"Tennessee Whiskey" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by David Allan Coe | ||||
from the album Tennessee Whiskey | ||||
B-side | "This Bottle (In My Hand)" | |||
Released | 1981 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:59 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Billy Sherrill | |||
David Allan Coe singles chronology | ||||
|
"Tennessee Whiskey" is an American country song written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove. It was originally recorded by country artist David Allan Coe for his album of the same name, peaking at number 77 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1981. [1] George Jones' 1983 version of the song was included on his album Shine On , and reached number two on the Hot Country Singles chart.
The song has been covered by several artists, including Chris Stapleton, whose breakout performance of the song at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards with Justin Timberlake propelled the song to a greater level of popularity. Stapleton's version of the song has been certified 17× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [2]
"Tennessee Whiskey" was written in 1981 by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove. The pair decided to write a song together after meeting each other at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. He had an idea for it for some time and they went back to Hargrove's house to write the song at four o'clock in the morning. [3]
After completion, the song was first offered to George Strait but he turned it down. [4] It was first recorded by American country music artist David Allan Coe for his album of the same name Tennessee Whiskey released in 1981. His version is recorded in more of a traditional country style. Commercially, it peaked at number 77 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. [5]
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6] | 77 |
"Tennessee Whiskey" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by George Jones | ||||
from the album Shine On | ||||
B-side | "Almost Persuaded" | |||
Released | August 1983 | |||
Studio | Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 2:50 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Billy Sherrill | |||
George Jones singles chronology | ||||
|
The song was later covered by fellow American country music artist George Jones, whose version was released in August 1983 as the third single from his album Shine On . Jones' version reached a new peak commercially, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in November 1983 [7] and number one on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. [8]
The song remained a mainstay in Jones' live set, with the singer often substituting the name of whatever city or town he was in for "Tennessee" in the second chorus. In 1985, he performed the song at the inaugural Farm Aid, and Coe joined Jones onstage to sing a chorus.
Chart (1983) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [9] | 2 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
"Tennessee Whiskey" | |
---|---|
Promotional single by Chris Stapleton | |
from the album Traveller | |
Released | 2015 |
Genre | |
Length | 4:53 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
|
American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton recorded an R&B-influenced cover of the song for his debut studio album Traveller released in 2015. [12] Stapleton first sang his version on the spur of the moment while the band was playing during a soundcheck before a show in Charlottesville, Virginia. Stapleton and the band enjoyed playing the song, and he decided to sing the song every show. [13] His producer Dave Cobb heard the song and suggested that he should record the song for his album. [14] His cover was never officially released to radio as a single, but it was released as a promotional CD single. [15]
On November 4, 2015, Stapleton performed it at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards as a duet with Justin Timberlake. The performance was described as the best moment of the night by music writers. [10] [11] Based solely on two days' sales after the broadcast, it reached number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 131,000 copies. [16] [17] It peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100 the following week, selling a further 118,000 copies. [18] [19] It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on May 4, 2016, [2] and reached over a million in sales in the US by January 2017. [20] It was certified 6× Platinum on July 31, 2019, for six million units in combined streams and sales. [2] It has sold 1.98 million copies in the US as of March 2020. [21]
Stapleton and Timberlake also performed the song at the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival [22] and at the Man of the Woods Tour's Nashville concert. [23] The song was nominated for ACM Song of the Year in 2017. [24]
In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked Stapleton's rendition of the song at number 90 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking. [25]
Chart (2015–2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [26] | 70 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [27] | 39 |
New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ) [28] | 7 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [29] | 20 |
US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) [30] | 57 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [31] | 1 |
Chart (2020–21) | Peak position |
---|---|
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [32] | 175 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [33] | 62 |
Chart (2015) | Position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [34] | 89 |
Chart (2016) | Position |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [35] | 63 |
Chart (2017) | Position |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [36] | 98 |
Chart (2019) | Position |
US Rolling Stone Top 100 [37] | 92 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [38] | 5× Platinum | 350,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [39] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [40] | Gold | 40,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [41] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [42] | 8× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [2] | 17× Platinum | 17,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Meghan Linsey performed the song on season 8 of The Voice in May 2015. [44] Her version charted on the country chart after her performance with 32,000 copies sold that week. [45] Deana Martin gave "Tennessee Whiskey" a new beat when she recorded it for her 2016 album Swing Street. [46]
A YouTube video featuring Kris Jones at the wheel of his pickup truck, recorded by his daughter Dayla, went viral and has gained over 35 million views. It led to a performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show . [47] In 2017, Stan Walker and Parson James released a version as a single. [48] Australian singer Judah Kelly covered the song on his debut album, Count On Me (2017). [49] Keke Wyatt also covered the song in 2017 for her album of covers called Keke Covers where she did an R&B inspired version of the tune.
