Best Garth Brooks songs
In 1987, Garth Brooks moved to Nashville for the second time in an attempt to make it big on the country music scene. He released his self-titled first album two years later. It saw strong sales, but even that was a far cry from the astronomical success he would see in the years later. Today, nearly three decades after the release of that album, he stands as the #1 selling solo artist in U.S. history. He's sold more than 170 million albums, amassed an estimated net worth of more than $400 million, and carved out a place for himself as one of the most successful, celebrated, and influential acts in the history of country music. In September 2024, Brooks was inducted into the "Austin City Limits" Hall of Fame for his indelible contributions to the genre. However, he's also faced his fair share of controversies, including a sexual assault lawsuit filed in October 2024. (Brooks has denied the allegations.)
Time will tell how this latest news will impact Brooks' legacy. Previously, the singer was known for successfully crossing over between pop and country long before Taylor Swift made it cool. His third album "Ropin' in the Wind" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1991, the first country album to do so. Some credit him with helping to make country music mainstream entertainment in the U.S. and later, around the world.
Stacker took a look at Brooks' biggest hits, according to data from the Billboard Country Hot 100. The songs are ranked first by where on the charts they peaked, and then by how many weeks each song spent on the charts. In the case of a tie—including a massive 16-way traffic jam of songs that all peaked at #1 and stayed on the charts for exactly 20 weeks—songs are listed from oldest to newest. All ties are noted next to the title of the song.
#50. Why Ain't I Running
Peak position on chart: 24
Date it peaked on the chart: May 3, 2003
Weeks on chart: 15
One of three original singles on the two-disk "Scarecrow" album from 2001, "Why Ain't I Running" is the first track on the album. It was co-written by Kent Blazy and Tony Arata.
#49. Beer Run — George Jones Duet With Garth Brooks
Peak position on chart: 24
Date it peaked on the chart: Nov. 10, 2001
Weeks on chart: 20
The #2 song on the "Scarecrow" album, "Beer Run" is a duet with George Jones. Thanks to a clever play on words, the alternative title is "B Double E Double Are You In."
#48. Love Will Always Win — Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood
Peak position on chart: 23
Date it peaked on the chart: March 11, 2006
Weeks on chart: 11
"Love Will Always Win" appeared on Brooks' "The Lost Sessions" album in 2005, but that's not the only album where the song is found. It also appears on "Jasper County," the acclaimed album by Trisha Yearwood, who holds the distinction of being both Brooks' collaborator on the song and his wife.
#47. The Fever
Peak position on chart: 23
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec. 9, 1995
Weeks on chart: 14
"The Fever" appeared on the "Fresh Horses" album in 1995, but it's actually a cover of an Aerosmith song that debuted two years earlier on that band's "Get a Grip" album. Brooks altered the original sex-and-drugs-themed lyrics to chronicle a man who's addicted to being a rodeo star.
#46. Katie Wants A Fast One — Steve Wariner With Garth Brooks
Peak position on chart: 22
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 28, 2000
Weeks on chart: 20
Brooks recorded this hit about a small-town girl who can't control her need for speed—even if she's only riding a lawnmower—with Steve Wariner. Wariner wrote the song, which appears on his "Faith in You" album, with Rick Carnes.
#45. When You Come Back To Me Again
Peak position on chart: 21
Date it peaked on the chart: July 15, 2000
Weeks on chart: 20
"When You Come Back to Me Again" was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The track was written for the 2000 movie "Frequency." It's the closing song on Brooks' 2001 album "Scarecrow."
#44. The Change
Peak position on chart: 19
Date it peaked on the chart: May 18, 1996
Weeks on chart: 20
"The Change" discusses the nobility in striving to make a positive impact on the world, even if the effort is futile. The song's accompanying music video paid homage to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, which happened the year before.
