On This Day in 1986, Randy Travis Gave an Unsuccessful Single a Second Life and Scored His First No. 1

On this day (April 21) in 1986, Warner Records re-released Randy Travis’ single “On the Other Hand.” The song missed the top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart upon its first release. The song performed much better the second time around, giving Travis his first No. 1 single.

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“On the Other Hand” marked the beginning of Travis’ career. He had released a pair of singles in the late 1970s under his birth name, Randy Traywick, but they went nowhere. “On the Other Hand” was his highest-charting single upon its release as the lead single from Storms of Life, peaking at No. 67. Travis released “1982” as the album’s second single, and it peaked at No. 6.

[RELATED: Watch a Young Randy Travis Perform His First No. 1 Single in 1986]

Label executives wanted to capitalize on the success of ”1982” but weren’t sure how to do so. At the time, they didn’t believe Travis had a strong enough song to follow his first hit. At the same time, “On the Other Hand” was selling well despite its lackluster chart performance. As a result, they decided to give the album’s lead single another chance.

“On the Other Hand” topped the Hot Country Songs chart dated July 26 and stayed there for a single week. It was the first of many hit songs for Travis. He notched nine more No. 1 singles in the 1980s and continued his winning streak into the 1990s.

Randy Travis Started a Winning Partnership with “On the Other Hand”

Paul Overstreet co-wrote “On the Other Hand” with Don Schlitz, and Randy Travis took it to No. 1. This would not be the last time that Travis would find success with an Overstreet composition. In fact, Overstreet has writing credit on some of Travis’ biggest hits.

Overstreet and Schlitz penned “Forever and Ever, Amen,” which went on to be one of Travis’ signature songs. They also co-wrote his massive hit “Deeper Than the Holler.”

Overstreet teamed with Al Gore and Nat Stuckey to write “Diggin’ Up Bones,” his second No. 1 single. “No Place Like Home” was a No. 2 hit for Travis and a solo-write from Overstreet.

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