On This Day in 1986, George Strait Hit No. 1 on the Country Chart With a Dean Dillon Cover That Originally Charted Six Years Earlier

On this very day in 1986, country singer George Strait made it to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart with his tender song “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”. The song was released as the first single from Strait’s album #7, which would also go on to be a major hit for the then-rising country superstar. Though, Strait did have a few other No. 1 albums under his belt in the earlier portion of the 80s.

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“Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” is a classic little honky-tonk tune about a man who recounts a breakup with a woman. In retrospect, he realizes that he still loves the woman in question and regrets breaking up with her. Knowing there’s no chance of reconciliation, he hopes to someday be able to forget about her entirely.

It’s a really solid tune, with a long-winded title and that sad storytelling element that makes it a honky-tonk classic. Honestly, I was a little surprised that Strait didn’t write the song himself. He embodied the narrator effortlessly, and his recorded performance is quite stunning.

George Strait’s Cover of Dean Dillon Was Successful, but So Was the Original Song

George Strait’s version of “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” is gorgeous, but we really shouldn’t sleep on the original tune. The song was originally written by Dean Dillon. His recording also did quite well a few years prior in 1980, when it peaked at No. 25.

George Strait’s version of the song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs chart, as well as the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. His version would end up becoming Certified Gold in the United States. Dillon’s version would do well but not quite as well, peaking at No. 25 on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs chart six years prior. Honestly, both songs are pretty amazing.

This wouldn’t be the only time Dillon and Strait would cross professional paths. In fact, Dillon would go on to write quite a bit of music for Strait. Starting in 1993, Dillon wrote more than a few singles for George Strait, including “Down And Out”, “Ocean Front Property”, “Lead On”, “Here For A Good Time”, and many more.

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