The Big One - A George Strait Rankdown (Revealing)

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2018 14:34:44 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

I want to say either "Blue Clear Sky", but it's dark in the picture, or "Cowboys Like Us".

[BackwoodsBarbie]

Murder on Music Row is a great song. And it's even more relavant today than it was in 1999. I did some google resarch and I didn't find the information if authors had anyone particular in mind when they were writing this song? Anyway looking from today's perspective there were not much to complain about country music in 1999 especially if we compare songs that topped the charts in 1998 to songs that topped the charts in 2017.

[bboat11]

Jan 20, 2018 15:24:14 GMT -5 BackwoodsBarbie said:

Murder on Music Row is a great song. And it's even more relavant today than it was in 1999. I did some google resarch and I didn't find the information if authors had anyone particular in mind when they were writing this song? Anyway looking from today's perspective there were not much to complain about country music in 1999 especially if we compare songs that topped the charts in 1998 to songs that topped the charts in 2017.

Yeah, I don't know if it was written about anyone specifically either, but it is frankly difficult for me to even imagine who it could be just by looking at late '90s and early '00s music now! What seems odd to me is that George and Alan were pretty much the two biggest mega-stars at the time, and their music was definitely contributing to the tone for the industry, and they were definitely keeping it country... Maybe there was just a flurry of newer artists trying to break out with a less country sound? Or maybe it was written specifically with the future in mind, in anticipation of an inevitable sonic shift? It's hard to say, but very interesting for sure.

[fearlessarrow]

Jan 20, 2018 17:05:31 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Jan 20, 2018 15:24:14 GMT -5 BackwoodsBarbie said:

Murder on Music Row is a great song. And it's even more relavant today than it was in 1999. I did some google resarch and I didn't find the information if authors had anyone particular in mind when they were writing this song? Anyway looking from today's perspective there were not much to complain about country music in 1999 especially if we compare songs that topped the charts in 1998 to songs that topped the charts in 2017.

Yeah, I don't know if it was written about anyone specifically either, but it is frankly difficult for me to even imagine who it could be just by looking at late '90s and early '00s music now! What seems odd to me is that George and Alan were pretty much the two biggest mega-stars at the time, and their music was definitely contributing to the tone for the industry, and they were definitely keeping it country... Maybe there was just a flurry of newer artists trying to break out with a less country sound? Or maybe it was written specifically with the future in mind, in anticipation of an inevitable sonic shift? It's hard to say, but very interesting for sure.

I wonder if it could be about how there a lot of country crossovers to pop at the time (especially compared to now) like Shania Twain, Faith Hill etc. and the more pop/AC-friendly sound was really popular. Songs like "You're Still the One" or "This Kiss" is poppier than George Strait and Alan Jackson's music for sure, and I have wondered about that ever since I first listened to "Murder On Music Row".

[.indulgecountry]

In hindsight it seems crazy to think now with what we've had to endure recently lol, but the late 90s-early 2000s had a lot of artists that were deemed not country enough like Shania, Garth, Faith, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts, etc.

[bboat11]

Take the long way around back to square one.

Today we’re just outlaws out on the run.

There’ll be no regrets, no worries and such,

For cowboys like us.

38. "Cowboys Like Us"

Album: Honkytonkville

Year: 2003





Total: 887
Average: 44.35
Std Dev: 25.23


Cody Wants Out... - 10
gardyfan - 12
countrymusicjunkie - 17
bboat11 - 20
LBTrocks - 24
George Strait Junkie - 25
zaclord 🌈 - 26
CoJoFan - 32
Kanenrá:ke - 32
carriekins - 43
sabre14 - 44
.indulgecountry - 45
mamasaid - 53
castleoblivion26 - 53
BackwoodsBarbie - 54
@adam1995 - 60
DistrictTwelve - 73
fearlessarrow - 84
tim - 85
codyj100 - 95




@adam1995 correctly guessed the hint! The picture showed a bunch of people standing around a campfire in the desert at night, which made me think of the people in "Cowboys Like Us" as they ride their motorcycles through the desert and then set up camp at night to sit around a fire and sing about true love and stuff.

