On this day (November 25) in 1995, George Strait was at the top of the country chart with “Check Yes or No.” The single stayed at No. 1 for four consecutive weeks. It won multiple awards and, three decades later, is his most popular song, according to streaming numbers.
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Written by Danny Wells and Dana Hunt Black, Strait released the song on September 18, 1995, as the lead single from Strait Out of the Box. It was his 28th single to top the country chart. However, it was the first song from both Black and Wells to be cut by a major artist.
“I actually went to Nashville with that idea, but didn’t write it probably for a year after I moved there,” Black recalled. “Danny and I had been working on another song, we were at ASCAP writing this song, and I’ll never forget–we had been trying to write this one particular song, and we finally just looked at each other, and he ripped it off the pad and threw it in the trash,” she added. ” At that point, the songwriters were at a standstill. Then, Black introduced the idea that became “Check Yes or No.”
How George Strait New It Would Be a Hit
Today, “Check Yes or No” has garnered more than 351 million streams on Spotify. Additionally, it took home the Single of the Year trophy at the ACM and CMA Awards. It also topped the charts in the United States and Canada. However, George Strait didn’t need any of that to know it would be a hit. He knew it was special before he recorded it.
“I knew right away when I first heard it, I wanted to cut it,” he told CMT. “I couldn’t wait to get home and play it for my son. I knew he’d love it,” he added.
“I don’t remember how old he was at the time, but he was pretty young. And I remember I was riding to take him to school, and he’s not a morning person. He’s pretty grumpy. And I said, ‘I’ve got a song here I’m gonna play you.’ I stuck it in there and played it and cheered him right up,” Strait recalled. The song put a “big ol’ smile” on his son’s face. “I knew we had a good one right there.”
Featured Image by Pam Francis/Liaison
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