George Strait Album Series

[bboat11]

"Lover In Disguise" was the most consistent last-place contender for the rankdown, which I was definitely a bit disappointed about because it is an awesome song, but now that the final results are in I definitely would have rather this one finished last than "The Steal Of The Night"... This song proved to be one of the more polarizing songs on the album, and while it got a fair amount of support in the second half of the submission process, it just was never enough to escape the bottom 3.

[LBTrocks]

Neither of these deserved last place, lol.

[bboat11]

Coming up at #8, a song I was shocked to see so much hate for... This is seriously within my top 2 George album tracks from the '80s... :'(

[bboat11]

You put your whole life into somethin’ you love, 

But you never get that one big break 

That’ll take you out of the backstreet bars

 And put you on center stage. 

But a million tears and a million beers 

Have just about washed me up.

 And the only thing that I have left 

In the whole wide world is you.

8. "The Only Thing I Have Left"

Track #3
Runtime: 3:29
Songwriters: Clay Blaker



Total: 109
Average: 6.81
Std Dev: 2.81 (2nd largest!!!)


.indulgecountry - 2
bboat11 - 2
g8erboi - 4
BackwoodsBarbie - 5
tim - 5
dub - 5
cerulean - 5
Troublemaker - 7
castleoblivion26 - 8
gardyfan - 9
Cody Wants Out... - 9
collinkottke - 9
gonecountry - 9
Kanenrá:ke - 10
LBTrocks - 10
George Strait Junkie - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
A Fire I Can’t Put Out
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory
Heartbroke
Honky Tonk Crazy
I Can’t See Texas From Here
Marina Del Rey

[bboat11]

This song almost being last place is just plain wrong. I couldn't believe that literally half of y'all ended up putting this in your bottom 3... This song has one of the most immediate melodies of the album. I have always thought it was the most obvious missed hit opportunity on the album from the moment I first heard the opening notes, and that opinion has only solidified over time...

[bboat11]

Got all of my friends around me 

Tellin’ the latest jokes. 

But they can’t see the joke’s on me.

 I’m at the end of my rope.

7. "Honky Tonk Crazy"

Track #2
Runtime: 2:30
Songwriters: Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus





Total: 106
Average: 6.63
Std Dev: 1.78 (2nd smallest!!)


.indulgecountry - 3
tim - 4
castleoblivion26 - 5
gardyfan - 5
BackwoodsBarbie - 6
Kanenrá:ke - 6
bboat11 - 7
g8erboi - 7
dub - 7
collinkottke - 7
gonecountry - 7
George Strait Junkie - 7
cerulean - 8
Cody Wants Out... - 8
LBTrocks - 9
Troublemaker - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
A Fire I Can’t Put Out
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory
Heartbroke
I Can’t See Texas From Here
Marina Del Rey

[bboat11]

I have also always thought "Honky Tonk Crazy" would be a great single as well, but I guess I can't be too mad about it leaving now because I got a perfect ranking... It's one of those songs that just feels a little more impactful than most other album tracks from old albums do. The melody is so sing-along-to-able, which is usually all George needed to take a song into the top 5 at minimum on the charts!

[LBTrocks]

Dec 8, 2018 12:21:42 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

This song almost being last place is just plain wrong. I couldn't believe that literally half of y'all ended up putting this in your bottom 3... This song has one of the most immediate melodies of the album. I have always thought it was the most obvious missed hit opportunity on the album from the moment I first heard the opening notes, and that opinion has only solidified over time...

I agree that it's great but the whole album is a masterpiece so something had to be last, much to my dismay.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[.indulgecountry]

The album cuts on this album were stronger than the singles they picked from it. These last two should've been released to radio, and they should still be in the rankdown.

[bboat11]

Now, who wouldn’t notice the fire in your eyes, 

Or the bitter direction of impending goodbyes? 

I’m fallen and folded, I’m wilted in place

 At the sight of you standin’ with streaks down your face.

6. "Heartbroke"

Track #8

Runtime: 3:35

Songwriters: Guy Clark



Total: 103
Average: 6.44
Std Dev: 2.76


gonecountry - 2
gardyfan - 3
George Strait Junkie - 3
cerulean - 3
Troublemaker - 4
.indulgecountry - 6
dub - 6
Cody Wants Out... - 6
castleoblivion26 - 7
Kanenrá:ke - 8
collinkottke - 8
LBTrocks - 8
bboat11 - 9
tim - 10
BackwoodsBarbie - 10
g8erboi - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
A Fire I Can’t Put Out
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory
I Can’t See Texas From Here
Marina Del Rey

[LBTrocks]

Dec 8, 2018 12:37:46 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

The album cuts on this album were stronger than the singles they picked from it. These last two should've been released to radio, and they should still be in the rankdown.

