The Big One - A George Strait Rankdown (Revealing)

[zaclord 🌈]

Love Without End, Amen missing the top 10?! Are y'all CRAZY!?

[zaclord 🌈]

Also, "If I Know Me" was my second favorite discovery from this rankdown! Only two discoveries made my top 10 and they both made my top 15 which is pretty exciting! Hopefully the other one makes top 10!

[Cody Wants Out...]

Jan 26, 2018 23:13:39 GMT -5 zaclord 🌈 said:

Love Without End, Amen missing the top 10?! Are y'all CRAZY!?

Um...Prime Country kinda-sorta-maybe beats that song to death. Be fortunate it made the top 20.

[George Strait Junkie]

hopfully its Run

[bboat11]

“Just give it away.

There ain’t nothin’ in this house worth fightin’ over.

Oh, and we’re both tired of fightin’ anyway.

Just give it away.”

11. "Give It Away"

Album: It Just Comes Natural

Year: 2006

Total: 621
Average: 31.05
Std Dev: 22.28


gardyfan - 1
.indulgecountry - 4
George Strait Junkie - 11
castleoblivion26 - 14
zaclord 🌈 - 15
Kanenrá:ke - 19
@adam1995 - 20
CoJoFan - 20
Cody Wants Out... - 23
sabre14 - 26
DistrictTwelve - 27
bboat11 - 28
LBTrocks - 30
fearlessarrow - 33
countrymusicjunkie - 37
codyj100 - 45
tim - 49
BackwoodsBarbie - 55
mamasaid - 79
carriekins - 85




Just missing out on the top 10, we say goodbye to the lead single from the It Just Comes Natural era. Another one that could be considered a modern classic. This song was surprisingly not much of a top 10 contender, despite being in the top 15 for the entire submission process once results started to settle. In fact, for the second half of the rankdown, it pretty much kept bouncing back and forth between #10 and #11, with slight preference going to #11! gardyfan unfortunately joins the #1 losses club here, with .indulgecountry also losing a top 5. Surprisingly this song gained no other top 10 votes. It had plenty of passion; at least 2/3 of us put us in the top 30, but it didn't seem to garner much extreme passion.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Amarillo By Morning
Blue Clear Sky
Carried Away
Carrying Your Love With Me
Check Yes Or No
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
Ocean Front Property
Run
True
Write This Down

[bboat11]

Album Spotlight: Right Or Wrong

Released: October 6, 1983

Label: MCA Nashville

Producer: Ray Baker

Runtime: 27 min. 01 sec.

Country Albums Chart: 1

Certification: Platinum


Singles/Rankdown Placements:
You Look So Good In Love (15)
Right Or Wrong (72)
Let's Fall To Pieces Together (71)

Average Placement: 52.67


Tracklist:
1. You Look So Good In Love
2. Right Or Wrong
3. A Little Heaven's Rubbing Off On Me
4. 80 Proof Bottle Of Tear Stopper
5. Every Time It Rains (Lord Don't It Pour)
6. You're The Cloud I'm On (When I'm High)
7. Let's Fall To Pieces Together
8. I'm Satisfied With You
9. Our Paths May Never Cross
10. Fifteen Years Going Up (And One Night Coming Down)

---

Album Tracks:

"80 Proof Bottle Of Tear Stopper"

This is by far the catchiest song George has ever sang. The first time I heard this I could not BELIEVE that it wasn't a single... This would have made a MUCH better 2-minute uptempo hit than "Right Or Wrong" was, at least in my opinion. (Although ROW was a huge #1, so maybe it was a good single after all... "80 Proof" should have definitely been a single though, even if it meant having a 4th from this album.)


"Our Paths May Never Cross"

This song stands out for its fairly unique theme. It is a love song, but written for the significant other that you haven't even met yet. Pair it with sensitive vocals and soft production, and it is a clear standout from the album.

---

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]

Album Spotlight: Somewhere Down In Texas

Released: June 28, 2005

Label: MCA Nashville

Producer: Tony Brown, George Strait

Runtime: 39 min. 44 sec.

Country Albums Chart: 1

Certification: Platinum


Singles/Rankdown Placements:
You'll Be There (44)
She Let Herself Go (14)
The Seashores Of Old Mexico (65)
Texas (79)

Average Rank: 50.50


Tracklist:
1. If The Whole World Was A Honky Tonk
2. Somewhere Down In Texas
3. The Seashores Of Old Mexico
4. You'll Be There
5. High Tone Woman
6. Good News, Bad News (ft. Lee Ann Womack)
7. Oh, What A Perfect Day
8. Texas
9. Ready For The End Of The World
10. She Let Herself Go
11. By The Light Of A Burning Bridge

---

Album Tracks:

"If The Whole World Was A Honky Tonk"




"Somewhere Down In Texas"

This song is definitely the better of the two "Texas" songs on the record. I remember lots of George fans freaking out when this album came out, thinking this song was him hinting about retirement. I remember he said something about how he hadn't even thought about the song being perceived that way, but maybe when he really did start to retire that would be a good song for him to close it out with. I was honestly a little disappointed when this song didn't end up being a part of his retirement tour setlist. This would honestly be a PERFECT retirement song!


