Billy Ray Cyrus and “Achy Breaky Heart” Just Won’t Go Away
Ever had a smoke alarm, or maybe one of those crazy blooming birthday candles from China that even after you remove the batteries and take a sledge hammer to them they have the uncanny ability to keep chirping away no matter what manner of holy hell you inflict upon their plastic existence? Well that’s Billy Ray Cyrus and his song “Achy Breaky Heart.”
When you saw the story come across the wires late last week that he’d decided to change his name to just “Cyrus” and was re-launching “Achy Breaky Heart,” your first thought was it must be a bad gag at best and didn’t give it a second thought. But no, he’s completely serious. Billy Ray Cyrus is like the Vanilla Ice of country, but even Vanilla Ice is self-aware enough now to know that 1990 Vanilla Ice was a total tool. Billy Ray Cyrus on the other hand is now tripling down on the only thing that keeps his name in the spotlight beyond siring Miley.
Yes, this is actually the second time he’s re-launched “Achy Breaky Heart” in the last three years. In early 2014, Billy Ray teamed with some washed-up rapper named Buck 22 and media personality Larry King of all people to inflict “Achy Break 2” on the world. It was so colossally terrible, it actually charted on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart at #11 sheerly from people hate listening to the song and watching the imbecilic video for its unintended comedic value.
“Achy Breaky Heart 25th” marking 25 years of this embarrassment is the new version of arguably the most vilified song in the history of country music, and it’s every bit of the detritus slop you would expect. It sounds like bad, B-Side Fabulous Thunderbirds. Oh and by the way, the now mononymous “Cyrus” is also planning to release “Spanglish” and EDM versions of the song. Because apparently God hates us.
As for changing his name, “I always went by Cyrus, and I begged Mercury Records to call me Cyrus in the beginning because that’s what I was comfortable with,” Billy Ray recently told Rolling Stone, likely with a stupid look on his face. “I’m going to the hospital where I was born in Bellefonte, Kentucky, and legally changing my name.”
The sad part about Billy Ray is he actually had a couple of decent songs back in the day that went overshadowed by the ubiquitousness of “Achy Breaky Heart.” He released a new album in 2016 called Thin Line, but did anyone pay attention? No, because he’s the “Achy Breaky Heart” guy. So what does he do in response? He releases another version of “Achy Breaky Heart.”
May 2, 2017 @ 9:02 am
I loved “Achy Breaky Heart” when it first came out, along with everything else he released back then. But yeah, he’s become an aging weirdo, desperate for a few more seconds of spotlight.
But hey, he can always lay claim to being the world’s proudest dad, right? Aaaaahahahaha.
May 5, 2017 @ 4:24 pm
^ I agree! I was a HUGE Billy Ray fan back in the day, and thought he was treated unfairly over “Achy Breaky Heart!” I mean sure, it wasn’t a deep masterpiece as most country music was at the time. but in my book, it was far from terrible! especially compared to the garbage coming out today! I actually loved the song too! but between the rap re-make 3 years ago, and this even newer version, it’s like he’s trying to make anyone who didn’t hate the song before, hate it now! IMO, his music stopped being worth a crap after “Home At Last!” and that’s in large part, because he became an attention-seeker. praising, and even emulating his trashy daughter! so disappointed in him these days…
May 2, 2017 @ 9:04 am
What a waste. While his first two albums actually had a few good songs (Words By Heart, Sone Gave All, Could’ve Been Me, It Won’t Be The Last, Somebody New) it’s absurd that he not only chose, but has been able, to make a career on this song.
I vaguely remember Travis Tritt taking him to task for this in the early 90s. Who the hell would’ve thought this ear infection would have lasted 25 years. Hopefully this isnt a precursor of things to come with the “hits” that we have had to endure from FGL and Sam Hunt, among others.
May 2, 2017 @ 9:07 am
I always felt Billy Ray Cyrus was THE guy I’d always have a pass to dislike. I was born in 91′ so I knew him newrly exclusively as the “Achey Breaky Heart” fella, and that’s how it was for a long time, for a short while my generation went from knowing him as that, to knowing him as Miley’s old man. All in all I never paid him much mind….
