On This Day in 2013, George Strait Released the Album That Proved Traditional Country Music Was Still Alive and Well

On this day (May 14) in 2013, George Strait released Love Is Everything. It debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, his 21^st to do so. It also debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, adding to Strait’s impressive collection of top 10 LPs. The album dropped during the first leg of his Cowboy Rides Away tour, which broke multiple attendance records. The combined success of the album and tour gave fans of traditional country some hope for the future.

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2014 was a transitional year for the country music industry. Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” dominated the Hot Country Songs chart for 22 weeks, breaking Buck Owens’ record for longest-running No. 1 single. His “Love’s Gonna Live Here” held the top spot for 16 weeks in 1963. This, more than anything, shows how popular the emerging “bro-country” style was at the time.

[RELATED: George Strait Just Set Another Attendance Record Following Sold-Out South Carolina Show]

Fans who enjoyed traditional country were vocal about their thoughts on the genre’s new direction. Strait’s continued success, though, was enough to give them hope for the future of Nashville.

George Strait Wins on the Charts and on the Road

Love Is Everything further solidified George Strait’s place as the King of Country Music. It was his 25^th No. 1 on the country albums chart. At the time, Willie Nelson was tied with Merle Haggard for second place with 15 chart-topping LPs. Nelson and Strait have since added two more to the tally.

The album was also his 18^th top 10 on the Billboard 200. This tied him with former Beatle Paul McCartney for the fourth-most top 10s among male artists. Frank Sinatra holds the record with 33.

The tour’s final date set the record for the largest attendance at an indoor concert in the United States, drawing more than 104,000 fans. The sold-out AT&T Stadium show was the highest-grossing country concert at more than $18 million.

Strait continues to break attendance records when he takes the stage, proving that classics never go out of style.

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