for McGraw as it sailed on top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs, Billboard Country Airplay, and in the Billboard Country chart in Canada. It also peaked at No. 38 … Read more
The first time man landed on the moon through the spaceflight Apollo 11, the song “In The Year 2525” dominated the charts that summer. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for six weeks, making it the longest-running No. 1 that year. … Read more
In 1975, Merle Haggard and country band The Strangers covered the song “Kentucky Gambler.” It was released as a single from one of his most commercially successful albums, Keep Movin’ On. The song became a No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot Country Songs, where it stayed at No. 1 for a week and spent a … Read more
In 1970, country singer and TV personality Lynn Anderson recorded “Rose Garden” after hearing its original version. However, Anderson’s producer – her husband Glenn Sutton – rejected her recording because he thinks “it was not a girl’s song.” After much convincing and some extra studio time left, Sutton reconsidered. “I had objected to it because … Read more
In 1992, country music group Restless Heart released “When She Cries” as the first single off the band’s album Big Iron Horses. This is their first album without lead singer Larry Stewart, who then started his solo career – drummer John Dittrich sings the lead in his place. “When She Cries” then reached No. 9 … Read more
In 1962, husband-and-wife country music duo Carl Butler and Pearl made “Don’t Let Me Cross Over” a famous duet. The song only needed four weeks to be a No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot Country Singles, one of country music’s fastest ascensions ever. But what’s even more impressive is that it spent eleven non-consecutive weeks … Read more
In 1972, Don Gibson released what would be his final No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, “Woman (Sensuous Woman).” The song held the top position for a week and spent a total of sixteen weeks on that chart. It was also Gibson’s biggest record after conquering his own addiction. Gibson got the biggest … Read more
“A Week in a Country Jail” is absolutely one of Tom T. Hall’s biggest hits. The song was released in 1969 as the third and final single off his studio album Homecoming. It quickly reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles, maintaining that position for two weeks and spending a total of … Read more
In 1958, Ray Price recorded his version of “City Lights,” and it climbed on the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot Country Songs singles chart and remained in that position for thirteen weeks. But there’s more to that! “City Lights” actually has several country music history pieces linked into it. First of all, it … Read more
In 2011, Kip Moore’s “Somethin’ ’bout a Truck” climbed the chart, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, making it the only single in the country singer’s career to reach that peak so far. The song was also his first and only top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at … Read more
In 1982, Crystal Gayle recorded “Til I Gain Control Again” for her self-titled album. The song quickly soared to the top spot of Billboard Hot Country Songs, where it stayed for one week and spent a total of twelve weeks. Her recording is also accompanied by a music video where Gayle can be seen stunningly … Read more
In 1981, country-rock singer Juice Newton released her rendition of “Queen of Hearts” as the second single off her album Juice. “I did [‘Queen of Hearts’] live for about a year…Then I brought it to [producer] Richard Landis when we started the Juice album,” Newton later recalled. “He wasn’t convinced at that point that it … Read more
American singer-songwriter John Denver paid tribute to his most prized possession in his 1974 song “This Old Guitar.” Denver wrote the song about his 1910 Gibson acoustic jazz guitar, which his grandmother gave to him when he was only twelve years old. This was the same guitar his grandmother used to play as a young … Read more
In 1979, Anne Murray released her rendition of “Broken Hearted Me” as the first single off her fourteenth album, I’ll Always Love You. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and was a crossover success as it reached the No. 12 spot on US Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, the song … Read more
In 2016, Home Free made another music video, and this time they went with one of the hottest country songs played on the radio over the past decade, “My Church.” The a cappella group took the song’s gospel vibe one step further by giving it a real gospel twist. Shot in front of an old … Read more
Nearly five decades ago, country singer Johnny Russell released what would be the biggest hit of his entire career, “Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer.” It was the first single from his album of the same name. The song was his only top ten on the country chart, peaking at No. 4 on the … Read more
When Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson joined forces, the world expected nothing less than quality and brilliance. Luckily, we were never proven wrong when they’d written the hit song “Good Hearted Woman.” In 1969, the two outlaw legends found themselves on a tour together. While staying at the Fort Worther Motel in Fort Worth, Texas, … Read more
Over a decade ago, Chris Young released “The Man I Want to Be” as the third single and title track from his album of the same name. The song quickly snagged the top spot of Billboard Hot Country Songs; it was the singer’s second of five consecutive No. 1 hits on that chart. It also … Read more
In 1967, the most iconic country couple Johnny Cash and June Carter, released a version of the iconic duet “Jackson.” Not only did it reach No. 2 on the US Country charts, but it also won a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Performance Duet, Trio or Group. Perhaps no other country couple has … Read more
You will surely find hope and comfort in Alan Jackson’s “In The Garden.” The country superstar has always been very open about his Christian faith. So, it was no longer a surprise when he released his first gospel album, Precious Memories, in 2006. Unlike his previous ones, this album comprises traditional gospel songs – including … Read more
In 2001, Alan Jackson released “Where I Come From” as the third single from his album When Somebody Loves You. It became Jackson’s another No. 1 hit on the Billboard country charts. It was his only No. 1 from that album, and it received favorable reviews – especially from Thom Jurek of Allmusic, who described … Read more