But then BRC did a collaboration with Jamey Johnson (alongside others country Vetrans) for a new recording of “All Gave Some” and being a big Johnson fan I bought the track, (because god knows new recordings from jamey are scarce these days), so I begrudgingly listened for Jamey, and found myself appreciating Cyrus’s vocals. I mean, I didn’t suddenly become a fan or anything. But I did see him in a slightly different light. THEN he did the Record Store Day release with Shooter Jennings, and I’ll he damned if he wasn’t fantastic. Two of my favorite artists collaborated with “The dude with the mullet” And so I decided to actually dive into his catalog and while there are deffinitly some real awful songs in there, he’s got some really great tracks buried in there as well, and he’s got a decent voice and really interesting vocal range, shame he’ll likely never outgrow the achey breaky shit. He’s got potential. Get a decent producer and team behind him and he could be something to not be embarrassed to listen to. But it seems like he may be past the point of redemption in many, if not most folks eyes
May 2, 2017 @ 9:26 am
For the 25th Anniversary of “Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray Cyrus should have come out and apologized for the song and the mullet, like Vanilla Ice did a few years ago. That would have gone much farther for him that dredging this all up again, and then changing his name which always feels like a self-important move. Or, he just should have ignored the anniversary.
May 2, 2017 @ 9:35 am
Why should he apologize for a smash hit, that tens of millions of people loved, that also happened to fall within the limits of what would be considered Country by most real Country music fans? And why should he apologize for a haircut that was in style at the time?
May 2, 2017 @ 9:41 am
I mean, there’s lots of things he should be ashamed of: his daughter, his ex-wife, the re-mix, the makeovers, but his musical output between 1991 and 1994 is nothing to be ashamed of.
May 2, 2017 @ 9:55 am
Nailed it.
May 5, 2017 @ 10:24 am
I agree with Honky on this one. And, there is nothing wrong with a mullet when it isn’t worn in an ironic way.
May 2, 2017 @ 4:08 pm
Couldnt agree more. The guy is clearly out of touch and a bit odd, but he is crazy talented. The stuff with shooter was great especially John Prines Killing the Blues cover. His voice is quite a weapon, not a whole lot he cant do. Im not a fan either, but i respect his talent and the way he just keeps plodding along.
January 12, 2021 @ 6:47 pm
I Love your review!!
May 2, 2017 @ 9:17 am
achy breaky big mistakey
May 2, 2017 @ 9:25 am
I feel a late night Travis Tritt twitter rant about “Cyrus” coming soon,and I can NOT wait!
May 2, 2017 @ 9:34 am
I’m guessing Cyrus learned nothing from that whole Chris Gaines thing?
May 2, 2017 @ 5:49 pm
More likely he learned the WRONG things from the Garthmeister’s Chris Gained debacle (IMHO).
May 2, 2017 @ 9:42 am
– changes name to Cyrus
– is surprised when thousands of fans arrive at his show and then leave when they realize the show is for Billy Ray and not Miley
May 2, 2017 @ 9:48 am
Billy Ray Cyrus is like the Vanilla Ice of country,, I like it I like it!
May 2, 2017 @ 10:08 am
What’s next, anniversary EDM version of Garth’s “Friends In Low Places,” or a Spanglish anniversary edition of Brooks and Dunn’s “Boot Scoot Boogie?”
May 2, 2017 @ 12:42 pm
FrndzNlowPlacezft.DJsnake.mp3 Go find it on soundcloud
May 2, 2017 @ 10:14 am
Umm…..nah I just don’t care about any of the Cyrus family.
May 2, 2017 @ 11:40 am
sometimes I wonder whether any of you actually frequent actual bars
like with drunk people who get rowdy, and with women who know what hen parties are
so billy ray has the honor (?) of basically bringing the male stripper into country music, which at the time was felt to be both new, amusing, and harmlessly temporary
but no, it wasn’t temporary. without “achy breaky” we wouldn’t have Tim McGraw’s “I like it, I love it,” which has the same stripper beat
what billy ray did, then, was to bring Elvis’s sex swagger back into country music the way the rockabilly cats did in the early days, when they *simplified* things musically and reduced the lyrical sophistication to such miracles of metaphorical compression as “it might just blow up and kill this man. oo, oo WOO!”
getting drunk makes you pleasantly dumb enough to welcome that kind of singing as, well, family
and it’s easy enough on the guitar so *anybody,* no matter how drunk, can play it
crank it up and watch most people get happy face
May 2, 2017 @ 1:00 pm
Based on his concert from last week, Sam Outlaw’s “Trouble” may be in line to take this mantle. And it’s SCM approved. Just sayin’.
May 2, 2017 @ 3:08 pm
Unfortunately , Corncaster , you speak the truth about shit like Achy Breaky Heart . However it isn’t /wasn’t REAL country music lovers and REAL county fans that put that song on the map . It was the ” urban cowboy ” backlash , albeit a decade later , that brought the ‘ country ‘ out in everyone when they went out to get drunk and line dance . The lyric could have been about corn flakes or horse racing ….no one cared. It wasn’t about the lyric whatsoever ……just that ridiculous nursery-rhymey title and Hunky Billy whipping the ladies into a Chippendale frenzy . Like Elvis , as you said .