In 2017 Keala Settle released a version of "Tennessee Whiskey" on her EP Chapter One. It has gained 1.4 millions plays on Spotify.
Tommy Vext, formerly of Bad Wolves, recorded a cover on his covers album, Uncovered, Vol. 2 (2022).
T-Pain released a version of "Tennessee Whiskey" on his covers album On Top of the Covers (2023). [50]
A video of Døvydas and Vere Hill singing the track has garnered almost 20 million views as of early 2023. [51] [52]
Garfield Fleming of Delfonics fame recorded a version as a single in 2024 based on Spotify.
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [53] | 18 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [54] | 28 |
In March 2018, it was announced that Tennessee Whiskey: The Musical, a play for Broadway and based on the story of Dean Dillon, is in the pre-production phase. [55]
Stapleton's cover appears in George Clooney’s sci-fi film The Midnight Sky . [56]
Stapleton's cover also appears in the pilot episode to the neo-western drama series Yellowstone . [57]
The discography of Brad Paisley, an American country music singer, consists of 12 studio albums, three compilation albums, and 46 singles. All but two of Paisley's singles have hit the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, with all but six reaching the top ten. He has 21 number ones, including a streak of ten consecutive, starting with the 2005–06 Dolly Parton duet "When I Get Where I'm Going". When "Waitin' on a Woman", reached number 1 in late 2008, Paisley set a new record for the most consecutive number ones (10) by any country artist since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1990. This streak lasted until mid-2009's number 2 single "Welcome to the Future".
Joey + Rory was an American country and bluegrass duo composed of singer-songwriters Rory Feek and Joey Feek, who were husband and wife. Both members of the duo were vocalists and songwriters, with Rory also playing acoustic guitar. Rory Lee Feek had written singles for other artists prior to the duo's foundation. The duo was the third-place finalist on CMT's competition Can You Duet in 2008. The duo recorded eight studio albums for Vanguard Records and Gaither Music Group and charted three singles on Hot Country Songs.
"Keep On Lovin' You" is a debut song recorded by American country music duo Steel Magnolia, which was written by Chris Stapleton and Trent Willmon. It was released in September 2009 as the first single from the album Steel Magnolia. The digital iTunes single was released a month earlier on August 9, 2009. It is included on the duo's self-titled EP, released in February 2010. The song was performed by the duo on the season finale of the CMT series Can You Duet, which they also won.
Christopher Alvin Stapleton is an American country singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Kentucky, Stapleton moved to Nashville in 1996 to study for an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pursue a career in music. Shortly after, he signed a contract with Sea Gayle Music to write and publish his music.
Frank Robert Ballard IV is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released two albums each for Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records, and has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs charts.
Tyler Lynn Farr is an American country music singer and songwriter. Originally signed to BNA Records Farr released two singles for the label before it closed. He transferred to Columbia Records Nashville, releasing two albums: Redneck Crazy in 2013 and Suffer in Peace in 2015. Overall he has charted eight singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. His highest ranking on the latter chart is "A Guy Walks Into a Bar" which placed at No. 1 in 2015.
"Drink a Beer" is a song written by Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton and recorded by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released in November 2013 as the third single from his fourth studio album, Crash My Party (2013), and became his seventh number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in February 2014. Bryan has described "Drink a Beer" as "the coolest sad song ever" and notes he connects with the story after having lost both of his siblings.
