Pickin' on Nashville

Pickin' on Nashville
Pickin' on Nashville
Studio album by the Kentucky Headhunters
Released	October 17, 1989
Studio	Sound Shop (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Country rock, Southern rock
Length	34:21
Label	Mercury
Producer	The Kentucky Headhunters
The Kentucky Headhunters chronology
Singles from Pickin' on Nashville
	"Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine"; Released: September 1989; "Dumas Walker"; Released: January 12, 1990; "Oh Lonesome Me"; Released: May 1990; "Rock 'n' Roll Angel"; Released: October 13, 1990;

Last updated June 03, 2025

Pickin' on Nashville is the debut studio album by American country rock/southern rock band the Kentucky Headhunters. It features the singles "Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine", "Oh Lonesome Me", "Dumas Walker", and "Rock 'n' Roll Angel", all of which charted in the Top 40 on the Hot Country Songs charts. "Oh Lonesome Me" was also the highest charting, at No. 8. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the band in 1991.

"Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine" is a cover of a Bill Monroe song, "Skip a Rope" a cover of a Henson Cargill song, and "Oh Lonesome Me" a cover of a Don Gibson song. After brothers Ricky Lee and Doug Phelps left the band in 1992 to form the duo Brother Phelps; they recorded "Ragtop" on their second album (1994's Any Way the Wind Blows ). Doug rejoined the band in 1997.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

The Tulsa World noted that the band "have more in common with the Georgia Satellites than just a similar name—their bar-band, three- and four-chord boogie has the same loose, endearingly sappy quality."^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine"	Bill Monroe, Jake Landers	3:44
2.	"Dumas Walker"	The Kentucky Headhunters	2:50
3.	"Rag Top"	Doug Phelps, Ricky Lee Phelps	3:11
4.	"Rock 'n' Roll Angel"	Richard Young	3:51
5.	"Smooth"	R. L. Phelps, Samuel Edward Crowe	4:27
6.	"High Steppin' Daddy"	Ralph Wade Martin	2:57
7.	"Skip a Rope"	Glenn Tubb, Jack Moran	2:31
8.	"Some Folks Like to Steal"	R. Young, Fred Young, Martin	2:51
9.	"Oh Lonesome Me"	Don Gibson	3:09
10.	"My Daddy Was a Milkman"	The Kentucky Headhunters	4:28

Personnel

The Kentucky Headhunters

Greg Martin - lead guitar
Doug Phelps - background vocals, bass guitar
Ricky Lee Phelps - lead vocals
Fred Young - drums
Richard Young - rhythm guitar

Additional musician

Richard Ripani - Hammond B-3 organ on "Oh Lonesome Me", "cheesy organ" on "Rock 'n' Roll Angel"

Technical

Mike Bradley - recording, mixing
The Kentucky Headhunters - producer, arrangement
Glenn Meadows - mastering
Jim Zumwalt - executive producer

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1989–1990)	Peak position
US Billboard 200 ^[3]	41
US Top Country Albums ( Billboard )^[4]	2

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)	Position
US Billboard 200^[5]	58
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[6]	3
Chart (1992)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[7]	72

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[8]	2× Platinum	200,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[9]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

↑ "Pickin' on Nashville Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
↑ Wooley, John (November 5, 1989). "And speaking of hillbilly rock...". Tulsa World. p. H14.
↑ "The Kentucky Headhunters, TLP" . Billboard . Retrieved December 22, 2020.
↑ "The Kentucky Headhunters, CLP" . Billboard . Retrieved December 22, 2020.
↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
↑ "Canadian album certifications – The Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Music Canada . Retrieved January 3, 2021.
↑ "American album certifications – Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 3, 2021.

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[AM-1] "Pickin' on Nashville Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2024.

[2] Wooley, John (November 5, 1989). "And speaking of hillbilly rock...". Tulsa World. p. H14.

