Songs You Know by Heart

Last updated
Songs You Know by Heart
Songs You Know by Heart.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedOctober 14, 1985 [1]
Genre
Length42:44
Label MCA
Producer Don Gant, Norbert Putnam
Alternative cover
Songs You Know by Heart - Alternate.jpg
CD release cover art
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]

Songs You Know by Heart: Jimmy Buffett's Greatest Hit(s) is the 18th album and the first greatest hits compilation by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in 1985. The parenthetical "s" in the subtitle alludes to the status at the time of "Margaritaville" as Buffett's single large chart hit.

Contents

Despite its 1985 release date, the album only includes songs from 1973 to 1979. Aside from 1976's Havaña Daydreamin' , this compilation includes at least one song from each of Buffett's ABC Records/MCA Records albums released between 1973 and 1979.

Commercial performance

The album reached No. 100 on the Billboard 200. The album however has continued to sell, and it was certified Gold by the RIAA on December 12, 1989, and 7× Platinum on November 21, 2005, [1] which made it Buffett's most commercially successful. It has sold 5,646,300 copies in the United States as of October 2019. [3] Following Buffett's death in September 2023, Songs You Know By Heart re-entered the Billboard 200 at a new peak position of No. 4. [4]

Track listing

Side 1:

  1. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:53 (From Son of a Son of a Sailor )
  2. "He Went to Paris" (Buffett) – 3:31 (From A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean )
  3. "Fins" (Buffett, Deborah McColl, Barry Chance, Tom Corcoran) – 3:27 (From Volcano )
  4. "Son of a Son of a Sailor" (Buffett) – 3:25 (From Son of a Son of a Sailor)
  5. "A Pirate Looks at Forty" (Buffett) – 3:55 (From A1A )
  6. "Margaritaville" (Buffett) – 4:11 (From Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes )

Side 2:

  1. "Come Monday" (Buffett) – 3:11 (From Living and Dying in 3/4 Time )
  2. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" (Buffett) – 3:18 (From Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes)
  3. "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (Marvin Gardens) – 2:44 (From A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean)
  4. "Pencil Thin Mustache" (Buffett) – 2:52 (From Living and Dying in 3/4 Time)
  5. "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit" (Buffett) – 2:58 (From A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean)
  6. "Boat Drinks" (Buffett) – 2:38 (From Volcano)
  7. "Volcano" (Buffett, Keith Sykes, Harry Dailey) – 3:38 (From Volcano)

Charts

Weekly charts

1985 chart performance for Songs You Know by Heart
Chart (1985)Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [5] 27
US Billboard 200 [6] 100
2023 chart performance for Songs You Know by Heart
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [7] 44
US Billboard 200 [8] 4

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Songs You Know by Heart
Chart (2018)Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [9] 95

Notes

  1. 1 2 "American certifications – Jimmy Buffett – Songs You Know by Heart". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2934
  3. Bjorke, Matt (October 9, 2019). "Top Country Catalog Album Sales: October 9, 2019". RoughStock. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  4. Garcia, Thania (11 September 2023). "Jimmy Buffett's Greatest Hits Album Enters Top 10 for First Time Following His Death". Variety. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  5. "Jimmy Buffett Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
  6. "Jimmy Buffett Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  7. "Jimmy Buffett Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  8. "Zach Bryan Spends Second Week Atop Billboard 200 With Self-Titled Album". Billboard. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  9. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2021.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Buffett</span> American singer-songwriter (1946–2023)

James William Buffett was an American singer-songwriter. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapism" and promoted enjoying life and following passions. Buffett recorded many hit songs, including those known as "The Big 8": "Margaritaville" (1977), which is ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of "Songs of the Century"; "Come Monday" (1974); "Fins" (1979); "Volcano" (1979); "A Pirate Looks at Forty" (1974); "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (1978); "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (1973); and "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" (1977). His other popular songs include "Son of a Son of a Sailor" (1978), "One Particular Harbour" (1983), and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" with Alan Jackson (2003). Buffett formed the Coral Reefer Band in 1975.

<i>Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes</i> 1977 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is the seventh studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. This is his breakthrough album, which remains the best-selling studio album of Buffett's career, and contains his biggest single, "Margaritaville". It was initially released in January 1977 as ABC AB-990 and rereleased on its successor label, MCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaritaville</span> 1977 single by Jimmy Buffett

"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on his seventh album, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. In the United States, "Margaritaville" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart, also peaking at No. 13 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked it number 14 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. It was Buffett's highest charting solo single. After Buffett’s death on September 1, 2023, the song re-entered the Top 40 for the week ending September 16, 2023.

