Longest span that a Top 40 Country hit did not hit AT/CT 40

[briguy52748]

So I'd guess in the interest of answering the question, it may just be that that four year time span from 1993-1997 – between "When She Cries" by Restless Heart to "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes – that may be the longest drought of a bonafide country hit crossing over to the pop chart's top 40.

Brian

[freakyflybry]

Actually, there was another shortly after "When She Cries" - Mary Chapin Carpenter made CT40 in 1993 with "Passionate Kisses"; it peaked at #35. So that just shortens the gap by a few mere weeks.

[woolebull]

Jul 2, 2013 23:40:23 GMT -5 freakyflybry said:

Rather oddly, while Restless Heart did have a top 40 follow-up on AT40/CT40 to "When She Cries".... "Tell Me What You Dream" wasn't a country hit!

So the country singer from Brown had a crossover hit! I didn't realize that at all...thank you for that tidbit of info!

[OldSchoolAT40Fan]

I don't think "You Got It" was classified as a true Country hit. In fact, Shadoe Stevens did mention in 1992 that "Achy Breaky Heart" was the first Country crossover hit on AT40 in 5 years at that time. If so, then the previous occurrence was "I'll Still Be Loving You" by Restless Heart. If this is true, then 5 years was the longest gap on AT40 without a country crossover hit.

Though I believe that there was an 8 or 9 year gap between country crossover top ten hits - between "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" in 1984 and "When She Cries" by Restless Heart in late 1992 or early 1993.

Incidentally, "Islands In The Stream" was probably the last time a country crossover song hit #1 on AT40. Maybe Taylor Swift or some other modern country singer hit #1 during Ryan's run, who knows.

[Deleted]

I heard "You Got It" on country radio FAR more than I head it on CHR.

[Mike]

Given the man's history, I'd argue that "You Got It", like "Stuck on You" later in '84, crossed over to Country rather than vice-versa. That said, the song is in fact his second-biggest hit on that chart (behind only 1980's "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again" with Emmylou Harris, which hit #6 compared to #7 for the other, and #55 on the Hot 100).

As to "Hard Luck Woman", that was from the KISS tribute album I disagree: Classic Kiss Regrooved, and therefore was likely not intended as a country release despite its artist.

As to "Tell Me What You Dream" - I think that that song was a stand-alone release, likely included on later pressings of that Big Iron Horses album. My first thought was that it was Warren Hill's song rather than RH's, but it's not on any of his albums, either. For those shocked that it didn't hit the country chart despite its artist, all I can say is one listen to the song will put that shock to rest - suffice it to say, a country song it's not. (And oddly enough, it's also the band's sole #1 AC hit, something which both "I'll Still Be Loving You" [#3] and "When She Cries" [one of many #2s behind Whitney] failed to do.)

As to "Indian Outlaw" - and for that matter, "Don't Take the Girl" as well - those two songs hit #15 and #17, respectively, on the Hot 100, pretty much on sales alone. The Billboard issues from when the former was charting tell that one straight up in Hot 100 Singles Spotlights, so the case of the latter is pretty much also a given, given its #17 peak.

If we go with the original question posed in this thread, then the Shadoe-era chart fact that OldSchoolAT40Fan pointed out would stand.

[mkarns]

Jul 21, 2013 13:59:40 GMT -5 OldSchoolAT40Fan said:

Incidentally, "Islands In The Stream" was probably the last time a country crossover song hit #1 on AT40. Maybe Taylor Swift or some other modern country singer hit #1 during Ryan's run, who knows.

Taylor has three AT40 #1's thus far: "Love Story", "You Belong With Me", and "I Knew You Were Trouble". Of the three, though, only "Love Story" sounds remotely country.

[freakyflybry]

Jul 21, 2013 19:48:37 GMT -5 mkarns said:

Jul 21, 2013 13:59:40 GMT -5 OldSchoolAT40Fan said:

Incidentally, "Islands In The Stream" was probably the last time a country crossover song hit #1 on AT40. Maybe Taylor Swift or some other modern country singer hit #1 during Ryan's run, who knows.

Taylor has three AT40 #1's thus far: "Love Story", "You Belong With Me", and "I Knew You Were Trouble". Of the three, though, only "Love Story" sounds remotely country.

The first two were both country #1's (both had pop remixes as well); "I Knew You Were Trouble" is pure pop and didn't chart at country.

[OldSchoolAT40Fan]

Jul 21, 2013 18:14:26 GMT -5 Mike said:

As to "Hard Luck Woman", that was from the KISS tribute album I disagree: Classic Kiss Regrooved, and therefore was likely not intended as a country release despite its artist.

The title of the KISS tribute album was Kiss My ***: Classic KISS Regrooved. Shadoe never mentioned the full actual title of the album for "obvious reasons", and replaced that taboo word with an alternate word after a brief pause as he tried to think of an alternate word. I remember getting this compilation album on audio cassette for my birthday in 1994, and it contained a great cover version of "Deuce" by Lenny Kravitz, which got heavy airplay where I live during the fall of 1994. It also featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica! I personally think the latter should have at least hit #40. It also contains an instrumental version of 'Black Diamond" which was played by Yoshiki and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It really seemed out of place for a symphony orchestra to cover a KISS song.

As for "Hard Luck Woman", the cover version did sound somewhat country, though not as greatly as his other songs like "Friends in Low Places" - but "Hard Luck Woman" was more intended to be pop/light rock, despite Brooks' main focus being country music. But yeah, I agree it was probably the only Garth Brooks song I really enjoyed greatly.

[Mike]

Jul 22, 2013 8:43:30 GMT -5 OldSchoolAT40Fan said:

The title of the KISS tribute album was Kiss My ***: Classic KISS Regrooved.

Oh...shucks. Didn't pay attention to the censor there.