Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)

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"Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)"
Single by The Judds
from the album Rockin' with the Rhythm
ReleasedJanuary 1986
Recorded1985
Genre Country
Length4:15
Label RCA/Curb
Songwriter(s) Jamie O'Hara
Producer(s) Brent Maher
The Judds singles chronology
"Have Mercy"
(1985)
"Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)"
(1986)
"Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain"
(1986)

"Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)" is a song written by Jamie O'Hara, and recorded by the American country music duo, The Judds. It was released in January 1986 as the second single from the album Rockin' with the Rhythm . The song was their sixth No. 1 song on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart. [1] Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. [2]

Contents

Content

"Grandpa" is a nostalgic country song in which the singer feels overwhelmed by the rapid changes of modern life ("It feels like this world's gone crazy") and wonders if things were really better in her grandfather's time. She asks him:

Poignantly, the song does not mention how her grandfather responds.

Chart performance

Chart (1986)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [3] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Canada Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [4] 31
US Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [5] 10
Year End (1986)Position
Billboard ?
Canadian RPM Country Tracks11

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [6] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Awards

The song won Grammy Awards for both The Judds in Country Duo/ Vocal Group category and for O'Hara in the Country Songwriting Category in 1987.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Judds</span> American country music duo

The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. The duo signed to RCA Nashville in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds were one of the most successful acts in country music history, winning five Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and nine Country Music Association awards. They also charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including fourteen that went to number one. After eight years as a duo, the Judds disbanded in 1991 after Naomi was diagnosed with hepatitis C. Wynonna began a highly successful solo career soon after, although she and her mother reunited on multiple occasions.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1986.

<i>Why Not Me</i> (album) 1984 studio album by The Judds

Why Not Me is the debut studio album by American country music duo the Judds. It was released on October 15, 1984, by RCA Records and was produced by Brent Maher. Why Not Me was recorded in a traditional acoustic format using only a handful of musicians. It contained a collection of ten tracks, including their previously released single, "Mama He's Crazy." It also included three singles that would become number one hits: the title track, "Girls' Night Out" and "Love Is Alive."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The O'Kanes</span> American country music vocal duo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie O'Hara (singer)</span> American musician (1950–2021)

James Paul O'Hara was an American country music artist. Between 1986 and 1990, he and Kieran Kane comprised The O'Kanes, a duo that charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, including the No. 1 single "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You". After the O'Kanes disbanded in 1990, both O'Hara and Kane recorded solo albums of their own. In addition, O'Hara continued writing songs for other country music artists, including The Judds' 1986 hit "Grandpa " which earned him a Grammy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Judds discography</span> Band discography

American country music duo The Judds released six studio albums, three live albums, 18 compilation albums, five video albums, two extended plays, one box set, five music videos, 29 singles and 1 album appearance. The duo consisted of mother, Naomi Judd, and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. The pair signed a recording contract with RCA Nashville and Curb Records in 1983. Later that year, their debut single was released called "Had a Dream ". Their next release, "Mama He's Crazy", became their first number one hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song's success led to the release of their debut EP in 1984. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. In October 1984, their debut studio album was released entitled Why Not Me. It peaked at number one on the country albums chart and number 71 on the Billboard 200. Why Not Me would sell over two million copies. It also spawned three number one country hits: the title track, "Girls' Night Out" and "Love Is Alive".

<i>Rockin with the Rhythm</i> 1985 studio album by The Judds

Rockin' with the Rhythm is the second studio album by American country music duo the Judds, released on October 30, 1985, by RCA Records. It features the singles "Have Mercy," "Grandpa ," "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain" and "Cry Myself to Sleep"; all four singles reached #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (The Judds album) 1988 greatest hits album by The Judds

Greatest Hits is the first compilation album, released in 1988 by American country music duo The Judds. It features the singles "Give a Little Love" and "Change of Heart."

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"My Town" is a song written by Reed Nielsen and Jeffrey Steele and recorded by American country music duo Montgomery Gentry. It was released in June 2002 as the lead-off single and title track to their album of the same name. It peaked on the U.S. country chart at #5 and also peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of their highest peaking crossover singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mama He's Crazy</span> Song written by Kenny ODell

"Mama He's Crazy" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell, and originally recorded by American country music duo The Judds. It was released in April 1984 as the second single from their debut January 1984 EP Wynonna & Naomi. The song was re-released on their full-length 1984 debut album Why Not Me. The song was their second hit and the first of 14 number one singles. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of 14 weeks on the country chart. It was only the second country number one sung by a female duo; previously only The Davis Sisters featuring Skeeter Davis had made it to number one on the country chart in 1953 with their song "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know".

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<i>Reflections</i> (The Judds album) 1994 compilation album by The Judds

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<i>Number One Hits</i> (The Judds album) 1994 compilation album by The Judds

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References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 184.
  2. Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
  3. "The Judds Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. "The Judds Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  5. "The Judds Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  6. "American single certifications – The Judds – Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 8, 2023.