On this day (October 7) in 2000, George Strait went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with his self-titled debut album. It was his 13th No. 1 album overall, and the first of the new millennium. Moreover, the LP was the first in a string of 11 consecutive chart-topping albums.
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George Strait was also a standout album for other reasons. For instance, it was Strait’s first LP not to receive Platinum certification from the RIAA. Additionally, it was his first album in nearly a decade to not produce a No. 1 single. The last time one of his albums failed to produce a chart-topping single was in 1992, when none of the singles from Holding My Own reached the top spot.
The lower-than-usual sales figures and lack of No. 1 singles didn’t stem from a dip in quality. Instead, the new album was likely overshadowed by his previous release. The King of Country released the compilation album Latest Greatest Straitest Hits in March 2000, just six months before his self-titled hit shelves. The collection produced “The Best Day,” which spent three weeks at No. 1. The greatest hits collection spent two weeks at the top.
George Strait Retains the Country Music Throne
George Strait is hailed as the King of Country Music. He earned that title with decades of hard work, dedication, and top-notch music. He was a dominant force in the genre throughout the 1980s and ’90s. However, it took more than his good looks, cowboy aesthetic, and golden voice to claim that throne. His ability to select great songs is the thing that pulled it all together.
His song selection was in top form while assembling the George Strait tracklist. The album contains a pair of cuts co-penned by the man behind many of Strait’s biggest hits, Dean Dillon. He co-wrote “If It’s Gonna Rain” and the album closer, “She Took the Wind from His Sails.” Additionally, Strait recorded “The Night’s Just Right for Love,” penned by his fellow Texan and legendary songwriter Rodney Crowell.
Strait didn’t just look at new material when assembling his self-titled album. He also turned his eyes to the past for the Hank Cochran-penned “You’re Stronger Than Me.” The late, great Patsy Cline first recorded that one in 1962.
At the end of the day, No. 1 singles and Platinum certifications are great. However, Strait proved that he didn’t need either of them to retain the country music crown.
Featured Image by Christopher Polk/ via Getty Images
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