On This Day in 1984, The Judds Were at No. 1 with a Grammy-Winning Hit That Proved Harlan Howard Was a Songwriting Genius

On this day in 1984, The Judds were entering their second week at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “Why Not Me.” It was the lead single and title track from their debut full-length album and their second consecutive chart-topping single. The song also brought them multiple awards.

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The Judds found early chart success. Their debut single, “Had a Dream (For the Heart),” in 1983. It peaked at No. 17 on the country chart. Their next single, “Mama He’s Crazy,” was their first No. 1. They followed it with “Why Not Me,” which became their second No. 1. The rest of the decade saw the mother-daughter duo consistently releasing hit after hit.

[RELATED: 3 Key Tracks From The Judds’ 1984 Classic ‘Why Not Me’]

“Why Not Me” brought the duo more than chart success, though. It won Song of the Year at the 1984 ACM Awards. They also took home the Top Vocal Duo Award. In 1985, “Why Not Me” was the CMA Single of the Year. The Judds were the Vocal Group of the Year. The song also brought them their second consecutive Grammy for Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

The Judds Proved Harlan Howard’s Songwriting Genius

Brent Maher, who produced The Judds’ debut album, co-wrote “Why Not Me” with Sonny Throckmorton and Harlan Howard. Maher and Throckmorton hammered out the song’s melody, and Howard wrote the lyrics.

Howard wasn’t a fan of the song’s title. He thought it was average at best, according to Songfacts. “To get a really good record, you’ve gotta write a hell of a song when you’re dealing with a title that average,” Howard said. “The only thing I know to do with songs like ‘Why Not Me’ or ‘Busted’–which I never thought was a good title–is to put the title in there so often that people remember it. The weaker the title, the more you gotta hear it,” he explained.

Whether or not “Why Not Me” is a good title is up for debate. However, the success that The Judds had with the single is proof that Howard knew what he was doing when he penned the lyrics.

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