"Banjo" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Rascal Flatts | ||||
from the album Changed | ||||
Released | January 16, 2012 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 4:16(Album Version) 3:44 (Radio Edit) 3:29 (Radio Edit 2) | |||
Label | Big Machine | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tony Martin Wendell Mobley Neil Thrasher | |||
Producer(s) | Dann Huff, Rascal Flatts | |||
Rascal Flatts singles chronology | ||||
|
"Banjo" is a song written by Neil Thrasher, Wendell Mobley, and Tony Martin and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in January 2012 as the first single from their eighth studio album, Changed . Rascal Flatts also performed the song live with Steve Martin at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2012.
"Banjo" is an up-tempo in which the narrator invites his lover to escape with him to a faraway place that "ain't on the map". He tells her to "go-go-go / 'Til [she] hear[s] a banjo."
Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley, both of whom have written several singles for Rascal Flatts, told Taste of Country that the line "'til you hear a banjo" came when Rascal Flatts' lead singer Gary LeVox was giving the two directions to his farm. Although they did not write the song at the farm, Mobley and Thrasher presented the idea to Tony Martin. The next time Mobley went to LeVox' farm, he presented LeVox with a demo of the song, and LeVox said that he would cut the song "right now". [1]
The song has received mixed reviews from critics. Rating it three-and-a-half stars out of five, Matt Bjorke thought that the band sounded "refreshed" and that the song itself was "well-produced". [2] The song received an identical rating from Billy Dukes of Taste of Country, who criticized the song's lyrics but said that it "should be enjoyed for what’s on the surface". [3] Noah Eaton of Country Universe gave the song a "C+" grade, saying that LeVox "actually sounds like he’s enjoying the ride here", but criticizing the production for its "stereotypical stadium-rock histrionics" in the last verse. [4] Ben Foster of "The 1-to-10 Country Music Review" gave it five stars out of ten, saying, "the song will more than likely supply the group with another chart hit, and a high-volume set opener for their live shows." [5]
"Banjo" debuted at number 37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for the week of January 28, 2012, and became the group's twelfth number 1 hit for the week of May 12, 2012.
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [6] | 57 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [7] | 51 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [8] | 1 |
Chart (2012) | Position |
---|---|
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [9] | 33 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [10] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Rascal Flatts were an American country music band founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The group consisted of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto, and was previously a member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West. LeVox and DeMarcus are both natives of Columbus, Ohio.
"My Wish" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson, and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in August 2006 as the third single from their album Me and My Gang. It reached number one on the U.S. country charts in December 2006 and also peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of their popular crossover singles. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and at number 49 on the Billboard Pop 100. As of May 2016, the song has sold 2.927 million in the US. In August 2016, a re-recorded version of the song was released to celebrate the song's 10 year anniversary.
"Fast Cars and Freedom" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in March 2005 as the third single from the album Feels Like Today. It was the group's fourth Number One single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
"Take Me There" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in July 2007 as the first single from their album Still Feels Good. The song became their eighth number-one hit on the Hot Country Songs Chart the week of September 22, 2007.
"I Melt" is a song written by Gary LeVox, Wendell Mobley, and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in July 2003 as the third single from the band’s sophomore studio album Melt (2002). The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, staying at that position for three weeks behind Toby Keith’s "I Love This Bar". This was the group’s seventh entry on that chart.
Rascal Flatts were an American country music group founded in 1999 by Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. Signed to Lyric Street Records until 2010, the band released ten studio albums plus a greatest hits package, the first six on the Lyric Street Records label, the last four on Big Machine Records. Their highest-certified albums are Feels Like Today and Me and My Gang, which are both certified 5× Platinum. Except for their 2000 self-titled debut and 2017's Back to Us, all of the group's albums have reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart.
"Bob That Head" is a song written by Gary LeVox, Neil Thrasher, and Michael Dulaney and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in July 2008 as the fourth single from their album Still Feels Good. With a peak of number 15 in late 2008, the song became their first single not to reach Top 10.
