Pain Killer (Little Big Town album)

Last updated
Pain Killer
PainKiller.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 21, 2014 (2014-10-21)
Genre Country
Length46:19
Label Capitol Nashville
Producer Jay Joyce
Little Big Town chronology
Tornado
(2012)
Pain Killer
(2014)
Wanderlust
(2016)
Singles from Pain Killer
  1. "Day Drinking"
    Released: June 9, 2014
  2. "Girl Crush"
    Released: December 15, 2014
  3. "Pain Killer"
    Released: August 24, 2015

Pain Killer is the sixth studio album by American country music group Little Big Town. It was released on October 21, 2014, through Capitol Nashville. [1] Little Big Town co-wrote eight of the album's thirteen tracks. [2] [3] Pain Killer was produced by Jay Joyce. [4]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [6] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg
Billboard [7] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Country Weekly [8] B+
Los Angeles Times [9] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg

Rating Pain Killer a "B+", Bob Paxman of Country Weekly praised the group's vocal harmonies and the songwriting, particularly the songs written by Lori McKenna, but criticized the "overly cluttered" production on some tracks. [8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the album as "the rarest thing in contemporary country, a record with an expansive world-view delivered with a kinetic kick and infallible melodies, a record that gives no indication of where it's going upon first listen but remains compelling upon further spins". [6] The album has a score of 83 on Metacritic indicating “universal acclaim.” [10]

Accolades

YearAssociationCategoryResult
2015 Academy of Country Music Album of the YearNominated
2015 Country Music Association Album of the Year Nominated
2016 Grammy Awards Best Country Album Nominated

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number seven on Billboard 200 and number three on Top Country Albums chart, selling 42,000 copies in its first week. [11] As of January 2017, the album has sold 511,300 copies in the United States. [12] The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units.

Track listing

The album's track listing was announced on July 14. [13] [14]

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Quit Breaking Up with Me"
  • Fairchild
  • Schlapman
3:24
2."Day Drinking"
Fairchild2:58
3."Tumble and Fall"
Westbrook4:41
4."Pain Killer"
  • Fairchild
  • Westbrook
  • Blair Daly
  • Lindsey
Fairchild3:11
5."Girl Crush"
  • McKenna
  • Rose
  • Lindsey
Fairchild3:13
6."Faster Gun"
  • Jeremy Spillman
  • Ryan Tyndell
  • Westbrook
  • Sweet
  • Sweet
  • Westbrook
4:10
7."Good People"
Schlapman3:41
8."Stay All Night"
  • Sweet
  • Westbrook
2:45
9."Save Your Sin"
  • McKenna
  • Rose
  • Lindsey
Schlapman2:46
10."Live Forever"
  • Fairchild
  • Westbrook
  • Sweet
  • Schlapman
  • Spillman
  • Tyndell
Sweet4:14
11."Things You Don't Think About"
Fairchild3:36
12."Turn the Lights On"
  • Fairchild
  • Westbrook
  • Sweet
  • Schlapman
  • Hemby
  • Joyce
  • Spillman
Fairchild4:08
13."Silver and Gold"
Westbrook3:33

Personnel

Adapted from Allmusic and Pain Killer liner notes. [6] [15]

Little Big Town

Charts

Chart positions

Chart (2014–16)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [16] 49
UK Albums (OCC) [17] 143
UK Country Albums (OCC) [18] 2
US Billboard 200 [19] 7
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [20] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2014)Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [21] 54
Chart (2015)Position
US Billboard 200 [22] 38
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [23] 10
Chart (2016)Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [24] 30

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png

Double-dagger-14-plain.png Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Big Town</span> American country band

Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. Their musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal harmonies, with all four members alternating as lead vocalists.