#43. Workin' For A Livin' — Garth Brooks & Huey Lewis
Peak position on chart: 19
Date it peaked on the chart: Feb.16, 2008
Weeks on chart: 21
When Huey Lewis and the News released "Workin' For a Livin'" in 1982, the band used the song to highlight the struggle of the common man who works all day just to get by. A quarter-century later in 2007, Lewis recorded a duet version of the song with Garth Brooks, who included it on his album "The Ultimate Collection" in 2016. The lyrics remained the same with one exception—Brooks managed to shoehorn a NASCAR reference into the updated version.
#41. Where Your Road Leads (tie)
Peak position on chart: 18
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 31, 1998
Weeks on chart: 20
Desmond Child and Victoria Shaw wrote "Where Your Road Leads," which appeared on Shaw's 1995 album "In Full View." Three years later, Trisha Yearwood recorded the song with her future husband Garth Brooks for her album, which took the same name as the song.
#41. Thicker Than Blood (tie)
Peak position on chart: 18
Date it peaked on the chart: Sept. 28, 2002
Weeks on chart: 20
"Thicker Than Blood" counts as yet another hit off the 2001 "Scarecrow" album. The song is a tribute to Brooks' father, a United States Marine.
#40. Squeeze Me In — Garth Brooks Duet With Trisha Yearwood
Peak position on chart: 16
Date it peaked on the chart: March 23, 2002
Weeks on chart: 20
"Squeeze Me In," written by Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson, first appeared on Lee Roy Parnell's 1995 album "We All Get Lucky Sometimes." When country superduo and future power couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood recorded the song, it was nominated for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals at the 2003 Grammys.
#39. Do What You Gotta Do
Peak position on chart: 13
Date it peaked on the chart: March 4, 2000
Weeks on chart: 20
"Do What You Gotta Do" is an uptempo, fiddle-heavy song about the honor found in facing challenges and accepting responsibility without complaint. The New Grass Revival anthem appeared as a single on the 1997 album "Sevens."
#38. Ask Me How I Know
Peak position on chart: 13
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec. 9, 2017
Weeks on chart: 28
"Ask Me How I Know" was one of the biggest singles on the 2016 Garth Brooks album "Gunslinger." The track, written by Mitch Rossell, represented Brooks' 20th chart-topping country single.
#37. We Shall Be Free
Peak position on chart: 12
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 17, 1992
Weeks on chart: 20
A tribute to tolerance and love, "We Shall Be Free" appeared on the 1992 album "The Chase." Brooks penned the song in 1992 with Stephanie Davis after witnessing the Los Angeles Riots while in Southern California for the Academy of Country Music Awards. The song was criticized by much of his core audience for its championing of gay rights.
#36. It's Your Song
Peak position on chart: 9
Date it peaked on the chart: Nov. 28, 1998
Weeks on chart: 20
"It's Your Song" appears on the 1998 album "Double Live." Written by Benita Hill and Pamela Wolf, the song is a tribute to Brooks' mother, her influence on his life and career, and her strength in the face of illness.
#35. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
Peak position on chart: 8
Date it peaked on the chart: July 15, 1989
Weeks on chart: 26
"Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) is the first single off of Brooks' self-titled debut album in 1989. Chronicling the reluctant resignation of an aging rodeo cowboy, the song mentions Chris LeDoux, whose fading career was reignited when the song became a hit. Brooks and LeDoux later collaborated before LeDoux died in 2005.
#33. Wild Horses (tie)
Peak position on chart: 7
Date it peaked on the chart: Feb. 17, 2001
Weeks on chart: 20
Although "Wild Horses" is about a man who can't choose between the thrill of the rodeo and the comfort of a woman, it could be interpreted as a metaphor for a serial cheater who remains unfaithful even after repeatedly being forgiven. It appeared on Brooks' breakout 1990 album "No Fences."
#33. One Night A Day (tie)
Peak position on chart: 7
Date it peaked on the chart: July 23, 1994
Weeks on chart: 20
"One Night A Day" is one of five singles on the 1994 album "In Pieces." The song follows a lovesick man who tries to find ways to cope with his mental anguish after being left by the woman he loves.