The singles from this album are so stellar imo; some of my all-time favorite country songs.

[bboat11]

I am shocked that "Heartbroke" managed to get as much love as it did. It is a good song, and I enjoy listening to it, but it is easily closer to the bottom of the album for me. I didn't expect people to hate it or anything, but I also would have never in a million years expected anybody would find it to almost be the best song on the entire album... If anything I expected almost everybody to have it in the 6-8 range. In the end a lot of people did have it there, but the random extremely high ranks for it kept it afloat on top of several of the other album tracks.

[.indulgecountry]

Bet the singles are the Top 4 here because that would be oh so surprising...

[bboat11]

Dec 8, 2018 12:44:04 GMT -5 LBTrocks said:

Dec 8, 2018 12:37:46 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

The album cuts on this album were stronger than the singles they picked from it. These last two should've been released to radio, and they should still be in the rankdown.

The singles from this album are so stellar imo; some of my all-time favorite country songs.

I agree that the album tracks here are super strong, but I am definitely with you that it doesn't come at the expense of the singles... This album is basically flawless, and the singles they chose from it perfectly encompass all the strongest aspects of the album. All four of them hold their own as iconic staples in George's hit collection, whether they hit #1 or not. It just so happens that a lot of the album tracks are incredible too. This is the type of album that makes album track rankdowns seem like a good idea!

[bboat11]

Alright, here's the top 5!!

A Fire I Can’t Put Out
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory
I Can’t See Texas From Here
Marina Del Rey

[LBTrocks]

I have 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 left!

Predictions:

1. Amarillo By Morning
2. Fool Hearted Memory
3. Marina Del Rey
4. A Fire I Can't Put Out
5. I Can't See Texas From Here

[mamasaid]

"Heartbroke" is a great little tune....George Strait (aka the World's Most Perfect Man) can sing the phone book and I'm there listening. This one would be killer live. However, my go-to for this one is Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. I like the bluegrass overtone.

[tim]

The reveals for this album thus far have been a total surprise to me. Like what is “The Steal of the Night” doing in last place?! And the low rankings for both “Lover In Disguise” and “The Only Thing I Have Left” really surprised me as well. But…like LBTrocks said this album is a masterpiece and something had to be last lol. I was just really hoping it would be…

“Heartbroke”! There’s few if any songs that I find myself skipping on George’s albums and this has always been one of them. This is also probably one of my top 5 least favorite songs he’s ever recorded. For some reason I have always found this song to be somewhat out of place on what is otherwise a stellar album. Maybe it’s just because I’m more familiar with the version by Ricky Skaggs which he turned into a #1 hit…but there’s always been something about this song I’ve never liked.

“Honky Tonk Crazy” is a song I’ve enjoyed since I first heard the album when I was younger and it remains my favorite album track from Strait From the Heart. I was really hoping to see this one higher than its #7 finish.

No real surprises in the Top 5 as I expected to see all four of the singles make it in. I think “Amarillo By Morning” is a safe bet for #1 and #5 will likely be “I Can’t See Texas From Here”.

[.indulgecountry]

I have left: 1, 5, 7, 9, 10.

And I bet my #1 leaves next, too. </3

[Kanenrá:ke]

Ready for Marina to leave now please!

[tim]

Dec 9, 2018 22:57:12 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Ready for Marina to leave now please!

[Cody Wants Out...]

It's kinda tough to figure out the order the singles will finish in imo. Marina Del Rey has grown on me recently. Still rooting for Amarillo or Memory to take it all!

[bboat11]

I'm gonna finish this up tonight! LBTrocks, you ready???!!!?!?!?!?!!??!?!

[bboat11]

I can’t say I don’t like Tennessee.
The people here have all been good to me.
So please don’t take offense
If I start to gettin’ tense, it’s just ‘cause
I can’t see Texas from here.