To be honest, I was not expecting this song to perform so well, but I am SO glad that it did! This song is SO underrated. The fact that this song came so close to hitting #1 but just could not make it on either chart just kills me. This should have been his 51st #1. The fact that it beat out so many of his #1s to place in the top 40 of this rankdown just proves that this would not have been out of place listed among his greats. I believe this is even the first elimination that literally never once placed below the top 40!

Vocally, this is also one of George's most difficult songs, at least based on my own experiences singing all of George's songs through the years. It seems like there is a larger gap between the pitch of the verses and choruses than there normally would be in songs; in other words the jump from the verse to the chorus is unexpectedly difficult to pull off. Plus the way George jumps back down low for the hook "Cowboys like us" at the end of the first chorus is quite difficult to make sound good, because when your voice is so used to singing high it is super easy to completely miss the pitch when you jump back down low all of a sudden. And then once you've pulled that off it is difficult to keep your voice even when you sustain "us" at the end of the line.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
All My Ex’s Live In Texas
Amarillo By Morning
Baby Blue
Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye
Blue Clear Sky
Carried Away
Carrying Your Love With Me
Check Yes Or No
Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
Easy Come, Easy Go
Fool Hearted Memory
Give It Away
Heartland
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
I Got A Car
I Hate Everything
I Saw God Today
If I Know Me
It Just Comes Natural
Living And Living Well
Living For The Night
Love Without End, Amen
Marina Del Rey
Ocean Front Property
One Night At A Time
Run
She Let Herself Go
She’ll Leave You With A Smile
The Chair
The Cowboy Rides Away
Today My World Slipped Away
Troubadour
True
Wrapped
Write This Down
You Know Me Better Than That
You Look So Good In Love

[bboat11]

Jan 20, 2018 17:10:08 GMT -5 fearlessarrow said:

Jan 20, 2018 17:05:31 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Yeah, I don't know if it was written about anyone specifically either, but it is frankly difficult for me to even imagine who it could be just by looking at late '90s and early '00s music now! What seems odd to me is that George and Alan were pretty much the two biggest mega-stars at the time, and their music was definitely contributing to the tone for the industry, and they were definitely keeping it country... Maybe there was just a flurry of newer artists trying to break out with a less country sound? Or maybe it was written specifically with the future in mind, in anticipation of an inevitable sonic shift? It's hard to say, but very interesting for sure.

I wonder if it could be about how there a lot of country crossovers to pop at the time (especially compared to now) like Shania Twain, Faith Hill etc. and the more pop/AC-friendly sound was really popular. Songs like "You're Still the One" or "This Kiss" is poppier than George Strait and Alan Jackson's music for sure, and I have wondered about that ever since I first listened to "Murder On Music Row".

LMAO I didn't even think of the female artists! How silly of me! I'm just so used to the modern country landscape, where female artists are relegated to nighttime airplay only and curtain-jerker concert slots for male headliners.

[Cody Wants Out...]

Jan 20, 2018 17:10:08 GMT -5 fearlessarrow said:

Jan 20, 2018 17:05:31 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Yeah, I don't know if it was written about anyone specifically either, but it is frankly difficult for me to even imagine who it could be just by looking at late '90s and early '00s music now! What seems odd to me is that George and Alan were pretty much the two biggest mega-stars at the time, and their music was definitely contributing to the tone for the industry, and they were definitely keeping it country... Maybe there was just a flurry of newer artists trying to break out with a less country sound? Or maybe it was written specifically with the future in mind, in anticipation of an inevitable sonic shift? It's hard to say, but very interesting for sure.