#32. Wrapped Up In You
Peak position on chart: 5
Date it peaked on the chart: Jan. 26, 2002
Weeks on chart: 20
"Wrapped Up In You" appeared as both a single and a music video on the 2001 album "Scarecrow." Among the analogies used to describe the emotions that the song's main character feels for the woman he loves are, "I need you like a penny needs a wishing well."
#31. It's Midnight Cinderella
Peak position on chart: 5
Date it peaked on the chart: Sept. 7, 1996
Weeks on chart: 32
"It's Midnight Cinderella" from the "Fresh Horses" album retells the classic Disney fairytale with a slightly dysfunctional twist. Here, the metaphorical Prince Charming flakes out on the naive Cinderella character at the ball, which provides an opening for the song's protagonist, Peter, Peter the Pumpkin Eater, who offers to console Cinderella by showing her "what it means to bip, bip, bip, bip, boppity boo."
#30. That Ol' Wind
Peak position on chart: 4
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec. 28, 1996
Weeks on chart: 20
Also off the "Fresh Horses" album, "That Ol' Wind" is a tender tale about two former lovers who reunite a decade after they have a tryst at the county fair. She doesn't know that he's been thinking of her all along and he doesn't know that her 10-year-old son is the result of their long-past one-night stand.
#25. Good Ride Cowboy (tie)
Peak position on chart: 3
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec. 31, 2005
Weeks on chart: 20
Champion rodeo rider and country musician Chris LeDoux never rose to the heights achieved by Garth Brooks, but the former influenced the latter enough to compel Brooks to record a song in his honor. When LeDoux died of cancer in 2005, Brooks performed "Good Ride Cowboy" during the 39th Annual Country Music Association Awards.
#25. You Move Me (tie)
Peak position on chart: 3
Date it peaked on the chart: Nov. 7, 1998
Weeks on chart: 20
"You Move Me" is an inspired man's tribute to his lover, who doubles as the motivating force in his life. Susan Ashton, who toured with Brooks, originally recorded the song on her 1996 album "A Distant Call." It became a hit when it appeared on Brooks' 1998 album "Sevens."
#25. Rodeo (tie)
Peak position on chart: 3
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 5, 1991
Weeks on chart: 20
Once again, the theme goes back to the rodeo, as the name of this song implies. "Rodeo," which was a single on the 1991 album "Ropin' the Wind," portrays a woman who wishes her cowboy lover was as enamored with her as he is with "that damned old rodeo."
#25. Papa Loved Mama (tie)
Peak position on chart: 3
Date it peaked on the chart: May 16, 1992
Weeks on chart: 20
Another "Ropin' the Wind" classic is "Papa Loved Mama," which also appears on several hit-collection albums. Classic country melancholy, the song features a loving, but road-bound trucker whose time away from home compels his wife to cheat. When he comes home to find that she's in a motel room with another man, he opts to kill them both by crashing his truck into their room.
#25. Standing Outside The Fire (tie)
Peak position on chart: 3
Date it peaked on the chart: March 26, 1994
Weeks on chart: 20
If you're not taking risks and wild chances, you're not really living and should expect nothing more than mediocrity. That's the message Brooks sends his fans in "Standing Outside the Fire," which was the third single on the 1993 album "In Pieces."
#21. In Another's Eyes (tie)
Peak position on chart: 2
Date it peaked on the chart: Nov. 1, 1997
Weeks on chart: 20
In 1997, the world caught a glimpse of the undeniable chemistry between Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who were both married to other people at the time, but would soon become husband and wife. The duo's first major collaboration was a tune with a fitting title: "In Another's Eyes," which won a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals.
#21. She's Gonna Make It (tie)
Peak position on chart: 2
Date it peaked on the chart: March 7, 1998
Weeks on chart: 20
"She's Gonna Make It" portrays a man who regrets walking away from his marriage after "following" (or stalking) his ex-wife to work. When he sees her "sail right through" in a brand-new dress, he realizes that she, ironically, is the one who was able to move on emotionally while he is left filled with regret. The song debuted on the 1997 album "Sevens."