May 2, 2017 @ 11:46 am
Coincidentally, Achy Breaky Heart was the song that got me listening to country radio in my teens. It was my favorite song that month. I’m thankful that it led me like a blind squirrel to a den of precious acorns like Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, etc. And that eventually led me back to the bountiful cornucopia of country music of my parents and grandparents.
Of course, 25 years later, I have the listening sense to realize the song is just a catchy little pile of pointless poop.
May 2, 2017 @ 12:12 pm
*small voice* I don’t hate Achy Breaky Heart. *small voice*
I mean, I would certainly never listen to it all the time or anything, but I actually kind of like it. I don’t need to line dance to it or anything, but it makes me happy.
Internet pop music Todd in the Shadows did a very good episode of his One Hit Wonderland series a few years ago about BRC, showing what he was actually capable outside of his most famous song (and he was only a one hit wonder on the pop charts; he continued to chart pretty high for a few more years in country; it’s just that nothing ever got as big as ABH).
May 2, 2017 @ 12:53 pm
Forget the soft voice. Say it loud and proud.
May 5, 2017 @ 5:31 pm
I saw him live after the first album came out at a country fest in California (also playing was a then unknown Martina McBride) and he got a better crowd response than she did and had people up and moving, drinkin’ some beer.
I like Billy Ray as an actor too, especially that fishin’ movie and the last show he had as an old rock star.
May 2, 2017 @ 12:40 pm
I loved his album Storm in the Heartland. I still listen to it on occasions.
May 2, 2017 @ 12:46 pm
He starred in a medical television series a few years back that ran for several seasons. He’s a darn fine actor and has released some good songs regardless of whether you love Achy Breaky…
May 2, 2017 @ 12:49 pm
I have to say the new recording is sort of catchy. I will take it over 90% of the stuff on country radio today.
May 2, 2017 @ 12:54 pm
I remember seeing an interview quite a few years ago with BRC that was surprisingly very interesting. I think it was when that Some Gave All song was out and getting a bit of airplay. Billy Ray was talking about his early struggles to break into the business and how he was pushed into directions he didn’t care for by record execs and his own management. Sounds familiar as that has been happening forever. BRC actually said, at the time, as lucrative as ABH was for him he grew to hate it because he knew it would be near impossible to replicate that success and the music he loved and wanted to release as singles were shot down by the record company. He said ABH pretty much destroyed his career and was a big reason he turned to acting. Its a shame because I’ve heard some of his music that was damn good. But flogging that song for a pure money grab now really diminishes what respect I have held for him.
May 2, 2017 @ 12:55 pm
Next thing you’ll tell me is they gave Kevin Costner $200 million to direct Waterworld 2.
Anyway, Cyrus really should focus on getting his Grade 10 instead of inflicting this on everyone.
May 2, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
“Oh and by the way, the now mononymous “Cyrus” is also planning to release “Spanglish” and EDM versions of the song. Because apparently God hates us.”
Well, at least Billy Ray does. I had this unlucky buddy in Louisiana who’d say, when he got philosophical, that he didn’t think God had it out for him. “God isn’t up there saying to himself, you know, I think I’ll take a sh*t on old Gene today.” And I kinda agree with him that God probably doesn’t drop bombs with GPS precision.
But Billy Ray would.
You see, it’s just not arguable that “Achy Breaky” lowered the musical bar for professional musicians. You have guys the caliber of Buddy Emmons in country music, and you make “Achy Breaky” the road to making money? It’s like lining up all these great musicians and dumping a big old bucket of sh*t right on top of them, after which you toss ’em down a few bills with an “woops, sorry dude.”
So for you customers out there, whatever. But what Billy Ray did to musicians? Dumped the latrine on them, no way around it.
May 2, 2017 @ 1:36 pm
stupid question.
i know what ‘spanglish’ is but what the shit is a ‘spanglish ver’– wait, wait. never mind…
i’m better off not knowing.