<i>Tornado</i> (Little Big Town album) 2012 studio album by Little Big Town

Tornado is the fifth studio album by American country music group Little Big Town. It was released on September 11, 2012 via Capitol Nashville. "Pontoon," which was released in April 2012 as the album's lead-off single, has since become their first number one song on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and Little Big Town's fastest-rising single to date. The album's second single, "Tornado," was released on October 1, 2012. It became their first album since 2005's The Road to Here to produce two top 10 singles and to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Cheers, Its Christmas</i> 2012 studio album by Blake Shelton

Cheers, It's Christmas is the first Christmas album and seventh studio album by American country music artist Blake Shelton. It was released on October 2, 2012, through Warner Bros. Nashville. Shelton co-wrote three tracks for the album.

<i>Love Is Everything</i> (George Strait album) 2013 studio album by George Strait

Love Is Everything is the twenty-eighth studio album by American country music artist George Strait. It was released on May 14, 2013 via MCA Nashville. Lead-off single "Give It All We Got Tonight" was released October 29, 2012 and became a top-10 single. Strait co-produced the album with his long-time producer Tony Brown. The album release was accompanied by a Spring 2014 concert tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.

<i>Bring You Back</i> 2013 studio album by Brett Eldredge

Bring You Back is the debut studio album by American country music artist Brett Eldredge. It was released on August 6, 2013 by Atlantic Nashville. The album was originally titled One Way Ticket, and was to include Eldredge's second single "It Ain't Gotta Be Love". However, the album was renamed before release and "It Ain't Gotta Be Love" was scrapped from the final track listing. The album includes the singles "Raymond", "Don't Ya", "Beat of the Music" and "Mean to Me". "Don't Ya", "Beat of the Music" and "Mean to Me" reached number one on the Country Airplay chart. The album has gained critical acclaim by music critics.

<i>A.M.</i> (Chris Young album) 2013 studio album by Chris Young

A.M. is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Chris Young. It was released on September 17, 2013, via RCA Nashville. Young co-wrote six of the album's eleven tracks. The album includes the singles "Aw Naw", "Who I Am with You" and "Lonely Eyes".

<i>Off the Beaten Path</i> (Justin Moore album) 2013 studio album by Justin Moore

Off the Beaten Path is the third studio album by American country music artist Justin Moore. It was released on September 17, 2013 via Valory Music Group. The album includes duets with Miranda Lambert and Charlie Daniels. A deluxe edition was also made available. The album has sold 364,000 copies in the US as of June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's My Kind of Night</span> 2013 single by Luke Bryan

"That's My Kind of Night" is a song written by Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, and Ashley Gorley and recorded by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released in August 2013 as the second single from his fourth studio album Crash My Party (2013).

<i>10,000 Towns</i> 2014 studio album by Eli Young Band

10,000 Towns is the fifth studio album by American country music group Eli Young Band. It was released on March 4, 2014 via Republic Nashville. The band wrote over half the tracks and co-produced the album with Frank Liddell and Justin Niebank. It includes the number one single "Drunk Last Night." An exclusive version of the album with three bonus tracks is available at Walmart.

<i>Slow Me Down</i> 2014 studio album by Sara Evans

Slow Me Down is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Sara Evans, released in 2014 by RCA Nashville.

<i>Rewind</i> (Rascal Flatts album) 2014 studio album by Rascal Flatts

Rewind is the ninth studio album by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released on May 13, 2014 via Big Machine Records. The album was produced by Rascal Flatts, Howard Benson and Dann Huff. A deluxe edition is available at Target with four bonus tracks. With the exception of the deluxe edition track "She Must Like Broken Hearts", this is the group's only album to not feature any songwriting credits from the group themselves. It is their final album to be produced by Huff, whose relationship with the group began with their 2006 album Me and My Gang. This is the band's last album to top the Billboard Country Albums chart.

<i>Band of Brothers</i> (Willie Nelson album) 2014 studio album by Willie Nelson

Band of Brothers is the 63rd studio album by country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. The album marks Nelson's return to writing after sixteen years, with nine out of the fourteen tracks being new original songs.