#21. Callin' Baton Rouge (tie)
Peak position on chart: 2
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 22, 1994
Weeks on chart: 20
"Callin' Baton Rouge" originally appeared on the 1978 album "Room Service" by the Oak Ridge Boys. The song, which was both a track on the "In Pieces" album and a music video, chronicles a truck driver who is so enamored with the Louisiana woman he spent the previous night with that he has to pull off the road every 20 minutes to call her on the phone.
#21. Learning To Live Again (tie)
Peak position on chart: 2
Date it peaked on the chart: April 3, 1993
Weeks on chart: 20
Another hit from "The Chase," "Learning to Live Again" chronicles the heartache of a recently widowed man who can't get past the death of his wife. When he finally goes out on a double date with another couple, he's so wrapped up in his own drama that he doesn't realize his date is also learning to live again.
#20. Not Counting You
Peak position on chart: 2
Date it peaked on the chart: April 7, 1990
Weeks on chart: 25
"Not Counting You" is one of the singles from Garth Brooks' self-titled debut album. The tune is a weepy ballad of a man who informs his former lover that she's the only woman in his life who has ever hurt him, made a fool of him, or filled him with regret.
#4. More Than A Memory (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Sept. 15, 2007
Weeks on chart: 20
The first song on this list to peak at #1 is "More Than a Memory," which was the first song in the history of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart to debut at #1. Writer Billy Montana didn't write the sad song about love lost with Brooks in mind, but the success of the single began a long collaborative relationship between the two.
#4. Longneck Bottle (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec.r 20, 1997
Weeks on chart: 20
"Longneck Bottle" tells the tale of a party animal who absolves himself of responsibility by blaming the bottle of beer in his hand for the fact that he stays out all night while his woman is home alone. It appeared as a single on the 1997 "Sevens" album.
#4. The Beaches Of Cheyenne (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: March 16, 1996
Weeks on chart: 20
Written by Dan Roberts and Bryan Kennedy, "The Beaches of Cheyenne" is the third single on the "Fresh Horses" album. The duo, along with Brooks himself, came up with the title first and then developed the song, which originally focused on a man until Brooks spontaneously changed the subject of the song from "he" to "she."
#4. She's Every Woman (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 21, 1995
Weeks on chart: 20
"Fresh Horses" produced two Billboard #1 singles: "The Beaches of Cheyenne" and "She's Every Woman." The latter is a tender ballad that chronicles the writer's fascination with a woman who is easy to love, but hard to figure out.
#4. Somewhere Other Than The Night (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Jan. 16, 1993
Weeks on chart: 20
One of four singles on the 1992 album "The Chase," "Somewhere Other Than The Night" is one of 16 Garth Brooks songs to peak at #1 and stay on the charts for 20 weeks. Sad but hopeful, the song is about new beginnings and the possibility of rebirth in a new relationship.
#4. To Make You Feel My Love (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Aug. 1, 1998
Weeks on chart: 20
Billy Joel, Adele, and Neil Diamond are just a few of the countless stars who have covered Bob Dylan's classic "To Make You Feel My Love." Brooks' version, however, went straight to #1. The song appeared as "Make You Feel My Love" on the soundtrack of the 1998 movie "Hope Floats."
#4. American Honky-Tonk Bar Association (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec. 4, 1993
Weeks on chart: 20
"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association" is one of two Billboard #1 country singles that came out of the 1993 "In Pieces" album. The song goes to great lengths to bring the raucous feel of a live Garth Brooks show to a studio album.
#4. Ain't Going Down (Til The Sun Comes Up) (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Sept. 18, 1993
Weeks on chart: 20
"Ain't Going Down (Til The Sun Comes Up)" chronicles the daring exploits of a young couple that defies the rules, as well as their parents, to stay out all night with each other. The song's co-writers, Kent Blazy and Kim Williams, relied on their own rebellious youthful experiences to come up with the lyrics.