5. "I Can't See Texas From Here"

Track #5
Runtime: 2:30
Songwriters: George Strait

Total: 99
Average: 6.19
Std Dev: 2.71


George Strait Junkie - 1
.indulgecountry - 1
gardyfan - 4
Kanenrá:ke - 4
gonecountry - 5
cerulean - 6
collinkottke - 6
LBTrocks - 6
g8erboi - 6
Cody Wants Out... - 7
Troublemaker - 8
dub - 8
castleoblivion26 - 9
tim - 9
BackwoodsBarbie - 9
bboat11 - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
A Fire I Can’t Put Out
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory
Marina Del Rey

[LBTrocks]

The top 4 is as it should be.

[bboat11]

"I Can't See Texas From Here" bows out at #5 as the highest-finishing album track, leaving us with the album's 4 singles in the top 4. I am not at all shocked to see it fall short of the singles, which is something I am sure nobody else will be surprised about either. The thing that surprises me, however, is that it was the highest album track at all... This has always been my least-favorite on the album, believe it or not. It's like it doesn't fit in on the album from a sonic standpoint or something. Like, the album sounds super dated of course, but this one sounds even more dated... I don't dislike it by any means, as this album is still so solid, but it is definitely one that I never really seek out unless I am listening to the album as a whole.

However, this one also sees multiple #1 ranks from .indulgecountry and George Strait Junkie, and climbed consistently for the entire submission process, so clearly I'm in the minority!

[bboat11]

Embers to ashes; that’s how it should be.

 You’d think by now my heart would know, 

And it could set you free.

4. "A Fire I Can't Put Out"

Track #10
Runtime: 3:01
Songwriters: Darryl Staedtler

Placement in the Singles Rankdown: #41

Total: 81
Average: 5.06
Std Dev: 1.73 (Smallest!!!!!)


LBTrocks - 1
gonecountry - 4
collinkottke - 4
Cody Wants Out... - 4
dub - 4
castleoblivion26 - 4
bboat11 - 4
.indulgecountry - 5
Kanenrá:ke - 5
Troublemaker - 5
George Strait Junkie - 6
gardyfan - 6
cerulean - 7
tim - 7
BackwoodsBarbie - 7
g8erboi - 8

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory
Marina Del Rey

[bboat11]

At #4, we say goodbye to the second #1 hit of George's career! "A Fire I Can't Put Out" is such a classic. I could associate this song with George Strait as a very young child, and this song was already like 10-15 years old at that point... Which means it must have gotten fairly substantial recurrent play for several years! I am always surprised that it doesn't seem to get much love on Pulse, because I think this is one of his most iconic hits from the '80s. However, it got enough love to make it to the top 4 in this rankdown, which isn't bad! It was a contender for #3 for much of the time as well, flip-flopping with the song that actually finished at #3 a few different times.

[bboat11]

Like the ocean tides, highs and lows, 

Love sometimes comes and goes away

 In Marina del Rey. 

And as this plane is touchin’ down, 

Tears touch my eyes, for I have found 

My heart has stayed in Marina del Rey.

3. "Marina Del Rey"

Track #6
Runtime: 3:04
Songwriters: Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus

Placement in the Singles Rankdown: #26





Total: 70
Average: 4.38
Std Dev: 2.83 (Largest!!!)


collinkottke - 1
castleoblivion26 - 2
cerulean - 2
tim - 2
BackwoodsBarbie - 2
g8erboi - 2
Cody Wants Out... - 3
dub - 3
Troublemaker - 3
LBTrocks - 4
bboat11 - 6
Kanenrá:ke - 7
gardyfan - 7
gonecountry - 8
George Strait Junkie - 8
.indulgecountry - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Amarillo By Morning
Fool Hearted Memory

[bboat11]

At #3, we say goodbye to Martina McBride's favorite George Strait song! She tweeted about it once when she was touring with him on his farewell tour. She was all excited because she was standing backstage listening to George Strait sing her favorite George Strait song. I can't even imagine what an exciting feeling that would be!!!

"Marina Del Rey" is a ballad that has been very well remembered as a fan favorite, despite being one of the few George singles that didn't make it all the way to #1. George himself regrets the studio recording of this song, because he let some producer talk him into adding the seagull and ocean sounds at the end of the song, and he has regretted that decision from the moment he first heard the song I think it is fairly innocuous personally; it's literally just a tiny blip that you can barely hear as the song is fading out. Anyway, this song has a lot of supporters, but also managed to get enough low ranks to be the most polarizing song on the entire album.