<i>Road Between</i> 2014 studio album by Lucy Hale

Road Between is the debut studio album by American singer Lucy Hale. The album was released on June 3, 2014 by Hollywood Records and DMG Nashville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day Drinking</span> 2014 single by Little Big Town

"Day Drinking" is a song recorded by American country music group Little Big Town. It was released in June 2014 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Pain Killer. Little Big Town debuted the song on the CMT Music Awards on June 4, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make Me Wanna</span> 2014 single by Thomas Rhett

"Make Me Wanna" is a song co-written and recorded by the American country music singer Thomas Rhett. It was released in August 2014 as the fifth single from his first album, It Goes Like This. The song was written by Rhett, Bart Butler and Larry McCoy.

<i>Sundown Heaven Town</i> 2014 studio album by Tim McGraw

Sundown Heaven Town is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released via Big Machine Records on September 16, 2014.

<i>Anything Goes</i> (Florida Georgia Line album) 2014 studio album by Florida Georgia Line

Anything Goes is the second studio album by American country music duo Florida Georgia Line. It was released on October 14, 2014, by Republic Nashville. The release of the album was announced August 15 from Central Park in New York City on Good Morning America. The album was produced by Joey Moi. Its first single, "Dirt", became Florida Georgia Line's sixth number one hit when it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

<i>Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe</i> 2014 studio album by Various artists

Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe is a 2014 studio album released via Big Machine Records. It is a tribute album to the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, featuring covers of their songs performed by various country music artists. The album's lead single is a cover of "Home Sweet Home", recorded by Justin Moore as a duet with Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2015.

<i>Spring Break...Checkin Out</i> 2015 EP by Luke Bryan

Spring Break...Checkin' Out is the seventh extended play (EP) from American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released on March 10, 2015, by Capitol Nashville as the last entry in Bryan's Spring Break collection. The EP is available in a full version, featuring five new tracks in addition to the six from previous EP Spring Break 6...Like We Ain't Ever (2014), or a 5-song version, featuring only the new tracks.

References

  1. Horton, Carrie (July 16, 2014). "Little Big Town Announce 'Pain Killer' Album, Reveal Track Listing". Taste of Country. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  2. Hicks, Gregory (July 20, 2014). "Little Big Town's 'Pain Killer' prescribed for October". The Tennessean . Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  3. Wyland, Sarah (July 16, 2014). "Little Big Town to Release Pain Killer on October 21". Great American Country . Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  4. Ragusa, Tammy (July 14, 2014). "Little Big Town to Release New Album, "Pain Killer," in October". Country Weekly . Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  5. "Pain Killer Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  6. 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pain Killer - Little Big Town". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  7. Newman, Melinda. "Little Big Town Finally Ready for the Big Time With Tour De Force 'Pain Killer'". Billboard .
  8. 1 2 Paxman, Bob (3 November 2014). "Pain Killer by Little Big Town". Country Weekly . 21 (44): 66. ISSN   1074-3235.
  9. Wood, Mikael. "Little Big Town revisits the song doctor on 'Pain Killer'". Los Angeles Times .
  10. Pain Killer by Little Big Town , retrieved 2020-04-19
  11. Wade Jessen, Nashville (October 30, 2014). "Little Big Town Leaps Onto Top Country Albums". Billboard.
  12. Bjorke, Matt (January 22, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: January 23, 2017". Roughstock.
  13. Betts, Stephen (July 14, 2014). "Little Big Town's 'Pain Killer' Fills October Prescription". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  14. Nicholson, Jessica (July 14, 2014). "Little Big Town's 'Pain Killer' To Release in October". MusicRow . Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  15. Pain Killer (CD booklet). Little Big Town. Capitol Records Nashville. 2014. B0021360-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. "Little Big Town Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  17. "CHART: CLUK Update 19.03.2016 (wk11)". Official Charts Company . Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  18. "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company.
  19. "Little Big Town Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  20. "Little Big Town Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
  21. "Top Country Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  22. "Billboard 200 Albums: 2015 Year-End top-selling albums across all genres". Billboard.
  23. "Top Country Albums: 2015 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  24. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  25. "American album certifications – Little Big Town – Pain Killer". Recording Industry Association of America.