On This Day in 1987, Dwight Yoakam Reached a Major Career Milestone with His Debut Album

On this day (January 21) in 1987, Dwight Yoakam’s debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., was certified Gold by the RIAA. This would be the first of many certifications the album received. Currently, it is certified 2x Platinum.

Videos by American Songwriter

Yoakam released his debut album in March 1986. It took almost a year for it to move 100,000 copies and achieve Gold certification. However, sales would soon pick up, leading the album to multi-Platinum status. Interestingly, his first five albums, released between 1986 and 1993, have all reached Platinum status. This Time (1993) is the only one to outsell his debut, though. It has been certified 3x Platinum.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1988, Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens Were at No. 1 With a Milestone Song Birthed From a Merle Haggard Scheduling Conflict]

Yoakam’s sound is deeply rooted in a blend of traditional honky tonk and the Bakersfield Sound, popularized by the likes of Wynn Stewart, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard. When he made his debut, that kind of music was not in fashion in Nashville. Instead, the country music industry was pushing the pop-leaning “urban cowboy” sound.

Despite not being the flavor of the week, Yoakam was still able to find chart success. He released a string of top 40 hits in the mid to late 1980s, with most of them landing within the top 10. As the popular sound started to transition into the toe-tapping country of the 1990s, his music became more successful. In 1988, he landed two consecutive No. 1 hits with “Streets of Bakersfield,” a duet with Buck Owens, and “I Sang Dixie.”

Dwight Yoakam Reflects on His Early Career

Dwight Yoakam discussed his early career with Dan Rather. In the interview, he revealed that he had been performing in nightclubs in Southern California for nearly a decade when he finally landed his first record deal. Despite the rejection and hardship he faced before landing the deal, he was optimistic.

“We believed that if we had the right set of opportunities with a label that believed, that we could succeed and it would resonate,” he recalled. “And it did, beyond what we could have imagined.”

While pop-country was the most popular thing in Nashville, Yoakam knew there was still a market for the music he was making. At the time, George Strait was releasing hit after hit, topping the country chart with classics like “All Me Ex’s Live in Texas” and “Ocean Front Property.” Seeing Strait’s success helped give him hope that he could succeed.

Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)