I wonder if it could be about how there a lot of country crossovers to pop at the time (especially compared to now) like Shania Twain, Faith Hill etc. and the more pop/AC-friendly sound was really popular. Songs like "You're Still the One" or "This Kiss" is poppier than George Strait and Alan Jackson's music for sure, and I have wondered about that ever since I first listened to "Murder On Music Row".

I remember being the only Shania fan when I was in fifth grade. Man was it humiliating.

P.S. No, I didn't get bullied for it; I just kept quiet.

---

Anyways...

I first heard "Adalida" on XM's Red, White, & Booze and it turns out they play it every now and again. It actually sounded promising at first, but the Cajun style was just a tad grating for me. However, I started to dig it in the second round. It's actually kinda fun and the chorus is really cool!

I should be sad that my top 10 took a hit, but I knew that I was pulling a Kenny Rogers and taking a gamble by doing so. If I had it to do all over again, would I have ranked it lower? Maybe, but it would've stayed in my top 20 indubitably. If something in my top 10 had to take a hit, I'm glad it was CLU.

[bboat11]

Album Spotlight: Honkytonkville

Released: June 10, 2003

Label: MCA Nashville

Producer: Tony Brown, George Strait

Runtime: 41 min. 20 sec.

Country Albums Chart: 1

Certification: Platinum


Singles/Rankdown Placements:
Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa (86)
Cowboys Like Us (38)
Desperately (53)

Average Rank: (59.00)


Tracklist:
1. She Used To Say That To Me
2. Honkytonkville
3. Look Who's Back From Town
4. Cowboys Like Us
5. Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa
6. As Far As It Goes
7. I Found Jesus On The Jailhouse Floor
8. Desperately
9. Honk If You Honky Tonk
10. Heaven Is Missing An Angel
11. Four Down And Twelve Across
12. My Infinite Love

---

Album Tracks:

"She Used To Say That To Me"

This sassy uptempo directed towards the guy that the narrator's ex is now with is a perfect album opener. The instrumentation is awesome, with the opening guitar lick being a standout moment that shows up throughout the song and helps give it a lot of character. Definitely could have been a hit, but also makes a great album track.


"Look Who's Back From Town"

This is one of those stone-cold country songs that are simply always outstanding coming from George. It is one of those songs that seems ballad-like, but also is super high-energy. It really allows George to show off the power of his voice. On top of the vocal arrangement, the lyrics also offer an amazing twist. The expression "Look who's back in town" is twisted in this song to say "Look who's back FROM town", which is one of those brilliant hooks that communicates SO MUCH meaning with very few words. Buried within that hook are all the stereotypical tropes of running off to the city in search of bigger and better things, only to discover that your heart still lies in the country, despite none of that actually being described in the song. In fact, you are left with a sense that you know exactly what is going through the girl's mind even though you never actually hear a single line of the song from her perspective!


"As Far As It Goes"

Here it is: By FAR the biggest missed single opportunity of George's career. If I had calculated totals for the album tracks that people submitted, this one very likely would have come out on top. This mid-tempo love song is just so smooth and catchy from start to finish. Lyrically, melodically, vocally, etc., it is literally perfect every way that you slice it, and would have been a perfect choice for radio. Can you imagine how this era would have turned out if this had been the lead single instead of "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa"?? I think George could have easily gotten 3 or 4 #1s from this album if they had released a stronger lead single...


"I Found Jesus On The Jailhouse Floor"

This song is just plain fun. One of those semi-humorous songs where the narrator is a lost soul who manages to find Jesus when their life hits rock bottom. The awesome guitar work in this song is a major plus.


"Honk If You Honky Tonk"

This is one of those songs that I managed to hear somehow in 2003 when the album came out, and then when I found out several years later that it was not a hit I was absolutely SHOCKED. I figured it was one of his #1s! This song is super catchy, and silly, and definitely gimmicky, but still good enough to make the silliness acceptable. This should have been released to radio, no question, because it must have had quite a bit of buzz surrounding the release of the album for me to have heard it despite me knowing literally nothing about George at the time...