[3] "The Kentucky Headhunters, TLP" . Billboard . Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[4] "The Kentucky Headhunters, CLP" . Billboard . Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[5] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[6] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[7] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[CanadaThe_Kentucky_HeadhuntersPickin'_on_NashvillealbumCertRef-8] "Canadian album certifications – The Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Music Canada . Retrieved January 3, 2021.

[United_StatesKentucky_HeadhuntersPickin'_on_NashvillealbumCertRef-9] "American album certifications – Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 3, 2021.

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v t e The Kentucky Headhunters
Greg Martin Doug Phelps Fred Young Richard Young James Harrison Anthony Kenney Mark S. Orr Ricky Lee Phelps
Studio albums	Pickin' on Nashville Electric Barnyard Rave On!! That'll Work (with Johnnie Johnson) Stompin' Grounds Songs from the Grass String Ranch Soul Big Boss Man Dixie Lullabies Meet Me in Bluesland (with Johnnie Johnson) On Safari That's a Fact Jack!
Compilation albums	The Best of The Kentucky Headhunters: Still Pickin' Flying Under the Radar Authorized Bootleg: Live – Agara Ballroom – Cleveland, Ohio
Notable singles	"Dumas Walker" "Oh Lonesome Me" "Rock 'n' Roll Angel" "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" "Let's Work Together" "Blue Moon of Kentucky" "Dixie Fried" "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" "Singin' the Blues" "Big Boss Man" "Chug-a-Lug" "Take These Chains from My Heart"
Related articles	Discography Brother Phelps

v t e CMA Album of the Year
1967−1970	There Goes My Everything – Jack Greene (1967) Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash (1968) Johnny Cash At San Quentin – Johnny Cash (1969) Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1970)
1971−1980	I Won't Mention It Again – Ray Price (1971) Let Me Tell You About a Song – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1972) Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich (1973) A Very Special Love Song – Charlie Rich (1974) A Legend in My Time – Ronnie Milsap (1975) Wanted! The Outlaws – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser (1976) Ronnie Milsap Live – Ronnie Milsap (1977) It Was Almost Like a Song – Ronnie Milsap (1978) The Gambler – Kenny Rogers (1979) Coal Miner's Daughter – Various artists (1980)
1981−1990	I Believe in You – Don Williams (1981) Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson (1982) The Closer You Get – Alabama (1983) A Little Good News – Anne Murray (1984) Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind – George Strait (1985) Lost in the Fifties Tonight – Ronnie Milsap (1986) Always And Forever – Randy Travis (1987) Born to Boogie – Hank Williams Jr. (1988) Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1989) Pickin' on Nashville – The Kentucky Headhunters (1990)
1991−2000	No Fences – Garth Brooks (1991) Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks (1992) I Still Believe in You – Vince Gill (1993) Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles – Various artists (1994) When Fallen Angels Fly – Patty Loveless (1995) Blue Clear Sky – George Strait (1996) Carrying Your Love with Me – George Strait (1997) Everywhere – Tim McGraw (1998) A Place in the Sun – Tim McGraw (1999) Fly – The Dixie Chicks (2000)
2001−2010	O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various artists (2001) Drive – Alan Jackson (2002) American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (2003) When the Sun Goes Down – Kenny Chesney (2004) There's More Where That Came From – Lee Ann Womack (2005) Time Well Wasted – Brad Paisley (2006) It Just Comes Natural – George Strait (2007) Troubadour – George Strait (2008) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2009) Revolution – Miranda Lambert (2010)
2011−2020	My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean (2011) Chief – Eric Church (2012) Based on a True Story... – Blake Shelton (2013) Platinum – Miranda Lambert (2014) Traveller – Chris Stapleton (2015) Mr. Misunderstood – Eric Church (2016) From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton (2017) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2018) Girl – Maren Morris (2019) What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs (2020)
2021−2030	Starting Over – Chris Stapleton (2021) Growin' Up – Luke Combs (2022) Bell Bottom Country - Lainey Wilson (2023) Leather - Cody Johnson (2024)