Many of my favorite artists are those who had to grind a bit to make it. The ones who bought a van and hit the road, playing every bar and open mic night on the way to a career making music, the ones who may have even done it without any industry help. But there's no denying it's pretty cool when an artist soars to success right out of the gate. A debut number one single is a pretty rare thing. It's hard to find an accurate and complete list (especially for older artists, as the reporting is spotty at best much of the time) but I was able to find a bunch and decided to take a crack at ranking the 10 best debut singles the went number one in country music history.
10. "Every Little Thing" - Carly Pearce
Admittedly, there's a bit of asterisk on this number one as it only topped the
Country Airplay chart, not the
Hot Country Songs chart where it peaked at number 5. But, this song foreshadowed her rise as a dominant artist in today's country scene and since it technically is a number one, we'll let it ride here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6DHCpmIWg
9. "Achy Breaky Heart" - Billy Ray Cyrus
If nothing else, this just shows how rare a debut single going number one is. I'm not a huge fan of this song but it sure is one of the most memorable from the 90's... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQIPdHMpjc
8. "Chicken Fried" - Zac Brown Band
Am I the only one who didn't know "Chicken Fried" was ZBB's first song? I get that it's overplayed and not the best representation of country music, but don't lie to yourself and say it's not fun to sing along to a few beers deep... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ujS1er1r0
7. "What Was I Thinking?" - Dierks Bentley
Dierks may just be the most undervalued mainstream country star. Sure, there's been a few duds throughout his career but you've really got to credit the guy for mostly sticking to his guns while playing the Nashville machine. This song also started his obsession with "white tank tops" which he referenced in at least 3 songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTqra4YSsaM
6. "She's In Love With The Boy" - Trisha Yearwood
The first of 5 number one's for Mr. Yearwood's wife. Released in 1991, this song remains one of the anthems sure to be found at many a karaoke night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUFObCZtGWQ
5. "Meet In The Middle" - Diamond Rio
Did you know this was the first ever debut single to top the country charts? Released in 1991, it was 6 years before Diamond Rio reached the peak again, but this remains (to me) one of the most underrated 90's songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWKpCmPdGmM
4. "Redneck Woman" - Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen came out swinging with this anthem for the country loving women out there and found herself on top of the charts for 5 straight weeks. While she never found this success again, this song belongs on every "Best Of" list for the aughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82dDnv9zeLs
3. "Austin" - Blake Shelton
Man, I'd do almost anything to bring back old Blake Shelton... "Austin", "Ole Red", a mullet, I mean come on dude, let go of Hollywood and get back to Oklahoma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb1DTsxBOfE
2. "Brand New Man" - Brooks & Dunn
It really is crazy that Brooks & Dunn came out of the gate swinging with "Brand New Man". It was the title track to the album which also contained "Neon Moon" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie", which pretty much secures it for best debut album of all-time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_477WqAE4
1. Toby Keith - "Should've Been A Cowboy"
Gosh, I miss Toby Keith... He's one of the few artists I always wanted to see live but never got the chance. It just goes to show, if you have the chance, but the tickets and see the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIq1LvzSLsk
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