On This Day in 1990, Garth Brooks Released His Signature Song, Fulfilling a Promise to a Friend

On this day (April 30) in 1990, Garth Brooks released “The Dance” as the fourth and final single from his self-titled debut album. Later that year, it spent three weeks at the top of the Hot Country Songs chart and won Song and Video of the Year at the ACM Awards. Moreover, it remains a favorite among fans and is considered Brooks’ signature song.

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Brooks first heard “The Dance” before he landed his first recording contract. He was at an open-mic night at Douglas Corner in Nashville when his friend, Tony Arata, took the stage and played the song.

[RELATED: How James Taylor Inspired What Became One of Garth Brooks’ Most Heartwarming Songs]

“We were both doing whatever we could to stay in Nashville, trying to get our songs heard by anybody,” Arata recalled. “The only folks listening, however, were other songwriters, as no one else was usually at our shows.” That evening, Brooks made his pal a promise. He told Arata that when he finally got a record deal, he’d cut “The Dance.”

After Brooks finished his debut album, he played it for Arata. He was initially disappointed because he didn’t recognize his song. “He had a vision for it that I never had,” the songwriter said. “I didn’t recognize my own song. That proves what a great artist he is, and what a great producer Allen Reynolds is, and also the musicians who were involved with the recording of the song,” he added. “Garth made it his song. He didn’t just copy the demo.”

“The Dance” Is Garth Brooks’ Favorite Song

Some musicians get tired of playing their hits over and over again. Garth Brooks is no different. In a 1994 interview with Playboy, he revealed that he was tired of playing “Friends in Low Places.” His fans’ reactions to it during shows were the only thing that kept it in his setlist. “The Dance,” however, is a different story.

“Then, there’s a song that you look forward to all night, like ‘The Dance.’ I could play it four or five times a night, and I’d still be okay with it,” he told the publication. “I think ‘Friends in Low Places’ will probably be the biggest commercial success we’ll ever have as artists. But I’ll go even further than that and say that, unless I am totally surprised, ‘The Dance’ will be the greatest success as a song we will ever do,” he added. “I’ll go to my grave with ‘The Dance.’ It’ll probably always be my favorite song.”

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