Following September 11, the country music community released a myriad of patriotic anthems that reemphasized and bolstered the American spirit. Some of those songs include Toby Keith’s “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”, as well as Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten”. All those songs appeal to the bitter, sweet, and hopeful sentiments of the American plight at the time, and another that does so exceptionally well is Alan Jackson‘s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”.
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Released on November 26, 2001, the single became Jackson’s highest-debuting single on the Hot Country Songs charts, reaching No. 1. It remains a classic patriotic country anthem that conveys the fearful and harsh feelings that the harrowing day brought on and left behind for the future.
RCA Label Group chairman Joe Galante highlighted the emotional impact Jackson’s tune had on him and others, noting that it left a room of record label execs speechless during their first listen. “Nobody spoke for a full minute,” Galante claimed.
While a standalone classic, Jackson followed up that single and featured it on his 10th studio album, Drive, which he released on this day, January 15, 2002.
The Legacy and Chart History of Alan Jackson’s 10th Studio Album
Prior to the release of Drive and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”, Jackson had become one of the biggest players in country music thanks to albums and singles such as “Chattahooche”, “Livin’ On Love”, and Who I Am. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was one of country music’s several golden boys, and he preserved that legacy with the release of these two works.
Following its release, Jackson’s 10th studio album, Drive, was an enormous crossover success. Not only did it peak at No. 1 on the country charts, but also at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; an enormous feat for a country singer. In addition to the 9/11 tribute, a few of the other singles that made this album a smash hit include “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”, “Work In Progress”, and “That’d Be Alright”.
When you’re a fan of someone as successful as Alan Jackson, it’s incredibly easy to forget all of their No. 1 hits and albums. However, that is not the case for this album, as its biggest hit is not just a hit, but also a cultural relic that captures the pulse of the previous public. On the contrary, Jackson also featured songs that removed his listeners from that dismal disposition, making for an album that served both parts of the human condition. And the album became serving those parts on this day, January 15, 2002.
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