Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” topped country chart

Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood

Writer(s): Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins (see lyrics here) Released: August 19, 2006 First Charted: February 18, 2006 Peak: 8 US, 9 RR, 6 AC, 5 A40, 15 CW, 4 CN, 12 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.4 UK, 7.4 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.8 radio, 187.93 video, 370.33 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Done-me-wrong anthems don’t get much more fun or more satisfying” MX than this “clever tale of a jilted girlfriend who gets sweet revenge.” BT The song’s video showed the former American Idol winner making short work of her philandering boyfriend’s truck by way of a Louisville slugger. She made it clear that the next time he cheated, it wouldn’t be on her. The song helped cement Underwood’s image as a country singer with wide-based pop appeal as well. When “Before He Cheats” won the Grammy for Best Country Song, the songwriters expressed surprise to Billboard magazine about the song’s broad appeal. One of the writers, Josh Kear, said, “You’ve got just enough sex and just enough violence to appeal to both sexes. The fact that they just left it as a straightforward Country record and it worked was a surprise, and pleasantly so.” SF The other writer, Chris Tompkins relayed to TheBoot.com that they originally envisioned the song being sung by someone with a tougher image, like Gretchen Wilson. SF Underwood confessed to CMT that she almost passed on the song, saying, “People are going to hate me for singing this song. They’re gonna be like, ‘Oh my gosh, we can’t listen to her album. She’s bad and I can’t let my children listen to this.’” SF The song accomplished several notable achievements. It took 38 weeks, longer than any other song, to climb into the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. SF Before the end of its run, it had logged 64 weeks on the chart, making it the fifth-longest charting single in Hot 100 history. WK It also became the first country song to sell two million downloads SF and is the fourth best-selling country song of all time. WK The song nabbed plenty of awards including Country Song/Single of the Year from the People’s Choice Awards, the Country Music Association, and ASCAP. CMT and the Academy of Country Music named it Video of the Year. Resources: MX Atlanta Metromix (11/24/09) Best songs of the decade BT TheBoot.com (11/24/09) Best Songs of the 2000’s SF Songfacts.com WK Wikipedia.org Related Links: First posted 2/18/2013; last updated 10/22/2022.

Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” topped country chart

Achy Breaky Heart Billy Ray Cyrus

Writer(s): Don Von Tress (see lyrics here) Released: March 23, 1992 First Charted: April 4, 1992 Peak: 4 US, 4 CB, 27 RR, 23 AC, 15 CW, 3 UK, 4 CN, 17 AU, 6 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.2 UK, 1.41 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, 110.33 video, 102.37 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Don Von Tress wrote a song called “Don’t Tell My Heart” in 1990. The Oak Ridge Boys considered recording it, but lead singer Duane Allen didn’t like the words “achy breaky.” WK It was recorded in 1991 by the Marcy Brothers, but failed to chart. It took off when Billy Ray Cyrus recorded it in 1992 as “Achy Breaky Heart.” It was a crossover hit in the United States, peaking at #1 on the country charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first country song since Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton’s 1983 hit “Islands in the Stream” to achieve platinum status. WK The song propelled Cyrus’ album, Some Gave All to 17 weeks atop the Billboard album chart and nine million in sales. Thanks to its novelty status, the song has been targeted by Blender and VH1 as one of the worst songs of all time, although VH1 also ranked at as one of the 100 greatest songs of the 1990s. WK Country singer Travis Tritt touched off controversy when he called the song “frivolous” and argued it turned country music into “an ass-wiggling contest.” TC Cyrus has defended the song, saying, “It felt like a good time for a happy song. Something simple that everyone could sing and yes, even dance to. Take your mind off all the heavy stuff for 3 minutes and 27 seconds!” TC Audiences for “old country” artists such as Willie Nelson and George Strait were waning, but the slicker production techniques and pop melodies of “new country” revived interest in country music amongst younger listeners. “Achy Breaky Heart” was considered a pivotal song in ushering in that new era. Country purists hated it, but it led the way for success for artists such as Faith Hill and Shania Twain. SF The video was filmed during a live performance at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Kentucky. WK “The song’s insistent beat and simple two-chord structure lent themselves to line dancing, which featured heavily in the video and exploded into a crazy that swept country dance halls across the U.S. and the world.” TC Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Billy Ray Cyrus SF Songfacts TC A Taste of Country (5/30/2020). “Remember When ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ Launched a Line Dance Craze?” by Sterling Whitaker WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/3/2021; last updated 10/22/2022.