May 2, 2017 @ 2:23 pm
Don’t break my corazón
My achy breaky corazón
I just don’t think he’d comprende
May 3, 2017 @ 9:42 am
…Jesús…
May 2, 2017 @ 2:26 pm
The Cody residence has been completely “Achy Breaky Heart” free since around 1991…
May 2, 2017 @ 2:28 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOONNNNNEEEEEEEEE CAARRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i mean seriously who pays attention to this clown anymore? he’s coasting on fathering the cultural equivalent of the stuff my “not girlfriend but she acts like it” squeezed out of a zit on my shoulder the other day.
for God’s sake no self-respecting person with dignity likes Miley Cyrus and most people know him because of her and honestly his song is soooooooo efffing dated that I’m sure a remix with be met with derision
May 2, 2017 @ 3:14 pm
I’m actually a bit of a Miley fan , F2S . At least she didn’t Taylor Swift us with that ” I’m country ” bullshit just to get a foot in the biz . But the fact is , Miley can sing country as well or better than most ” country ‘ singers and chose to go pop …..( and a bit jazzy ) and she does it well . I respect her for NOT claiming to be the next country star ….like Taylor Swift …..or Sam Hunt…or the Kruise Kids .
May 2, 2017 @ 4:27 pm
You’re not a fan of Miley, Albert. Don’t be silly.
May 2, 2017 @ 4:49 pm
I think she’s more talented and versatile than most of the current crop…..I think ” The Climb ” is a great tune of some substance and …….yup…anything she records is STILL more country than Sam Hunt .
May 8, 2017 @ 6:20 pm
Good thoughts. how’s your rock doing? I’m not going to lie Miley “could” be a great artist if she took the time and effort to find material and actually used said material instead of just shock-factoring us all into paying attention….
May 2, 2017 @ 3:01 pm
”The sad part about Billy Ray is he actually had a couple of decent songs back in the day that went overshadowed by the ubiquitousness of “Achy Breaky Heart.” He released a new album in 2016 called Thin Line, but did anyone pay attention? No, because he’s the “Achy Breaky Heart” guy. So what does he do in response? He releases another version of “Achy Breaky Heart.””
Indeed , Trigger , …this IS the saddest part of the Cyrus saga . He did have some good tunes ( Some gave all ) and even the single he cut with Miley ( Ready, Set , Don’t Go ) was substance-driven and tugged a bit at the ol’ heartstrings for the right reasons . Its almost a certainty that Billy Ray wouldn’t have had a ” career” whatsoever had it not been for that piece of shit excuse for music that millions loved and won’t let die .
May 2, 2017 @ 3:27 pm
This is really the best example of one selling their musical soul. ‘Achy Breaky’ made him a huge amount of money and in that way was probably worth it but it also doomed him in the long run. I would say that ‘Could’ve Been Me’, ‘Some Gave All’ and especially ‘Trail Of Tears’ were all really good songs that most country artists would have proudly claimed as their own but they are all overshadowed by the giant novelty hit.
Not many long successful careers start off with novelty hits.
May 2, 2017 @ 8:07 pm
Agree I hate to admit it but years ago a bought a greatest hit billy ray cd in the bargin bin and I wore it out I always skipped achy breaky. bluegrass state of mind, its all the same to me, one last thrill, storm in the heartland, some gave all etc. were all fantastic he was a great artist, the song that made him fucked him……. now hes just a fucking train wreck it seams like with his dyed hair and beard and name change hes turned into a cartoon of a cartoon
May 2, 2017 @ 3:07 pm
Achy Breaky Heart. A very annoying song, but better than a lot of what’s on country radio nowadays.
May 2, 2017 @ 3:15 pm
Even this piece of shit song is still WAYYYY more country than you know who
May 2, 2017 @ 6:09 pm
Sam Hunt! Achy Breaky Heart is horrid and annoying but sounds like a damn masterpiece compared to Body Like a Back Road.
May 2, 2017 @ 7:55 pm
And speaking of Sam Hunt, I was on my way to grab some lunch for my family, when, I believe, I found something on country radio even more horrible and less country than Sam Hunt on the local NASH-FM station. It is not on YouTube (I’ve already checked because I was going to link it if it was) but it probably is on Spotify, if you’re into that kind of thing.
It is by an artist who seemed to pop up out of nowhere and his name is Todd O’Neill. The song is called Love Again, and honestly, it makes Sam Hunt sound like Cody Jinks (sorry Cody, to stick your name in the same sentence as you-know-who). Love Again is worst song of the year quality right here folks.
May 2, 2017 @ 3:37 pm
Early this morning, Billy Ray walked into my room wearing way too tight blue jeans, Reebok high tops, a cowboy shirt with the sleeves cut out, and a four foot mullet. He said, “Wakey wakey, Achy-Breaky!” Words cannot describe the horror as I looked over next to me in bed to see Miley as she added, “Hands off snakey!!” Worst nightmare I’ve ever had…
May 2, 2017 @ 6:10 pm
I laughed out loud at this.