"Here Comes Goodbye" is a song written by American Idol season 6 finalist Chris Sligh and Clint Lagerberg and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts, who released it in January 2009 as the first single from their album Unstoppable and the twenty-third single of their career. This song debuted at number 29 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts dated for February 7, 2009 and became their 10th number one on the chart dated April 25, 2009. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals" in 2010.
"Summer Nights" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was written by the band's lead singer Gary LeVox, along with Brett James and busbee. It was released in May 2009 as the second single from their sixth studio album Unstoppable.
"Why Wait" is a song written by Neil Thrasher, Tom Shapiro, and Jimmy Yeary and recorded by American country music band Rascal Flatts. It was released in August 2010 as the first single from the band's 2010 album Nothing Like This. It is also their first single from Big Machine Records.
"I Won't Let Go" is a song written by Steve Robson and Jason Sellers and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in January 2011 as the second single from the band's seventh studio album, Nothing Like This as well as their 28th single overall. The song received positive reviews from critics who praised Gary LeVox's vocal delivery. "I Won't Let Go" peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, number one on the Canadian country charts and number 31 on the Hot 100. The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over one million units in the country. It also managed to chart in Australia and Canada, peaking at numbers 39 and 68 respectively. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions and is footage of a live performance.
"Easy" is a song written by Katrina Elam and Michael Mobley and recorded by the American country music group Rascal Flatts as a duet with British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield. It was released in June 2011 as the third and final single from Rascal Flatts' album Nothing Like This. It became Rascal Flatts' fifth AC Top 20 hit. As of the chart dated July 21, 2012, the song has sold 917,000 copies in the US.
Changed is the eighth studio album by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It is their second studio album release after signing with Big Machine Records, and was released on April 3, 2012. The band released the album's debut single, "Banjo", on January 16, 2012. The album's second single "Come Wake Me Up" released to country radio on May 21, 2012. The album's third single, "Changed", released to country radio on December 17, 2012, AC and Christian AC on January 22, 2013. On June 28, 2013, Rascal Flatts released "Sunrise" as their first official single in the UK. This is the first album from the group to not have a Top 40 hit on the pop chart. This is the group's first album not to go platinum and last to go gold.
"Come Wake Me Up" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in May 2012 as the second single from their eighth studio album, Changed. The song was written by Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren and Sean McConnell. On November 7, a duet version with Swedish country/pop female singer, Jill Johnson was released on Johnson's album, A Woman Can Change Her Mind. The duet version was also released as a digital download internationally on November 16, 2012.
"How Country Feels" is a song written by Vicky McGehee, Wendell Mobley, and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music artist Randy Houser. It was released in May 2012 as the first single and title track from Houser's album of the same name. The song would become semi-famous for being the first song on a majority of stations nationwide joining Cumulus Media's "Nash FM" format, starting with WNSH in New York in January 2013; as a fitting bookend, when the format signed off the station in October 2021, station DJ Kelly Ford, the first under the format, would use it to sign off the station's live farewell show.
"Changed" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in December 2012 as the third single from their eighth studio album of the same name. The song was written by Gary LeVox, Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher. It was released to country radio on December 17, 2012, and AC and Christian AC radio on January 22, 2013.
"Rewind" is a song written by Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley, and Eric Paslay, and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It is their 33rd single release, and the first from their ninth studio album of the same name.
"Riot" is a song written by Jaron Boyer and Sara Haze, and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts as the third single from their ninth studio album Rewind (2014).
"I Like the Sound of That" is a song by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released on August 31, 2015, as the fourth and final single from their album Rewind. The song was written by Jesse Frasure along with American singer Meghan Trainor and Shay Mooney of the American country music duo Dan + Shay.
"Yours If You Want It" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in January 2017 as the first single from their tenth studio album, Back to Us (2017). The song was written by Andrew Dorff and Jonathan Singleton.