On This Day in 2000, Alan Jackson Released a Nod to a Country Legend That Went to No. 1

On this day (April 24) in 2000, Alan Jackson released “It Must Be Love” as the third and final single from his 1999 album Under the Influence. The single topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and peaked at No. 37 on the Hot 100, giving Jackson a top-40 hit.

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Many artists who found fame in the early 1990s saw their star begin to fall by the end of the decade. Of those who were still finding hits after the turn of the century, few held on past the middle of the 2000s. That wasn’t the case for Jackson, though. He saw consistent chart success throughout the decade. He released more than 20 singles between 2000 and 2009, only three of which missed the top 20. Many of his hit country singles also landed in the top 40 of the Hot 100. In short, Jackson’s popularity and commercial viability had legs.

[RELATED: On This Day in 2008, Alan Jackson Released What Would Be One of His Last No. 1 Singles]

He kicked off the decade with “The Blues Man,” the second single from Under the Influence. His cover of the Hank Williams Jr. track wasn’t a hit. It peaked at No. 37. Then, “It Must Be Love” turned things around for Jackson. It topped the country chart and proved that he could still dominate the chart. After another stumble with his next single “It’s Okay to Be a Redneck” peaking at No. 53, he launched a string of hits. He wouldn’t miss the top 20 again until his final single of the decade.

Alan Jackson Paid Tribute to His Heroes with Under the Influence

Alan Jackson has never been slow to show his respect to those who came before him and inspired him. Artists like George Jones and Merle Haggard are high on that list. Under the Influence saw him covering songs from them and several others.

The list of artists’ songs Jackson recorded for the album includes Jones, Haggard, Jimmy Buffett, John Anderson, Charley Pride, Gene Watson, Jim Ed Brown, Hank Williams Jr., and more. Don Williams made “It Must Be Love” made the Bob McDill-penned song popular when he took it to the top of the country chart in 1979.

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