May 2, 2017 @ 4:05 pm
Very amusing essay, Trigger, which I enjoyed and will take with the proverbial grain of salt. I confess I liked “Achy Breaky Heart” when it first hit the charts – it seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to all the machine-made pop that dominated the charts then (and still does). Yes, it did later become the biggest cliché in the genre of “overplayed and over-exposed” and the butt of hundreds of jokes. The song remains a secret pleasure on the relatively rare occasions I hear it nowadays. To be honest, there are a few (what I call) “schlock songs” in my past favourites list. “Escape / Pina Colada Song” anyone?
May 2, 2017 @ 4:53 pm
Busy man and some gave all were good songs that proved he had Talent it’s a shame that shitty song is all anyone knows.
May 2, 2017 @ 5:43 pm
it must be said, the achy breaky 2 thing is the equivalent of wearing underpants on your head
May 2, 2017 @ 5:45 pm
I can’t wait until Miley Cyrus changes her name into Cyrus Jr. and re-releases the Hannah Montana theme song but it’s about booties and a wrecking ball.
May 2, 2017 @ 6:13 pm
There are some hilarious comments here today! 😀 although I kind of feel sorry for Billy Ray, as he has some good songs, and all he is ever remembered for is the shitty Achy Breaky Heart. Hey, at least it isn’t “I Want My Mullet Back”. Awful, awful song.
May 2, 2017 @ 6:29 pm
Is it really his fault that ABH turned into such a money-making hit?
I mean, he put it on a record (likely at the insistence of his producer) and it could have just as easily have been as utterly dreadful as all those ridiculous Trace Adkins ear-gauges. And had it fallen on deaf ears (as it should have), where would his career be today? Dead, likely. And then … no Miley. [Sad.]
Based on his more substantive recordings, he’d probably be something of a John Michael Montgomery. So can you really blame the mulleted man for milking it for all it’s worth? I don’t.
May 3, 2017 @ 12:59 am
He was at the Opry last time I was there. He was OK but only really got any response from the audience when he did “Achy Breaky Heart” as his last number … it was the one we all wanted to hear! Ha ha!! Sadly, he didn’t do the classic dance moves in the middle!
May 3, 2017 @ 12:09 pm
I remember two german versions of “Achy Breaky Heart”.
“Brich mir nicht mein Herz” & a (more or less explicit) version by Rudolf Rock & die Schocker called “Klitzekleines Herz”. One of the versions was a minor hit like the (Billy Ray) Cyrus version.
The Marcy Brothers recorded the song in 1991 (“Don’t Tell My Heart”). The song was part of the second Marcy Brothers album (Marcy Brothers/Atlantic Records).
May 4, 2017 @ 7:03 am
As retired military, I have a great love of “Some Gave All” with kudos to him for writing it. I also liked “Could’ve Been Me” from the same album. He always had to solid voice, but “Achy Breaky Heart” just laid a foundation of horrible things to come. I’m sure some graduate student in music could write a great dissertation starting with that song and showing how it leads straight to Sam Hunt. It would be a great volume to add to the Country Music Hall of Shame.
May 4, 2017 @ 7:53 am
In the voice of that one guy about to get killed in the ending Vader scene of Rouge One….
….HELLLLP UUUUUUUSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
May 6, 2017 @ 10:03 am
Billy Ray Cyrus has made some excellent music over the years and regardless of how cheesy “Achy Breaky” is,”Some Gave All” is a killer album. He’s made quite a few great albums in fact.
He put out an EP a few years back called “I’m American” that is really solid from top to bottom.
Unfortunately his whole career has been overshadowed by that one song.
Truly unfair.
May 8, 2017 @ 7:29 pm
Love BRC…one of the greatest lyrics from his song I’M So Miserable is “I am so miserable without you, its almost like you’re here.” Been there and lived it.
April 27, 2019 @ 11:07 pm
I think BRC is awesome He was never treated fairly by the Country music industry why? because He’s talented & gorgeous and didn’t look like a country boy… They didn’t like him because they said he shook his ass & tried to be like a pop star, well the country music artist now act like pop stars so I guess he was ahead of his time… I loved achy break heart. & for all you haters there’s no denying when he came out he was a phenomenon & he had the biggest debut album of all time… He is an example of how even someone talented can be disliked for no good reason & he is just as talented today. & by the way Some Gave all is the best Country song. ever dedicated to our troops Big… Huge… Fan. “Go Billy Ray”