---

bboat11 @adam1995 Cody Wants Out... .indulgecountry codyj100 sabre14 George Strait Junkie zaclord 🌈 mamasaid castleoblivion26 DistrictTwelve countrymusicjunkie CoJoFan gardyfan carriekins fearlessarrow LBTrocks tim BackwoodsBarbie Kanenrá:ke

[bboat11]

[Deleted]

Never guessed a hint correctly before, or I'm late to the party, but woohoo!

I'll take another crack. "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind"?

[bboat11]

Cold Fort Worth beer just ain’t no good for jealous.

I’ve tried it night after night.

You’re in someone else’s arms in Dallas.

Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?

37. "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind"

Album: Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind

Year: 1984





Total: 868
Average: 43.30
Std Dev: 24.06


@adam1995 - 4
countrymusicjunkie - 10
mamasaid - 13
codyj100 - 17
Kanenrá:ke - 17
zaclord 🌈 - 29
LBTrocks - 29
sabre14 - 30
gardyfan - 32
tim - 41
Cody Wants Out... - 49
castleoblivion26 - 54
.indulgecountry - 59
bboat11 - 61
George Strait Junkie - 63
fearlessarrow - 66
DistrictTwelve - 69
BackwoodsBarbie - 70
CoJoFan - 77
carriekins - 78




And @adam1995 strikes again!! The picture of a burning bridge related to the "Darlin', while you're busy burning bridges, burn one for me if you get time" lyric. Unfortunately it also came at the expense of one of his top 5s. Hopefully the correct guess of a hint will help assuage this loss.

Anyway, this song is a classic, so I am not surprised or disappointed to see it place this high even though I ranked it in the 60s. Just like "Unwound", this was one that was just incredibly difficult to place among the rest of his catalog.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
All My Ex’s Live In Texas
Amarillo By Morning
Baby Blue
Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye
Blue Clear Sky
Carried Away
Carrying Your Love With Me
Check Yes Or No
Easy Come, Easy Go
Fool Hearted Memory
Give It Away
Heartland
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
I Got A Car
I Hate Everything
I Saw God Today
If I Know Me
It Just Comes Natural
Living And Living Well
Living For The Night
Love Without End, Amen
Marina Del Rey
Ocean Front Property
One Night At A Time
Run
She Let Herself Go
She’ll Leave You With A Smile
The Chair
The Cowboy Rides Away
Today My World Slipped Away
Troubadour
True
Wrapped
Write This Down
You Know Me Better Than That
You Look So Good In Love

[bboat11]

Hint for #36:

[Cody Wants Out...]

You Know Me Better Than That?

[tim]

That hint is likely for “Easy Come, Easy Go” for its “Vaya con dios” line.

[Cody Wants Out...]

Jan 20, 2018 19:36:41 GMT -5 Cody Wants Out... said:

You Know Me Better Than That?

Not only did I get called in to work today, I also didn't get to take my lunch.

Got that confused with a line from "When You Say Nothing At All".

[Deleted]

Two hints in a row!!! Who am I?







And seriously guys!? You sent DFWECYM out to pasture already that is just wrong. This is an easy top 15, come on!

[bboat11]

Says she’s had enough of me.

I’ve had enough of her too.

I might as well go on and set her free.

She’s already turned me loose.