"High Tone Woman"

I get major Johnny Cash vibes from this vocal performance!


"Good News, Bad News" ft. Lee Ann Womack




"Oh, What A Pefect Day"




"By The Light Of A Burning Bridge"

---

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]

With "Good News, Bad News" being revealed with that last album, now would also be a great time to point out that George has ANOTHER duet with Lee Ann Womack on her Call Me Crazy album. "Everything But Quits"

[bboat11]

I still need to write up spotlights for Chill Of An Early Fall, Livin' It Up, and It Just Comes Natural before I am caught up, but I really need to go to bed now. I will finish those tomorrow right before kicking off the top 10!

In the meantime, I'd love to see your top 10 predictions What's going to win it all???


Amarillo By Morning
Blue Clear Sky
Carried Away
Carrying Your Love With Me
Check Yes Or No
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
Ocean Front Property
Run
True
Write This Down

[BackwoodsBarbie]

She Let Herself Go has grown on me a lot so I would rank it a few places higher now. Intro and chorus are amazing (verses not so much).

I'm quite happy with top 10. My #1 and #3 are still in so I hope that one of those two songs wins.

[CoJoFan]

I hope Check Yes Or No wins! The music video is one of George’s best too!

[Kanenrá:ke]

Wow such a strong top 10! Hard to predict but...

01. Check Yes Or No
02. Carrying Your Love With Me
03. Write This Down
04. Amarillo By Morning
05. Ocean Front Property
06. Blue Clear Sky
07. I Can Still Make Cheyenne
08. Run
09. True
10. Carried Away

I could flip this list and still be as happy with the prediction lol

[zaclord 🌈]

Jan 3, 2018 15:34:49 GMT -5 zaclord 🌈 said:

Jan 3, 2018 15:14:50 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Jan 3, 2018 15:12:55 GMT -5 zaclord 🌈 said:

I am 0% nervous. My #1 makes top 10 or I riot

*Checks list to see what your #1 is*

Oh...

No riots here today folks. Just a sassy bboat trying to strike fear into his friends with lies.

Remaining:
1
4
6
7
11
14
16
20
23
32

The songs with cities in their titles can leave next though please.

[LBTrocks]

Predictions:

1. Carrying Your Love With Me
2. Amarillo By Morning
3. Run
4. Write This Down
5. True
6. Check Yes Or No
7. Blue Clear Sky
8. Carried Away
9. I Can Still Make Cheyenne
10. Ocean Front Property

[sabre14]

"Blue Clear Sky" and "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" made the top 10. All is right.

[bboat11]

Album Spotlight: Chill Of An Early Fall

Released: March 19, 1991

Label: MCA Nashville

Producer: Jimmy Bowen, George Strait

Runtime: 31 min. 21 sec.

Country Albums Chart: 4

Certification: Platinum

Singles/Rankdown Placements:
If I Know Me (13)
You Know Me Better Than That (19)
The Chill Of An Early Fall (60)
Lovesick Blues (94)

Average Placement: 46.50


Tracklist:
1. The Chill Of An Early Fall
2. I've Convinced Everybody But Me
3. If I Know Me
4. You Know Me Better Than That
5. Anything You Can Spare
6. Home In San Antone
7. Lovesick Blues
8. Milk Cow Blues
9. Her Only Bad Habit Is Me
10. Is It Already Time

---

Album Tracks:

"Milk Cow Blues"

This has honestly always been one of my least favorite George songs... But it warrants inclusion here because it is a pretty notable song in the history of George's career. This one has been a favorite for him and his band in concert pretty much since the beginning! This was a case where the song meant so much to them and the fans that he finally decided it needed to be on an album. Unfortunately somebody with more say than George decided that the song was too long, so they had to cut parts of it out, so you don't get the full version of the song on this album the way they play it in concert. I think George was pretty upset about that. However I just noticed for the first time that the Strait Out Of The Box version is about 20-30 seconds longer than the album version, so I think they must have put the full unedited version in that collection! (I really should read all the liner notes to that...)


"Is It Already Time"

This song has always stood out to me because of its super unique lyrical theme. It is so sad It is kinda ambiguous and hard to tell what it is about, but I think this song is about a couple who has been together for a long time and one of them is starting to die. "And we believed we had forever on our side... Is it already time?" is such a spine-tingling, bone-chilling hook.

