Three Classic George Strait Songs Earn New Platinum Status
You may not hear “King” George Strait on mainstream country radio anymore, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t listening. On the contrary, with the way much of today’s mainstream country music leaves listeners flat, they’re turning to the back catalogs of country greats like George Strait to relive the music that has withstood the test of time. For Strait, that has resulted in him receiving three new certifications from the RIAA for certified sales and streams.
“Amarillo By Morning” was one of George Strait’s first hits. It came off his 1982 album Strait From the Heart, and has since become one of his signature tunes. The lonesome fiddle start off and ending compliment a story about a cowboy traveling from San Antonio to Amarillo to compete in the rodeo. The song has now officially gone Triple Platinum, making it one of Strait’s most successful songs.
Also joining the Triple Platinum club is Strait’s song “Troubadour,” which is an interesting song to find such success. Even though Strait minted more #1s in country music history than anyone, “Troubadour” was not one of them. The 2008 single takes a reflective look back on Strait’s career as an aging performer, and stalled at #7 when it was initially released. But time is always the greatest arbiter of quality, and time has been very kind to the track, along with the video with its 110 million streams.
“Troubadour” was recorded with Vince Gill singing backup vocals. Along with “Amarillo By Morning,” “Troubadour” joins “Check Yes or No” as the songs that have achieved Triple Platinum status from Strait’s catalog. “Check Yes or No” was Certified Triple Platinum in February.
And last but not least, another George Strait signature song in “Ocean Front Property” has finally achieved Platinum status. The 1986 single and title track to his early 1987 album was one of the first Dean Dillon-penned songs that help put Strait on the map. Dillon wrote the song with legendary country songwriter Hank Cochran and Royce Porter.
Don’t be surprised if we continue to see a rise in RIAA Certifications as back catalog songs continue to outperform current country songs as fans both new and old hearken back to the 80s and 90s as a better time for country music.
April 19, 2023 @ 9:08 am
the king still
April 19, 2023 @ 9:13 am
Brian Eno once described how the listening habits of younger people are so different from Gen X and older. With Spotify and other streaming options, classic acts like George Strait are competing for the ears of listeners right alongside the latest Pop Country Nashville has cooked up. Thankfully talent still rises to the top.
April 19, 2023 @ 9:48 am
I would have guess Love Without End, Amen, Carrying Your Love With Me or Blue Clear Sky would have went platinum and not Troubadour. Still, glad to see the King get crowned with another platinum record.
April 19, 2023 @ 1:19 pm
Had a dream last night that I was preparing to sing Carrying Your Love With Me for a music rep that was coming to my house for some reason. Thank God it was just a dream, it would have been a awful!
April 19, 2023 @ 9:50 am
What are you saying? My radio station has King George in moderate rotation. Then again, we only play real country music, too. 😀
April 19, 2023 @ 10:53 am
Froggy 95.9? Looked for a button to live stream, if there was I would give it a shot.
April 20, 2023 @ 5:14 am
We took our stream down. The carpetbagging record companies wanted too much money for it and we couldn’t find enought sponsors willing to back it.
April 19, 2023 @ 10:36 am
You absolutely do hear him on the radio still.
April 19, 2023 @ 11:59 am
My radio station hardly ever plays George anymore except maybe on Throwback Thursdays. Normally I’m against streaming music just because I like hearing stuff either on the radio or a CD (what are those?). But if the streaming era keeps the music of the King alive, then it’s doing its job.
April 19, 2023 @ 1:48 pm
Two or three Strait tracks a day on the local station I usually listen to, and “Troubador” is among them. Obviously more on the classic country station, but unfortunately I’m on the fringes of its signal and my daily travels take me in the opposite direction.
April 19, 2023 @ 2:03 pm
Well, The truth about a mirror,
It’s that a damn old mirrow.
Don’t really tell the whole truth,
It don’t show what’s deep inside.
Oh read between the lines,
It’s really no reflection of my youth.
Troubadour is a classic. Such a relatable song.
