On this day in 2007, Garth Brooks made more than a memory—he made chart history.
Brooks did what no country artist had managed in nearly 50 years of charting history. His aching ballad “More Than a Memory” became the first song to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which had been the magazine’s definitive, all-encompassing country chart since 1958.
The song was both a return and a revolution. Released as Brooks‘ 51st career single and the lead track from his 2007 double compilation The Ultimate Hits, “More Than a Memory” proved that after stepping away from touring and recording for much of the 2000s, Brooks’ Midas touch still smacked like a hammer. Or, like what it was, the reemergence of the top-selling solo recording artist in US history.
“More Than a Memory” is one of Brooks’ few hits that he didn’t write. Lee Brice, Billy Montana, and Kyle Jacobs penned the song. Brice later said “More Than a Memory” was rooted in real experience. He remembered waking up in the middle of the night, thinking about an ex, and scribbling his emotions into lyrics.
The result was relatable desperation. The song portrayed a man who can’t escape the shadow of a past love. He checks voicemail in the middle of the night and drives by her house because he can’t move on.
“It’s a big, deep song… This will stick to people’s bones for a while,” veteran programmer Clay Hunnicutt observed at the time, according to Country Aircheck.
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Garth Brooks Made History
Brooks combined the writers’ raw emotion from the song and his innate ability to interpret heartbreak to transform “More Than A Memory” into a hit.
Brice later said the impact was immediate.
“After Garth released it and it debuted at No. 1, it just exploded, and everybody who came to my shows knew it,” Brice told The Boot. “They would sing every word, the lighters would come out—it was really cool.”
Big Machine Label Group serviced to country radio on August 27, 2007. “More Than a Memory” leapt to the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, surpassing Kenny Chesney’s week-old record for the highest chart debut. Billboard itself called the debut “almost impossible.”
Brian Jennings, Cleveland WGAR, explained why it was destined for the top.
“The reason he’s Garth is because he works harder than anybody else I’ve ever seen… ‘More Than a Memory’ could’ve been a career record for a rising star, but for Garth, it’ll fit nicely with the rest of his hits on the compilation,” he said. “This is a certain No. 1.”
Radio stations threw their weight behind Brooks and his breakout hit. In Los Angeles, KKGO’s Tonya Campos promised wall-to-wall spins.
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“We will play the single every hour on the day of its release,” she said. “I wish all artists presented radio with that accessibility. Welcome to working together.”
From the label side, Big Machine head Scott Borchetta emphasized how seismic the release was for Nashville.
“How important this day was not only for Garth and Country music, but for our industry… The excitement level is incredible.”
Garth Brooks had been largely absent from the radio since his semi-retirement in 2001. When he resurfaced with The Ultimate Hits and “More Than a Memory,” he wasn’t just releasing another single. He was proving that his connection with listeners—and his ability to bend the marketplace to his will — remained unparalleled.
His accomplishment also foreshadowed a new era in country chart dynamics. In the years that followed, superstar acts from Taylor Swift to Luke Bryan would see songs debut high on the charts thanks to digital downloads, streaming, and coordinated release strategies. But in 2007, Brooks accomplished it on just airplay. He was able to mobilize country radio in a way no one else had.
More than 15 years later, “More Than a Memory” remains a testament to both Brooks’ enduring influence and the intense power of song. For Brice, Montana, and Jacobs, it was a career-making moment. For radio programmers, it was a reminder of how Brooks could still ignite a firestorm. For fans, it was another page in the long story of a superstar who could step away, return, and still make history.
(Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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