---

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]

Album Spotlight: Livin' It Up

Released: May 15, 1990

Label: MCA Nashville

Producer: Jimmy Bowen, George Strait

Runtime: 31 min. 05 sec.

Country Albums Chart: 1

Certification: Platinum


Singles/Rankdown Placements:
Love Without End, Amen (12)
Drinking Champagne (98)
I've Come To Expect It From You (48)

Average Placement: 52.67


Tracklist:
1. Someone Had To Teach You
2. Heaven Must Be Wondering Where You Are
3. I've Come To Expect It From You
4. Lonesome Rodeo Cowbody
5. When You're A Man On Your Own
6. Drinking Champagne
7. We're Supposed To Do That Now And Then
8. She Loves Me (She Don't Love You)
9. Love Without End, Amen
10. Stranger In My Arms

---

Album Tracks:

"Lonesome Rodeo Cowboy"

This song absolutely should have been a single. This is one kinda like "Down Louisiana Way", where you listen to it and assume it was a hit because it just plain sounds like one. It is a similar theme to what George had already done before ("Amarillo By Morning") and would revisit later ("I Can Still Make Cheyenne", "A Showman's Life", maybe "I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore", etc.) but I definitely never get tired of hearing songs like this... Lol nobody does a sad rodeo song like George!


"We're Supposed To Do That Now And Then"

This song stands out because of the somewhat funky bass line in the intro. It always makes me kinda sit up and pay more attention when I am listening. But maybe that's just because I have a musical analytical mind. Lol

---

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]

Album Spotlight: It Just Comes Natural

Released: October 3, 2006

Label: MCA Nashville

Producer: Tony Brown, George Strait

Runtime: 56 min. 28 sec.

Country Albums Chart: 1

Certification: Platinum


Singles/Rankdown Placements:
Give It Away (11)
It Just Comes Natural (23)
Wrapped (33)
How 'Bout Them Cowgirls (42)

Average Placement: 27.25


Tracklist:
1. Give It Away
2. She Told Me So
3. That's My Kind Of Woman
4. Wrapped
5. It Just Comes Natural
6. He Must Have Really Hurt You Bad
7. A Heart Like Hers
8. Why Can't I Leave Her Alone
9. One Foot In Front Of The Other
10. I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore
11. Texas Cookin'
12. A Better Rain
13. How 'Bout Them Cowgirls
14. What Say
15. Come On Joe

---

Album Tracks:

"She Told Me So"

This cover of a George Jones classic is thematically a perfect companion to "Ocean Front Property". The whole theme of using a bunch of farfetched phrases to emphasize the fact that you are lying to someone simply never gets old, in my opinion!


"That's My Kind Of Woman"

This song really stands out because of its dark, moody vibe. The way George describes his perfect lady, paired with the dark music, makes it sound like she is incredibly stoic and strong, which just makes her even more likable. I oscillate between whether or not I think this would have made a good single, but all I know is that I continue to like it more every time I hear it, even 11 years after it came out.


"He Must Have Really Hurt You Bad"

This is quite possibly my favorite song on this perfect album. This one is short and simple, but everything about it is amazing. The piano-driven instrumentation, George's velvety vocals, the lyrical perspective of George as a bartender, the way George's observations describe that this woman in the bar is in pain. This would have made an excellent dark horse single.


"A Heart Like Hers"

This song is one of the catchiest on the album, but in a mid tempo and depressing sort of way. This song does an excellent job of evoking emotions, and I always get really sad when I listen to it. The way the lady is continually stood up but continues to hang on is just incredibly sad, and George's pain at observing that is almost even more palpable. A song that does such a good job of making me feel sorry for so many different characters does not come around very often.


"Why Can't I Leave Her Alone"

This song is super fun, despite the somewhat morbid musical content! I love it when George sings from the perspective of an undesirable character. This song is almost stalkerish, but it is SO good! The chorus is absolute fire! Definitely could have been a huge hit.


"I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore"

"This song puts an interesting spin on an relationship falling apart. This song could almost be a sequel to "I Can Still Make Cheyenne". And it is good enough to be worthy of such a distinction as well!


"A Better Rain"

One of the most sneaky and unassuming ballads on the album, but I think out of all of them this could have been one of the biggest missed opportunities. This song continues to jump out at me in a different way every time I hear it, even though by now I think I know it like the back of my hand. The lyrics are absolute poetry, and George's voice sounds even deeper and more resonant than usual.