April 19, 2023 @ 3:32 pm
My dog is named after ‘I Can Still Make Cheyenne’
April 20, 2023 @ 4:32 am
…nothing wrong with a short sentence to name a dog, i guess.
April 21, 2023 @ 2:18 am
Here Can Still Make Cheyenne. Come on boy! LOL
April 19, 2023 @ 4:05 pm
I’m listening to a very underrated cut by King George as we speak: Neon Row.
April 20, 2023 @ 6:04 am
I’m a 21 year old George strait fan. Never heard that one. Just gave it a listen. It’s good.
April 19, 2023 @ 6:20 pm
Kind of sad that it took this long to happen to these great songs, well I guess better late than never, so happy for George strait, one of my favorite singers.
April 19, 2023 @ 6:35 pm
Congratulations to the King of country music. George your music always been such a pleasure to listen to, you have always what I call salt of the earth style of the music. My big brother (bubba) Recently passed away his favorite song of yours was troubadour it meant so much to him that he requested it be played at his memorial service. We honored his request. My family loves your music
So I tip My hat to the King! Anyone who doesn’t agree with that surely doesn’t know what country music truly is.
Donna lane
April 20, 2023 @ 1:44 am
My future husband!!!
April 20, 2023 @ 4:27 am
…my impression is that currently only a singer of george strait’s calibre – well, almost, since there’s probably never gonna be another strait – is missing to complete a country music environement that offers almost everything you could wish for in good quantity and especially quality to pretty much any kinda open minded fan.
fair enough, randall king has managed at times lately to evoke little strait-moments with me, then again, there’s only one “king of country”. no wonder, people turn to his catalogue of hits and songs. it’s just timeless material and so enjoyable.
at present, i actually can’t help but feeling country music has been saved to a very large degree indeed. just consider the report on the really tasty sounding “two step inn” festival here. or the great news that granger smith is going to throw in the towel in due course – there seems to be a god after all.
in spite of all that, keep up the good work with this blog. as history has proved before – one can never be quite sure when it comes to country music (except maybe, regarding to the reliabilty of trucks in its songs).
April 20, 2023 @ 7:41 am
Country music very well may be in the best shape since I started Saving Country Music. It can be very easy when you have a caused-based mission to always assess stuff in the negative because the negative creates more attention than the positive. I don’t believe in doing that. THere is still stuff to do and issues to address. But most everything seems to be headed in the right direction.
April 29, 2023 @ 12:12 pm
I think what’s also currently still missing is song stylists like Strait, Reba and so many more artists from the 90s and beyond who sang the best songs available, rather than just songs they co-wrote.
April 20, 2023 @ 6:16 am
I’m so happy for George Strait to achieve such great success with all these songs. Check Yes Or No reminds me of what happened to me in school way back when. I just wish George would tell everyone how he came to realize how to make a song about children sending those kind of notes around. I know the back story because I lived it. George I want to say thanks for putting my memory into a song, I am positive you had that same memory. 💙 Triple Platinum Status, WOW!!!
April 20, 2023 @ 11:50 am
I have recently begun a new love affair with George’s first four albums, such good music. I didn’t really much care for his later stuff, my own fault, I guess.
And, IMO, Bob Wills is STILL the King.
April 20, 2023 @ 2:33 pm
George Strait is pure as country can get. It’s a reflection of his soul, his life and his song’s. I’ve been a fan for many years as my granddaughter was in her younger years. And I suspect she will be again in her later year’s. Me, I’ve always been a fan and always will be as his music will always be in our hearts and soul’s.
April 20, 2023 @ 7:37 pm
When my husband was in hospice dying of cancer ,he was in terrible pain. Sometimes he would get restless and the only thing that would calm him down was listening to George Strait cds. I would play them over and over until I lost him. I’m eternally grateful for that he could get some peace from the music. Susie b
April 20, 2023 @ 9:25 pm
I do six George Strait songs in three sets, for years.. most requested is Amarillo and Cowboy Rides Away… people are always dancing.
