Better Things to Do

Last updated
"Better Things to Do"
TC - Better Things to Do cover.png
Single by Terri Clark
from the album Terri Clark
B-side "Tyin' a Heart to a Tumbleweed" [1]
ReleasedJuly 10, 1995
Genre Country
Length3:08
Label PolyGram/Mercury
Songwriter(s) Terri Clark, Tom Shapiro, Chris Waters
Producer(s) Chris Waters, Keith Stegall
Terri Clark singles chronology
"Better Things to Do"
(1995)
"When Boy Meets Girl"
(1995)

"Better Things to Do" is a song written by Tom Shapiro, Chris Waters, and co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in July 1995 as her debut single and served as the lead single to her self-titled debut album. It was a Top 10 hit on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts, where it peaked at number 3 on both.

Contents

Content

"Better Things to Do" is an up-tempo song about a narrator who realizes that she has "better things to do" than to sit around and cry over her ended relationship. At the same time, her man wants her back, thinking she's lost without him.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "good uptempo tune with a solid delivery." [2]

Music video

Terri Clark's first music video was released for the song, directed by Michael Merriman. In the video, Clark is shown playing her guitar out in the desert as her ex is attempting to use a payphone to reach her. Later, she hops into her jeep and drives in circles around him as he pleads for her to come back to him. Eventually she drives off, leaving him in a cloud of dust.

Chart performance

"Better Things to Do" debuted at number 72 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of July 15, 1995.

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [3] 3
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [5] 64
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] 38

Related Research Articles

"Poor Poor Pitiful Me" is a rock song written and first recorded by American musician Warren Zevon in 1976.

Girls Lie Too 2004 single by Terri Clark

"Girls Lie Too" is a song written by Tim Nichols, Kelley Lovelace and Connie Harrington, and recorded by Canadian country music singer Terri Clark. It was released in April 2004 as the first single from her Greatest Hits 1994-2004 compilation album. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart on September 11, becoming Clark's second and most recent number one single in the United States.

Terri Clark discography

Canadian country music artist Terri Clark has released 12 studio albums, 1 live album, 3 compilation albums, 27 music videos and 43 singles. In 1994, she signed her first recording contract with Mercury Nashville Records. Her self-titled debut studio album was released in 1995. Its first three singles became top 10 hits on both the Billboard and Canadian country charts: "Better Things to Do", "When Boy Meets Girl", and "If I Were You". Clark's second studio album Just the Same was released in 1996. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" was issued as the lead single, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In 1998, Clark's third studio album How I Feel was released. The album spawned four singles including "You're Easy on the Eyes", which topped both the American and Canadian country charts. How I Feel would also become Clark's third album to certify platinum in sales from the RIAA and the MC.

Summers Comin 1995 single by Clint Black

"Summer's Comin'" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clint Black. It was released in March 1995 as the third single from his album One Emotion. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It was written by Black and Hayden Nicholas.

"You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in June 1995 as the fourth single from their third album Waitin' on Sundown. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. This is the third single to feature Kix Brooks on lead vocals instead of Ronnie Dunn, and the only single of such that was one of Brooks & Dunn's 20 Billboard No. 1 hits. The song was written by the duo along with Don Cook.

Youre Easy on the Eyes 1998 single by Terri Clark

"You're Easy on the Eyes" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in August 1998 as the second single from her CD, How I Feel, it spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, giving Clark her first Number One single in the United States. It was written by Clark, Tom Shapiro and Chris Waters.

You Aint Much Fun 1995 single by Toby Keith

"You Ain't Much Fun" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in March 1995 as the third single from his 1994 album Boomtown. The song peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and at number 3 on the Canadian RPM country tracks. Keith wrote this song with Carl Goff Jr.

I Just Wanna Be Mad 2002 single by Terri Clark

"I Just Wanna Be Mad" is a song written by Kelley Lovelace and Lee Thomas Miller, and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in August 2002 as the first single released from Clark's album Pain to Kill. It peaked at number 2 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Clark's first top 10 single on that chart since "You're Easy on the Eyes" in 1998, and reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Clark's performance of the song was nominated for a 2003 Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year.

Big Ol Truck 1995 single by Toby Keith

"Big Ol' Truck" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in July 1995 as the fourth and final single from his 1994 album Boomtown. The song peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, making it the first single of his career to miss the Top 10. The song was a Top 10 in Canada, having reached number 10 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.

Id Be Better Off (In a Pine Box) 1990 single by Doug Stone

"I'd Be Better Off " is a debut song written by Johnny MacRae and Steve Clark, and recorded by American country music artist Doug Stone. It was released in February 1990 as the first single from his self titled debut album. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and #5 on The Canadian RPM Tracks chart. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Party Crowd 1995 single by David Lee Murphy

"Party Crowd" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist David Lee Murphy. It was released in February 1995 as the third single from his debut album Out with a Bang. It peaked at number 6 in the United States, and number 7 in Canada, thus becoming his first top ten hit. The song was written by Murphy and Jimbeau Hinson.

"And Still" is a song written by Liz Hengber and Tommy Lee James, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in May 1995 as the fifth and final single from her album Read My Mind. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in August 1995.

26 Cents 1998 single by The Wilkinsons

"26 Cents", also written as "26¢", is the debut song of the Canadian country music group The Wilkinsons. Written by group member Steve Wilkinson along with William Wallace, it was released in June 1998 as the first single from their album Nothing but Love. The song reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in August 1998 and number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was named both Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Song Year of the Year and Single of the Year at the 1999 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

Emotional Girl 1997 single by Terri Clark

"Emotional Girl" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in January 1997 as the second single from Clark's album Just the Same. The song reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in March 1997 and number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was written by Clark, Rick Bowles and Chris Waters.

"If I Were You" is a song written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in February 1996 as the third single from her album Terri Clark. The song reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in June 1996.

"When Boy Meets Girl" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in October 1995 as the second single from her album Terri Clark. The song reached #3 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in February 1996 and #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was written by Clark, Tom Shapiro and Chris Waters.

Now That I Found You (Terri Clark song) 1998 single by Terri Clark

"Now That I Found You" is a song written by Paul Begaud, Vanessa Corish and J.D. Martin, and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in April 1998 as the first single from her album How I Feel. On July 17, 1998, the song reached number one on the US Radio & Records chart, number 2 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart in July 1998 and number 2 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Everytime I Cry 1999 single by Terri Clark

"Everytime I Cry" is a song written by Bob Regan and Karen Staley, and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in January 1999 as the third single from her album How I Feel. The song reached number 2 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in May 1999 and number 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

A Little Gasoline 2000 single by Terri Clark

"A Little Gasoline" is a song written by Dean Miller and Tammy Rogers, and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in July 2000 as the first single from her album Fearless. The song reached number 9 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in September 2000 and number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Suddenly Single 1996 single by Terri Clark

"Suddenly Single" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released in July 1996 as the fourth and final single from her self-titled debut album. The song reached #11 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart in June 1996. It also peaked at #34 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks. The song was written by Clark, Tom Shapiro and Chris Waters.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 95–96. ISBN   0-89820-177-2.
  2. Billboard , July 15, 1995
  3. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2785." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. October 23, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  4. "Terri Clark Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM . December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  6. "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.