---

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

[.indulgecountry]

This is so hard to predict, but I'll give it a shot:

01. Carrying Your Love With Me
02. Write This Down
03. Check Yes or No
04. Blue Clear Sky
05. Run
06. Carried Away
07. Amarillo by Morning
08. True
09. I Can Still Make Cheyenne
10. Ocean Front Property

[bboat11]

A recap before we begin the top 10!


Breakdown by the decades:
1980s: 2 songs remaining ("Amarillo By Morning" and "Ocean Front Property")
1990s: 7 songs remaining ("Blue Clear Sky", "Carried Away", "Carrying Your Love With Me", "Check Yes Or No", "I Can Still Make Cheyenne", "True", "Write This Down")
2000s: 1 song remaining ("Run")
2010s: 0 songs remaining

While the decades were eliminated fairly evenly throughout the rankdown, that similarity seems to have completely changed heading into the top 10! The 2000s are represented by a measly 1 song (although a great one at that, which people might not have predicted would be the last remaining song from the 2000s), while the '80s are represented by 2 of his most iconic songs that definitely belong in the top 10. However the '90s are the clear dominators here, specifically the Blue Clear Sky album, which still has 3 of its 4 singles remaining ("Blue Clear Sky", "Carried Away", and "I Can Still Make Cheyenne").

Will the '90s be able to hang on and dominate right up to the end, or can the '80s and '00s hang on and pull off an underdog victory?


Here are the average ranks of each poster heading into the top 10, as well as how many top 10s they have left:

Cody Wants Out... - 9.0 (7)
Kanenrá:ke - 13.2 (6)
zaclord 🌈 - 13.4 (4)
tim - 15.8 (6)
bboat11 - 15.8 (5)
@adam1995 - 16.0 (4)
codyj100 - 16.1 (5)
sabre14 - 16.8 (4)
fearlessarrow - 21.4 (5)
.indulgecountry - 21.5 (3)
BackwoodsBarbie - 21.7 (4)
mamasaid - 22.4 (4)
CoJoFan - 23.6 (5)
castleoblivion26 - 25.8 (4)
LBTrocks - 26.2 (2)
carriekins - 27.2 (3)
gardyfan - 30.8 (2)
George Strait Junkie - 35.1 (1)
DistrictTwelve - 35.9 (1)
countrymusicjunkie - 36.3 (4)

Despite losing his #1, Cody Wants Out... is currently leading the way with the lowest average and the most top 10s remaining! Kanenrá:ke and zaclord 🌈 are neck-and-neck for 2nd and 3rd place, before tim and myself are tied to round out the top 5. He won the tiebreaker because he has one more top 10 remaining than I do.

[bboat11]

Btw, I would love to finish this tonight, if anyone is gonna be around!! Let me know if that works for you!

In the meantime, keep those predictions coming

[tim]

Jan 27, 2018 15:30:12 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Btw, I would love to finish this tonight, if anyone is gonna be around!! Let me know if that works for you!

[.indulgecountry]

My ranks left: 1, 2, 5, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 28, 79

Basically rooting for anything but my #79 to win, lol.

[fearlessarrow]

My #99 is definitely pulling my average down lol

My remaining ranks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 15, 23, 24, 31, 99 

Btw "Give It Away" has grown on me since I submitted and it's probably one of my top 10 favorite George Strait songs now!

[mamasaid]

Quick history of Milk Cow Blues (original title "Old Kokomo Blues) is a Bob Wills classic from 1934, nice to see others appreciate it...George has an excellent understanding/respect of the western swing genre (centered in Texas). I'm sure he heard this stuff his whole life. It does get under your skin. Even though I spent some time in Golden Gate Park in the 60s, I still get all wound up when I hear twin fiddles and an old Bob Wills tune.

I've always been a fan of George's 'return to his roots' music...those Western Swing dance tunes.

[Cody Wants Out...]

I have the lowest average rank and the highest amount of top 10s left?



Maybe that last minute changed benefited me after all...

[castleoblivion26]

I have left: 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 22, 41, 43, 49, 74

rooting for my 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, or 22 to win but if any of the others win I'd be happy as I truly like all of them a lot. Won't be complaining with any of these winning.

Only song I feel should be Top 10 that isn't is "Love Without End, Amen". Am beyond shocked that song missed the top 10, thought that was a #1 contender.

[Deleted]

Made a nice move up the average list. Kind of surprised, but I'll take it.

[Cody Wants Out...]

Well, some of us have either rocky or non-existent relationships with their dad; I'm in the former.

[bboat11]

Jan 27, 2018 18:43:12 GMT -5 Cody Wants Out... said:

Well, some of us have either rocky or non-existent relationships with their dad; I'm in the former.

Was this posted in the wrong thread? Lol I didn't see anyone mention their dad...