People ask what kind of music I do, I tell them George and the Eagles…makes everyone happy.
April 21, 2023 @ 6:05 am
The single “hit” version of Amarillo By Morning is a different mix than the album version. The fiddle line on the intro is a bit different and the steel guitar is louder. During the final chorus there are some differences in the stereo separation of the instruments. Strait’s vocal has a bit more presence and the rhythm track is a bit louder on the 45 mix.
To date the album version has been issued on all MCA George Strait hit collections and compilations. However the unique single mix was released on “The Early 80’s – Pure Gold” volume[CCD-09] of the Time/Life Contemporary Country CD series.
April 22, 2023 @ 10:54 am
I wrote for George’s company, Muy Bueno Music, on Music Row about nine out of the 20 or so years I lived and worked there as a staff writer—nine years back then was a long haul for any writer at any one company. Though a few albums here and there left some of us scratching our heads at times, it was the “consistency” of George’s sound that, I believe, contributed the most to the longevity of his career. I had a few Gold and Platinum albums out of that catalog, only one of which,however, was on a GS record, mainly because George stayed loyal to the writers that helped build his success as an artist—Dean Dillon, A. Barker, Dana Hunt, Buddy Cannon, Blake Mevis, etc. It was always a frustrating but respected reality of being a “George Strait staff writer”—knowing that your “short listed holds” would probably be bumped for a last minute tune from his special camp of great songwriters. I didn’t mind, though. Over the long haul GS and all the rest of his crew were always extremely kind to me and my family when that was never part of the songwriting agreement. They were, and still are, good people. His first couple of albums, produced by my long time friend Blake Mevis (now passed and very much missed), set the tone for what would be the most unique sound to come out of Nashville in a long time when the 80’s hit. And, yes, I do think folks are longing for that freshness again, I had 11 tunes on Texas artist Jon Wolfe’s last album _Two Hearts in Terlingua_ (which I believe got a positive review here) and have had many songs recorded by regional Texas country artists as a result of audiences still demanding “that kind of country.” Unfortunately, songwriters don’t and can’t rely on the composition copyrights in these smaller markets to sustain any sort of lifestyle outside of a cardboard box, so we do our own albums, have our own studios, and we tour when and where we can to make ends meet. That means we’re no longer focused as we were on writing and building and picthing catalogs of well-crafted tunes to the artists who sing them—and most artists singing country songs like to believe otherwise, but they are better at singing them than at writing them. They don’t have the time behind the pen or the room in their touring schedules to allow songs and ideas to perculate, evolve, or realize. I know that this site, at least in name if nothing else, dedicates it’s commentary and pontifications to keeping what has become “that antiquated radio format” alive and relevant (which is why I like it and read it from time to time), but the days of yore, in my humble opinion—when country music was thriving purely because it was damn good, and it amounted to something on its own without needing every pop icon from the motley crew genre melting pot to be part of its award show—are gone with the wind. For better or worse, those days are over—passed like a dream in the night. Yes, there is an independent market full of really good country music artists, and publications like this one do well to try to bring them to the forefront, but this indie market has developed its own kind of insider picks and payola, if only in an efffort, understandably, to stay relevant to the indie audience. People, especially fans of good country music, have to sift through streams the way our moms and dads did through stacks of vinyl records so many moons ago. Only, sifting through vinyl is more fun than stream sifting and poring over websites and streaming platforms that pay artists next to nothing so they can rake in millions from our creativity. In short, the music industry is upside down with its ass in the air, and the crap is running straight down to back of your neck. As much as I want to believe that what is rising to the top of the indie market is as good as what country music used to be, it ain’t. It’s just industry hype 2.0 at work again in its tried and true capitalistic way, creating a platform of singer-songwriters that are better than “mainstream”, but that ain’t saying much.
April 22, 2023 @ 12:27 pm
Anyone else out there love one of his later singles released, Cold Beer Conversation? I just love the laid back flow of that one and nostalgia of it. So good.