Reba McEntire is one of the most influential artists in country music. Since bursting onto the scene in the 1970s, McEntire has blazed a trail for women in country music. Along the way, she’s released 32 studio albums and more than double the number of singles, 24 of which have hit No. 1 on the country charts.
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Though the country queen has co-produced several of her albums, she’s not known much as a songwriter, often leaving the task up to some of Nashville’s most prolific writers. However, several songs she’s co-written are scattered throughout her more than five-decade career. Check out four of McEntire’s songs you didn’t know she wrote.
1. “Does the Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma” ft. Ronnie Dunn (Reba: Duets)
Written by Reba McEntire and Ronnie Dunn
Reba McEntire has been longtime friends with fellow country icons Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn. They’ve collaborated many times over the years, including on her 2007 album Reba: Duets. She and Dunn offered tribute to their home state with the duet “Does the Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma,” which they also co-wrote. Duets is one of McEntire’s most successful albums, as it was her first to debut at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200. It also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
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2. “Climb That Mountain High” (Rumor Has It)
Written by Reba McEntire and Don Schlitz
Reba McEntire kicks off her hit 1990 album, Rumor Has It, with “Climb That Mountain High” which finds a woman leaving her small-town life in the dust in a quest to reach her grand dreams. The song, co-written by McEntire and legendary songwriter Don Schlitz, not only opens the album with a bang but also serves as the theme song for the short-lived 1992 ABC sitcom, Delta.
Rumor marked a turning point in McEntire’s career. It featured one of her career-defining hits, “Fancy,” along with the chart-topping “You Lie.” The album was also her first to reach the Top 40 on the Billboard 200.
3. “Bobby” (For My Broken Heart)
Written by Reba McEntire and Don Schlitz
The country hitmaker was nursing a broken heart when she made For My Broken Heart in honor of the eight members of her band who perished in a plane crash in 1991. McEntire co-wrote one of the album’s tracks, “Bobby.” Another songwriting collaboration between McEntire and Schlitz, “Bobby” is a devastating deep cut about a man put in jail after making the hard decision to take his wife off life support in an effort to stop her suffering. The lyrics tell a depressing, yet powerful tale about a son who one day understands his father’s decision and learns to forgive him. For My Broken Heart won Favorite Country Album at the 1993 American Music Awards.
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