Alan Jackson performed “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” at the CMAs

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning Alan Jackson

Writer(s): Alan Jackson (see lyrics here) First Performed: November 7, 2001 Released: November 26, 2001 First Charted: November 24, 2001 Peak: 28 US, 15 CW, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 0.4 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.2 radio, 34.82 video, 44.78 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” was Alan Jackson’s heartfelt reaction to the September 11 attacks. As soon as he saw the news on television, he knew he wanted to write a song about it, but couldn’t for several weeks. As he said, “I didn’t want to write a patriotic song. And I didn’t want it to be vengeful, either. But I didn’t want to forget about how I felt and how I knew other people felt that day.” WK At 4 a.m. on October 28, 2001, he awoke with the melody, opening lines, and chorus going through his mind. He got out of bed and sang into a hand-held digital recorder. After his family went to Sunday school that morning, he finished the lyrics. The words focus on questions about how people reacted, such as, “Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow? / Go out and buy you a gun? / Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watchin’ / And turn on I Love Lucy reruns?” He referred to himself as “a singer of simple songs” and “not a real political man” and concludes by paraphrasing The Bible with the line, “Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us / And the greatest is love.” Still, he wasn’t sure about recording it, much less releasing it, because he didn’t want to capitalize on a tragedy. However, when he played it for his wife, Denise, and for his producer, Keith Stegall, they both gave their approval. He went into the studio and recorded it that week. He played the finished track for executives at his record label. RCA chairman Joe Galante said, “We just kind of looked at one another. Nobody spoke for a full minute.” WK Jackson later said the song was his greatest accomplishment. SF Jackson premiered the song at the County Music Association’s annual awards on November 7, 2001. He originally was going to perform “Where I Come From,” which was #1 on the Billboard country charts. When Jackson’s manager, Nancy Russell, played “Where Were You” for four of the CMA’s top executives, they were overcome with emotion. WK Vince Gill introduced Jackson that night and Jackson received a standing ovation at the song’s conclusion. The next morning stations were immediately playing the song. Based almost entirely on that airplay, the song debuted at #25 on the Billboard country charts the week ending November 24, 2001 – the highest debut in a decade. It was then released as a single and, only six weeks later, became the fastest rising song to #1 in four years. WK Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 8/13/2022; last updated 1/25/2026.

Lonestar’s “Amazed” hit #1

Amazed Lonestar

Writer(s): Marv Green, Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo (see lyrics here) Released: March 22, 1999 First Charted: April 10, 1999 Peak: 12 US, 6 RR, 2 AC, 7 A40, 18 CW, 21 UK, 7 CN, 19 AU (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.15 US, 0.6 UK, 2.79 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 7.0 radio, 81.90 video, 266.01 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Songwriters Marv Green, Aimee Mayo, and Chris Lindsey met at Mayo’s home in Nashville one night. FB May and Lindsey had just started dating WK and, as Mayo said, “Our feelings for each other just started coming out as we were writing.” SF According to Green, “We wanted to write something emotional, something about communicating with someone you’re really in love with.” FB Lindsey said, “When I heart that song on the radio, that’s the exact feeling I had for her….The song bottle a unique emotion to me, and I can feel that still. I think what people feel is that.” SF Mayo and Lindsey later married. The demo featured Bill Luther on vocals. He wrote “It’s Your Love” for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill so “Amazed” was first pitched to McGraw. After he passed on it, it ended up with Lonestar. FB Richie McDonald, the band’s lead singer, said, “We all thought it was a passionate song people could relate to. But if you asked us then if it was going to do what it did, we wouldn’t have had any idea.” FB What it did was give the band its pop breakthrough hit. The band members all grew up in the Lone Star state of Texas, but came together in Nashville in 1992. FB Their debut album, 1995’s Lonestar gave the band three top-10 hits on the country charts, including the #1 “No News.” Their 1997 sophomore album, Crazy Nights, gave them another country chart-topper. It was their third album, however, which gave the album their major breakthrough on the pop charts. “Amazed” topped the country chart for eight weeks, but also reached the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The song originally peaked at #24, but a remix without steel guitar and fiddle propelled it back up the pop charts. It was the first country song to top the chart since Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton ascended to the throne with 1983’s “Islands in the Stream.” FB Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Lonestar FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 893. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 11/2/2021; last updated 4/17/2024.