On This Day in 1995 Alan Jackson Scored His 10th No. 1 Single with “Gone Country”

On this day (January 28) in 1995, Alan Jackson scored his tenth No. 1 single with “Gone Country.” It was the third single from the album Who I Am and was the third in a string of three chart-toppers for Jackson. Interestingly, the song’s lyrics are as relevant today as they were three decades ago.

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Bob McDill wrote “Gone Country” and Jackson recorded it for his 1994 album Who I Am. He released the single in November of that year and it finally reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in late January 1995.

[RELATED: Celebrating Alan Jackson’s 66th Birthday with 4 Timeless Country Hits]

The track is just as relevant today as it was when Jackson released it. “Gone Country” tells the stories of three artists—a Las Vegas lounge singer, a Greenwich Village folkster, and a classically-trained singer—who find their careers in decline. In order to rejuvenate their careers, they all move to Nashville to start making country music.

While not every artist who comes to country music today is doing so in an attempt to get back on top, one can’t deny the parallels. In recent years, artists like Jelly Roll, Machine Gun Kelly, and Post Malone have traded their former styles for country music. Additionally, Beyoncé released a country-adjacent album last year and former Beatle Ringo Starr recently dropped his second country-leaning effort. It seems that “Gone Country” is timeless.

“Gone Country” Was the Soundtrack to Alan Jackson’s ACM Awards Revolt

Alan Jackson was slated to perform “Gone Country” at the 1994 ACM Awards, where he also won Top Male Vocalist. He was likely glad to play his new single in front of a nationwide crowd. However, producers informed him that he was to perform to a prerecorded track. So, really, they wanted Jackson and his band to pretend to play the song while the track played.

Instead of pushing back against the Academy of Country Music machine or pulling out of the show altogether, Jackson staged a subtle rebellion. He and most of his band went along with what the producers wanted, pantomiming their performance. However, he instructed his drummer to take the stage without his sticks. Watch the video below closely. Jackson even draws attention to his drummer near the end of the first chorus, seemingly pointing at him with the headstock of his guitar.

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