36. "Easy Come, Easy Go"

Album: Easy Come, Easy Go

Year: 1993





Total: 846
Average: 42.30
Std Dev: 23.54


Cody Wants Out... - 11
countrymusicjunkie - 16
BackwoodsBarbie - 20
CoJoFan - 21
tim - 21
fearlessarrow - 26
mamasaid - 29
castleoblivion26 - 29
Kanenrá:ke - 30
bboat11 - 38
@adam1995 - 39
gardyfan - 40
codyj100 - 41
carriekins - 52
George Strait Junkie - 56
LBTrocks - 61
DistrictTwelve - 66
sabre14 - 67
.indulgecountry - 91
zaclord 🌈 - 92




This time it is tim who successfully navigates the hint. The Spanish dictionary was referring to the fact that this song has Spanish in it, with the "Vaya con Dios" line. Overall this song did not have a lot of passion either way, and it was a pretty consistent performer. It was pretty much always on track to have a space in the top 40!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
All My Ex’s Live In Texas
Amarillo By Morning
Baby Blue
Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye
Blue Clear Sky
Carried Away
Carrying Your Love With Me
Check Yes Or No
Fool Hearted Memory
Give It Away
Heartland
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
I Got A Car
I Hate Everything
I Saw God Today
If I Know Me
It Just Comes Natural
Living And Living Well
Living For The Night
Love Without End, Amen
Marina Del Rey
Ocean Front Property
One Night At A Time
Run
She Let Herself Go
She’ll Leave You With A Smile
The Chair
The Cowboy Rides Away
Today My World Slipped Away
Troubadour
True
Wrapped
Write This Down
You Know Me Better Than That
You Look So Good In Love

[bboat11]

That may have been a fairly uneventful elimination for most of us, but that is about to change. The next song has the highest standard deviation of the rankdown!! Which means that a whopping SIX of us are going to lose top 10s, including two top 3s!!

It was on pace to be an easy top 10 at first, until people started tanking it and it dropped like a rock. It's a miracle it was even able to stay in the top 40... Some people are about to be VERY upset. I'm gonna take a break while I wait for more people to show, because this reveal deserves some fanfare!

Feel free to predict which song will have the highest SD, up next!

[fearlessarrow]

Maybe "Give It Away" or "Ocean Front Property"?

[gardyfan]

I'm gonna guess it's Give It Away or Troubador.

[Cody Wants Out...]

*looks at my top 10*

It would really, really hurt me if I was to lose one of my top 3 and I'll be seeking everybody's blood if it's my #1!

[castleoblivion26]

if it is either of my remaining Top 3 I'll be very upset with those that tanked them because both deserve to do much better. Really I'm only worried for my #2 because that song I could see people tanking and I will be very upset if it does get tanked this low. I'd be even more shocked if my #3 went this early too.

That being said I could also see this being my #7 which would be a shame because that song deserves better but I would not be surprised if it was that one. Hopefully it is nothing in my top 10 though!

[bboat11]

Album Spotlight: Easy Come, Easy Go

Released: September 28, 1993
Label: MCA Nashville
Producer: Tony Brown, George Strait
Runtime: 31 min. 45 sec.
Country Albums Chart: 2
Certification: 2x Platinum


Singles/Rankdown Placements:
Easy Come, Easy Go (36)
I'd Like To Have That One Back (58)
Lovebug (90)
The Man In Love With You (78)

Average Rank: 65.50


Tracklist:
1. Stay Out Of My Arms
2. Just Look At Me
3. Easy Come, Easy Go
4. I'd Like To Have That One Back
5. Lovebug
6. I Wasn't Fooling Around
7. Without Me Around
8. The Man In Love With You
9. That's Where My Baby Feels At Home
10. We Must Be Loving Right

---

Album Tracks:

"Stay Out Of My Arms"

This is by far the biggest missed hit opportunity from the album, in my opinion. This song's melody is absolutely infectious! I love all the singles from the album more than the rest of Pulse seems to, but if they were going to release an uptempo for the 3rd single this would have been a much better choice than "Lovebug".


"Just Look At Me"

As the 2nd track on the album, this song continues the hot streak started by "Stay Out Of My Arms". The melody is so strong, and unique enough to stand out. It's one of those songs that just feels like a classic George song, even though you've probably never heard it before.


