On This Day in 2003, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett Were on an 8-Week Run at No. 1 With a Hit That Broke New Ground for Both Artists

On this day (September 2) in 2003, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett were at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” The song spent eight non-consecutive weeks at the peak position. First, it ruled the survey for seven weeks. Then, the song was edged out for a week before returning to the top to finish its run. More than a hit, the song marked major chart milestones for both Jackson and Buffett.

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Despite the undeniable popularity of country music over the last three decades and Alan Jackson’s success within the genre, he didn’t find much crossover success. This is especially true for his singles. However, he seemingly never went out of his way to cultivate crossover appeal like some country artists. Instead, he largely held to his neotraditional sound, reaching for a particular demographic of listeners.

At the same time, Buffett had spent decades building a massive and devoted following. However, some would be surprised to learn how little chart success he saw over the years. For instance, “Margaritaville” was his biggest hit on the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 8 on the all-genre survey and went to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1977. He topped the country chart twice–first with Jackson in 2003 and again in 2011 with Zac Brown Band. However, he continues to garner millions of monthly streams, with some of his most popular songs boasting hundreds of millions of plays.

“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” Becomes a Milestone for Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson

Written by Moose Brown and Don Rollins, Alan Jackson released this collaboration with Jimmy Buffett as the lead single from his 2003 compilation, Greatest Hits Volume II, in June.

It topped the Hot Country Songs chart dated August 9 and stayed at No. 1 for seven weeks. Dierks Bentley interrupted the run, claiming the top spot with “What Was I Thinkin’” for the last week of September. The next week, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” finished its run at the summit. It also hit No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song gave Jackson his biggest hit on the all-genre survey. It was also Buffett’s first top 40 hit on the chart since “Margaritaville.” It was also his first song to top the country chart. The song also gave Buffett the first award of his long and legendary career when it took home the CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year. It also won ACM Awards for Single of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year.

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