Strait Country is the debut studio album by American country music artist George Strait, released on September 4, 1981 by MCA Records. The album's traditional country music approach—a mix of Texas honky tonk and the Bakersfield sound—presented a sharp contrast to the dominating trends within country music at that time. The album includes the singles "Unwound", "Down and Out", and "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger ". The album peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait Country has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album was one of the first to be recorded and mixed digitally.
The Crossing is the debut album released by Scottish band Big Country. The album reached #3 in the UK; overseas, it hit #4 in Canada on the RPM national Top Albums Chart and #18 in the US on the Billboard 200 in 1983. It went on to be certified platinum in the UK and Canada. It contains the song "In a Big Country" which is their only U.S. Top 40 hit single. Stuart Adamson and fellow guitarist Bruce Watson used the MXR Pitch Transposer 129 effect pedal to create a guitar sound reminiscent of bagpipes. Also contributing to the band's unique sound was their use of the e-bow, a hand-held device which, through the use of magnets, causes the strings of an electric guitar to vibrate producing a soft attack which sounds more like strings or synthesizer.
The Seer is the third studio album by the Scottish band Big Country, released in 1986. The album featured very traditional Scottish musical settings, reminiscent of the band's debut album The Crossing (1983). Kate Bush worked on the title song in a duet with lead singer and lyricist Stuart Adamson. The album's first single, "Look Away", was an Irish number one, and was also the group's biggest hit single in the UK, reaching #7.
Ellen Muriel Deason, known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female country music singer. She broke down a barrier for women in country music with her 1952 hit recording "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", which also made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts and turned her into the first female country superstar. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” would also be her first of several pop crossover hits. Wells is the only artist to be awarded top female vocalist awards for 14 consecutive years. Her chart-topping hits continued until the mid-1960s, paving the way for and inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.
Samuel Paul Kershaw is an American country music artist. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including his only number one hit "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" and 10 more Top 10 hits: "Cadillac Style", "Anywhere but Here", "Haunted Heart", "Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer", "I Can't Reach Her Anymore", "National Working Woman's Holiday", "Third Rate Romance", "Meant to Be", "Vidalia", and "Love of My Life".
Patty Loveless is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first few releases were unsuccessful, she broke through by decade's end with a cover of George Jones's "If My Heart Had Windows". Loveless issued five albums on MCA before moving to Epic Records in 1993, where she released nine more albums. Four of her albums—Honky Tonk Angel, Only What I Feel, When Fallen Angels Fly, and The Trouble with the Truth—are certified platinum in the United States. Loveless has charted 44 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including five which reached number one: "Timber, I'm Falling in Love", "Chains", "Blame It on Your Heart", "You Can Feel Bad", and "Lonely Too Long".
"Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States. It topped the charts in both nations. The song was on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. is the debut studio album by American country music artist Dwight Yoakam. It was also the first of three consecutive No. 1 Billboard Country albums for him. This was Yoakam's first time working with record producer-guitarist Pete Anderson, who would become a long-term collaborator.
Honky Tonk Attitude is the third studio album by American country music artist Joe Diffie. Released in 1993, it features the singles "Honky Tonk Attitude", "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox ", "John Deere Green", and "In My Own Backyard", which respectively reached #5, #3, #5, and #19 on the Hot Country Songs charts. The song "If I Had Any Pride Left at All" was later recorded by John Berry on his 1995 album Standing on the Edge, from which it was released as a single.
"Honky-Tonk Man" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Johnny Horton. It was released in March 1956 as his debut single on Columbia Records, and the album of the same name reaching number 9 on the U.S. country singles charts. Horton re-released the song six years later, taking it to number 11 on the same chart.
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981.
"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)" is a song best known for the 1974 recording by American country music artist Conway Twitty, who took it to number 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart. The song was written by Troy Seals and Denny Rice and originally released on Troy Seals' 1973 debut album Now Presenting Troy Seals.
"Save Me" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 1990 as a single from their compilation album Through a Big Country: Greatest Hits. The song was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Tim Palmer. It reached number 41 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for three weeks.
"King of Emotion" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1988 as the lead single from their fourth studio album Peace in Our Time. It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Peter Wolf. "King of Emotion" reached No. 16 in the UK, No. 11 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and No. 20 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks.
"East of Eden" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1984 as the lead single from their second studio album Steeltown. It was written by Big Country and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "East of Eden" reached No. 17 in the UK, and No. 12 in Ireland.
"The Teacher" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1986 as the second single from their third studio album The Seer. It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Robin Millar. "The Teacher" reached No. 28 in the UK, and No. 14 in Ireland. A music video was filmed to promote the single.
"Ships (Where Were You)" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, written by Stuart Adamson (lyrics, music) and Bruce Watson (music). The song was originally recorded for and included on the band's fifth studio album No Place Like Home (1991). It was then re-recorded for their following album, The Buffalo Skinners (1993), and released as the album's second single. "Ships (Where Were You)" reached number 29 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 75 for three weeks.
"Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 1988 as the second single from their fourth studio album Peace in Our Time. It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Peter Wolf. "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" reached number 47 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for four weeks.
"Beautiful People" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1991 as the second and final single from their fifth studio album No Place Like Home. It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Pat Moran. "Beautiful People" reached No. 72 on the UK Singles Chart, and No. 36 on the BBC's Heavy Metal/Rock chart.
"I'm Not Afraid" is a song by English singer-songwriter Black, which was released in 1987 as the fourth single from his debut studio album Wonderful Life. The song was written by Black and Dave "Dix" Dickie, and produced by Robin Millar. "I'm Not Afraid" reached number 78 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for three weeks.
