ARTIST SPOTLIGHT = Randy Travis (7 songs)
This Marshville NC-native singer-songwriter-guitarist also acted in several movies & TV shows. He married his manager, Lib Hatcher, 05/13/1991.
#1
This song debuted 08/16/1986, spent 21 weeks on the charts & claimed #1. It was his 4th overall release & 2nd chart topper, behind 1985-6’s “On The Other Hand” (CMA Song Of The Year). Between the 2 chart toppers was 1985-6’s “1982”, which peaked at #6.
#2
After 1986-7’s “No Place Like Home” peaked at #2 for 2 weeks, he released this song 04/25/1987; it spent 22 weeks on the charts, 3 of those at #1. This single also won the Country Song Grammy, the CMA Single Of The Year & the CMA Song Of The Year. In addition, it sparked a string of 7 straight chart toppers, followed immediately by 1987’s “I Won’t Need You Anymore” & 1987-8’s “Too Gone Too Long”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgJXbIP83A8
#3
With 3 straight chart toppers under his belt, he released this song 04/09/1988; it spent 18 weeks on the charts, 2 of those at #1. 21 years later, he teamed with Carrie Underwood on a new version, which peaked at #2 (2 weeks) on the country charts & #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009. For Travis, this song was followed by 2 more 1988 releases, both chart toppers: “Honky Tonk Moon” & “Deeper Than The Holler” (peaked in 1989).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-dX3yFkLVE
#4
Debuting 03/11/1989, this song spent 17 weeks on the charts & claimed #1. It was the last in a string of 7 straight chart toppers. After 1989’s “Promises” stalled at #17, 1989’s “It’s Just A Matter Of Time” sparked a new string of 6 straight Top 10s when it claimed #1.
#5
This song debuted 01/27/1990 & spent 26 weeks on the charts, 4 of those at #1. It was his 2nd straight chart topper & 2nd of an eventual 6 straight Top 10s. That run of Top 10s also included 1990’s “He Walked On Water” (#2, 2 weeks), 1990’s “A Few Ole Country Boys” (#8; with George Jones), 1991’s “Heroes & Friends” (#3, 2 weeks) & 1991’s “Point Of Light” (#3, 2 weeks).
#6
After Top 5 hits in 1991’s “Forever Together” (#1), 1991-2’s “Better Class Of Losers” (#2, 3 weeks) & 1992’s “If I Didn’t Have You” (#1), he released this song 11/21/1992; it spent 20 weeks on the charts & claimed #1 for 2 weeks in early 1992. He continued to have success in the 1990s with such tunes as 1994’s “Whisper My Name” (#1), 1995’s “The Box” (#7), 1998’s “Out Of My Bones” (#2) & 1998-9’s “Spirit Of A Boy – Wisdom Of A Man” (#2).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbkdDLFEDEM
#7
Of 7 releases early 1999 to early 2002, only 2 reached the Top 40: 1999’s “Stranger In My Mirror” (#16) & 1999’s “A Man Ain’t Made Of Stone” (#16). Then, he released this poignant song 12/07/2002; it spent 34 weeks on the country charts & claimed #1, his last chart topper. The single also crossed over & reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song won the CMA Song Of The Year award.