<i>Son of a Son of a Sailor</i> 1978 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Son of a Son of a Sailor is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in March 1978 as ABC Dunhill AA-1046 and later re-released on its successor label, MCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheeseburger in Paradise (song)</span> 1978 single by Jimmy Buffett

"Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer Jimmy Buffett. It appeared on his 1978 album Son of a Son of a Sailor and was released as a single, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" became one of Buffett's signature songs, and was selected as the first track on his greatest hits album Songs You Know by Heart.

<i>A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean</i> 1973 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released on June 4, 1973, as his first album for Dunhill.

<i>Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Jimmy Buffett

Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection is a Jimmy Buffett greatest hits compilation album consisting of 2 compact discs and 38 songs. The album is notable for several newly recorded and updated versions of songs considered as classics in his repertoire. It includes every track from Songs You Know By Heart except for "Boat Drinks".

<i>Living and Dying in 3/4 Time</i> 1974 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Living and Dying in ¾ Time is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is the second major label album in Buffett's Don Gant-produced "Key West phase". It was initially released in February 1974 as his second album for Dunhill Records. It contains the song "Come Monday", his first top-40 hit single.

<i>Live at Fenway Park</i> 2005 live album by Jimmy Buffett

Live at Fenway Park is a live album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is one of a number of Jimmy Buffett sound board live albums recorded directly from the mixing console without further editing, in this sense resembling bootleg recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Utley</span> American songwriter

Michael Edward Utley is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and musical director for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.

<i>You Had to Be There</i> 1978 live album by Jimmy Buffett

You Had to Be There is a live double album by the American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was originally released in October 1978 as ABC AK-1008/2 and later re-released on ABC's successor label MCA. It is the first of Buffett's many live albums and his tenth album overall. The original vinyl print album included a fold-out poster showing many photos taken during the 1978 tour.

Jimmy Buffett sound board live albums are a series of live albums by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett recorded directly from the sound board without further editing thus resembling bootleg recordings. The albums were recorded at various concerts throughout the United States and represent typical Buffett live shows of their era with most of the albums recorded during Buffett's 2003 Tiki Time Tour. They have been released on compact disc on Buffett's own Mailboat Records distributed by RCA.

<i>Live in Auburn, WA</i> 2003 live album by Jimmy Buffett

Live in Auburn is a live album by the American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and is one of number of Jimmy Buffett sound board live albums recorded directly from the mixing console without further editing, thus resembling bootleg recordings.

<i>Floridays</i> Album by Jimmy Buffett

Floridays is the fifteenth album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in June 1986 as MCA 5730 and was produced by Coral Reefer Band member Michael Utley and recorded and mixed by Jay Rifkin. The title of the album is taken from the 1941 poetry collection of the same name by Don Blanding. The album marks the end of Buffett's shift toward a more country sound that characterized his previous two releases and a return to a sound closer to that of his late 1970s and early 1980s output. The album features a wider variety of musical instruments than was typical for Buffett's previous works, notably several songs with strings and horns. His daughter Savannah Jane Buffett is credited for playing mini-conga on the album. It was also his last studio album to feature Jimmy Buffett's trademark mustache, before he shaved it off for the next album Hot Water in 1988.

<i>Hot Water</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Hot Water is the sixteenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in June 1988 by MCA 42093 and was produced by Coral Reefer Band members Michael Utley, Russell Kunkel, and Ralph MacDonald. The album was engineered and mixed by Jay Rifkin. The album was Jimmy's first album recorded at his new studio in Key West, Florida called Shrimpboat Sound. The LP continues Buffett's use of a wide variety of musical instruments than was typical for Buffett's earlier works, notably horns and percussion. Buffett shaved off his trademark mustache for the album.

<i>Off to See the Lizard</i> 1989 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Off to See the Lizard is the seventeenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Initially to be called Stranger than Fishing, it was released in June 1989 as MCA 6314 and was produced by Elliot Scheiner and Buffett. The album is the first to feature much of the Coral Reefer Band. Following the release of this album, Buffett paused his normal output of one album every year or two and did not release another album until 1994's Fruitcakes.

<i>Feeding Frenzy: Jimmy Buffett Live!</i> 1990 live album by Jimmy Buffett

Feeding Frenzy: Jimmy Buffett Live! is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in October 1990 as MCA 10022. It is the second of Buffett's many live albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (song)</span> 1977 single by Jimmy Buffett

"Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" is a song written and recorded by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released as a single on ABC Dunhill 12305 in August 1977.

<i>Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays</i> 1999 live album by Jimmy Buffett

Buffett Live – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released on November 9, 1999. The album's material was culled from several concerts during the Don't Stop That Carnival Tour (1998) and Beach House on the Moon Tour (1999). It was the first live album by Buffett since Feeding Frenzy was released in October 1990 and Mailboat Records' debut release.

<i>Songs You Dont Know by Heart</i> 2020 studio album by Jimmy Buffett

Songs You Don't Know by Heart is the thirty-first studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on November 27, 2020. This was the last studio album to be released in Buffett's lifetime before his death in 2023.