George Strait Reveals the Two Things That Every Great Song Must Have

George Strait is hailed as the King of Country Music for a reason. Over the course of his career, he has launched more than 60 singles to the top of the country charts. He has also notched more than 20 No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. More than that, Strait has inspired countless artists and, in the early days of his career helped to spearhead a movement of traditional country artists. So, it’s safe to say that he knows a great song when he hears it.

While Strait has written some of his songs and co-penned a few with his son, his biggest hits were outside cuts. This means that he doesn’t just know how to assemble a great song. He is also a master at choosing songs from other writers and making them his own. A recent TikTok video shows King George revealing the recipe for a great song.

[RELATED: Watch George Strait Perform “Amarillo by Morning” During a Surprise Concert at the Legendary Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas]

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“I think that a great song has to have a great melody. When you get a great melody and then great lyrics, then you have a great song,” Strait explained.

George Strait Stayed True to Himself

George Strait likely understands that it takes more than great songs to make a legendary country music career. While the music is the heart of it, Strait’s image plays a major role in his appeal. However, unlike some artists who cultivate a cowboy image or persona, King George comes by his naturally.

He grew up on a ranch in Texas. His father was a rancher and teacher who passed his values down to his sons. Strait then passed those values down to his son who is keeping it alive with his children. He discussed this and revealed that record executives wanted him to change his image—and his name—during his acceptance speech when he won the Wrangler Western Heritage Award in 2021.

“When I first signed with MCA Records in 1981, all of the people were going ‘Take the hat off.’ Can you imagine if I would have done that?” Strait said, laughing at the idea. “Then, I had a producer early on and he was trying to get me to change my name to Cane Cooper,” he revealed. “My dad was so glad I didn’t do that.”

Featured Image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ATLive