#4. That Summer (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: July 3, 1993
Weeks on chart: 20
When Rolling Stone unveiled its list of the "25 Hottest Country Songs About Sex," the publication couldn't help but give a mention to "The Summer." The song, which Brooks wrote with his first wife Sandy Mahl, chronicles a seasonal romance that sees a virginal teenage boy become a man thanks to a fling with an older woman.
#4. The River (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: July 25, 1992
Weeks on chart: 20
The name Garth Brooks was barely on the radar in the country music scene when he wrote "The River" with Victoria Shaw, a Nashville songwriter. The pair was inspired to write the song, which is about following your heart and chasing your dreams, after listening to James Taylor's music.
#4. What She's Doing Now (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Feb. 15, 1992
Weeks on chart: 20
"What She's Doing Now" is one of three #1 singles on the wildly successful "Ropin' the Wind" album. The song follows the inner struggle of a man obsessed with the thought of what his former lover might be doing right now, wherever she is.
#4. Shameless (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Nov. 16, 1991
Weeks on chart: 20
Just as he did with "To Make You Feel My Love," Garth Brooks overlaps with pop/rock superstar Billy Joel when it comes to the song "Shameless." Joel wrote "Shameless," which appeared on his 1989 album "Storm Front." Two years later, Brooks covered it and turned it into a #1 hit.
#4. The Thunder Rolls (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: June 22, 1991
Weeks on chart: 20
Garth Brooks was still a struggling up-and-comer when he penned "The Thunder Rolls" with Nashville songwriter Pat Alger. A more established artist named Tanya Tucker was the first to record it, but it never made it onto her album. By then, Brooks was a big name in country music, and when he asked Tucker if he could have the song back, she obliged.
#4. Two Of A Kind, Workin' On A Full House (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: April 6, 1991
Weeks on chart: 20
Originally recorded by Dennis Robbins in 1987, "Two of a Kind, Workin' On a Full House" was the third consecutive country #1 hit off of "No Fences," Brooks' hugely successful second album. Robbins and co-writers Bobby Boyd and Warren Haynes wrote the song in just a few hours.
#4. Unanswered Prayers (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Jan. 12, 1991
Weeks on chart: 20
"Unanswered Prayers" was one of four consecutive #1 hits off the "No Fences" album. Based on a real experience with his first wife, Sandy Mahl, the song is about a man who encounters his high school crush years later.
#4. Friends In Low Places (tie)
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Oct. 6, 1990
Weeks on chart: 20
"Friends in Low Places" is probably the song that's most synonymous with Garth Brooks. One of four consecutive #1 hits on the "No Fences" album, the song won the 1991 ACM Single Record of the Year and ACM Single of the Year. It's the last of Garth Brooks' 16 songs that all peaked at #1 and spent 20 weeks on the charts.
#3. The Dance
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: July 14, 1990
Weeks on chart: 21
One of the defining songs of Garth Brooks' career, "The Dance" was penned by a struggling Nashville songwriter named Tony Arata. The song, which appeared as a single on Brooks' debut self-titled album, won the ACM Song of the Year and Video of the Year, as well as the CMA Music Video of the Year.
#2. If Tomorrow Never Comes
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: Dec. 9, 1989
Weeks on chart: 26
Like "The Dance," "If Tomorrow Never Comes" also was a breakout hit on the 1989 album "Garth Brooks." Also like "The Dance," it accounts for one of the first two #1 hits of Brooks' career. In 1991 it was named AMA Favorite Country Single.
#1. Two Pina Coladas
Peak position on chart: 1
Date it peaked on the chart: May 9, 1998
Weeks on chart: 28
The biggest Garth Brooks song of all time is "Two Pina Coladas." The song, about a man who turns to rum for relief of his problems, was one of two Billboard #1 singles on the 1997 album.