"Without Me Around"

Tbh, this song has never been one that jumped out to me. This was submitted by somebody else (maybe tim?). The chorus to this is definitely strong enough to get stuck in your head and make you want to listen again, but to me the verse melody has always seemed very clunky. I still like the song, but have never fallen in love with it.

---

bboat11 @adam1995 Cody Wants Out... .indulgecountry codyj100 sabre14 George Strait Junkie zaclord 🌈 mamasaid castleoblivion26 DistrictTwelve countrymusicjunkie CoJoFan gardyfan carriekins fearlessarrow LBTrocks tim BackwoodsBarbie Kanenrá:ke

[bboat11]

Alright, it's a little bit later than I wanted it to be, but LARGEST SD COMING RIGHT UP!!!!!! If anybody is still around, pay attention!

[BackwoodsBarbie]

I like the vibe of Easy Come, Easy Go. And it's great that even his way of singing and his voice is saying "it's alright that we break up now, it was about time and I don't really feel sad about it". But in some other songs where he does talk about having a broken heart (like today my world slipped away) his voice is completely different in a way that I can feel the heartbreak in it.
So yes I like this song because it approches break up from a completely different perspective and George does this in a great way.

[bboat11]

His fingerprints are everywhere.

I just slowed down to stop and stare.

Opened my eyes, and man, I swear

I saw God today.

35. "I Saw God Today"

Album: Troubadour

Year: 2008





Total: 825
Average: 41.25
Std Dev: 34.37 (1st largest!!!!!)


fearlessarrow - 2
zaclord 🌈 - 3
bboat11 - 4
.indulgecountry - 6
codyj100 - 8
CoJoFan - 9
sabre14 - 12
@adam1995 - 21
tim - 24
Cody Wants Out... - 25
BackwoodsBarbie - 31
countrymusicjunkie - 41
mamasaid - 63
LBTrocks - 69
castleoblivion26 - 77
DistrictTwelve - 81
carriekins - 81
George Strait Junkie - 82
Kanenrá:ke - 89
gardyfan - 97




You guys, just look at that trajectory. This song was literally on track to be a top 5 or top 10 song for the first 1/3rd of the submission process, and top 20 for most of the first 1/2... But the amount of hate that this received in the 2nd half of the submission process was unrelenting, and I would be lying if I said I even somewhat expected that to happen. I figured this was a sure lock for the top 10! Seeing it miss the top 30 is a very bitter pill for me to swallow. I am sure that fearlessarrow and zaclord 🌈 agree with me, as their top 3s take a hit. On the other hand, gardyfan loses a bottom 5, while 4 others lose a bottom 20.

Anyway, in my opinion this song is absolutely perfect. I cannot get enough of it. The lyrics are so descriptive and beautiful, and George's vocal performance fills the song with the warm joy that was necessary to fully portray the emotions that come with having a child. This is one song that I will literally never get tired of!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
All My Ex’s Live In Texas
Amarillo By Morning
Baby Blue
Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye
Blue Clear Sky
Carried Away
Carrying Your Love With Me
Check Yes Or No
Fool Hearted Memory
Give It Away
Heartland
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
I Got A Car
I Hate Everything
If I Know Me
It Just Comes Natural
Living And Living Well
Living For The Night
Love Without End, Amen
Marina Del Rey
Ocean Front Property
One Night At A Time
Run
She Let Herself Go
She’ll Leave You With A Smile
The Chair
The Cowboy Rides Away
Today My World Slipped Away
Troubadour
True
Wrapped
Write This Down
You Know Me Better Than That
You Look So Good In Love

[fearlessarrow]

What!? “I Saw God Today” already? Smh. I went back and forth on whether to put this at #1 but I didn’t end up doing it.

Bboat described everything that’s awesome about this song, and I wholeheartedly agree. I also find the melody really pleasant too on top of that.

[zaclord 🌈]

Y'all need Jesus.

[LBTrocks]

"I Saw God Today" is really good, but can't compete with George's classics. ISGT sounds very 'mainstream'