Michael Ray Roach is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Warner Music Nashville. He has released two albums for the label: Michael Ray and Amos.
Traveller is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton, and was released on May 5, 2015, through Mercury Nashville.
Emily Ann Roberts is an American country singer and songwriter. She was a contestant on NBC's The Voice, as a member of team Blake Shelton, and she became a finalist on season nine. Songs she performed on the show charted on the Billboard magazine charts, where three songs were on the Hot Country Songs and one placed on the Hot Christian Songs chart. After the show, she finished school before focusing on her music career. In 2018 she released her first single "Stuck on Me and You," which charted in the top 40 on iTunes. On May 14, 2019 Emily Ann returned to The Voice stage to perform her newest single "Someday Dream". As of June 2019 she is signed to Starstruck Records. A full album was to be released sometime in 2019. Her debut album, Can't Hide Country, was released on September 22, 2023.
The discography of American country music artist Jana Kramer consists of two studio albums, 13 singles, three promotional singles, 10 music videos, and two album appearances. Kramer began her early career as a television actress, appearing in various soap operas and syndicated shows. In 2011, she signed a recording contract following the exposure of a recurring role on the television series One Tree Hill.
"Nobody to Blame" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. The song was released in November 2015 as the singer's third single overall. Stapleton co-wrote the song with Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman. It became Stapleton's first top 10 single on the US Country Airplay chart. "Nobody to Blame" won Song of the Year at the ACM Awards.
"Parachute" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. It is the third single from his debut album Traveller. The song was written by Stapleton and Jim Beavers.
American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton has released five studio albums, one EP, 21 singles, six promotional singles, and three music videos. His debut solo album, Traveller, was released on May 5, 2015, by Mercury Nashville. It reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and gold by Music Canada. Its album track "Tennessee Whiskey" was certified fourteen-times Platinum in the US and reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the single "Nobody to Blame" reached the top 10 on the US Country Airplay chart. Stapleton's second studio album From A Room: Volume 1 was released on May 5, 2017, and Volume 2, on December 1. Traveller and Volume 1 were the best-selling country albums of 2016 and 2017, respectively. Volume 1 and Volume 2 both debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.
"Broken Halos" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. Written by Stapleton and Mike Henderson, it was released on April 14, 2017 as a promotional single from his second studio album From A Room: Volume 1. The lead track on Volume 1, it was serviced to country radio on July 17 as the album's second single. It won the awards for Best Country Song at the 60th Grammy Awards, and Single of the Year and Song of the Year and the 52nd Country Music Association Awards. Additionally, it received a nomination for Single Record of the Year at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards,
"Either Way" is a song written by Chris Stapleton, Tim James and Kendell Marvel. It is the first single off Stapleton's 2017 album, From A Room: Volume 1. The song was first recorded by Lee Ann Womack on her 2008 album, Call Me Crazy. It won the award for Best Country Solo Performance at the 60th Grammy Awards.
American country music singer and songwriter Cole Swindell has released four studio albums, five extended plays, and thirteen singles. He has also released sixteen music videos. All four of Swindell's studio albums have been released through Warner Music Nashville: Cole Swindell in 2014, You Should Be Here in 2016, All of It in 2018, and Stereotype in 2022. His self-titled debut is also his most commercially successful album, having been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
American country music artist Dustin Lynch has released six studio albums, one extended play, fourteen music videos, and seventeen singles, of which nine have reached number one on Country Airplay. He first charted a number one single with "Where It's At".
American singer Kane Brown has released three studio albums, three extended plays, twenty singles, and twenty-three music videos.
"Say Something" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake featuring vocals by fellow American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. It was released on January 25, 2018, as the third single from his fifth studio album Man of the Woods (2018) along with its music video. The song was written and produced by Timberlake, Larrance Dopson, Floyd Nathaniel Hills, and Timbaland, with additional songwriting by Stapleton. It debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Timberlake's 19th top 10 single as a solo artist and Stapleton's first. It also reached number one in Slovakia and Slovenia and the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It was serviced to contemporary hit radio on February 13, 2018. A live version of the song was released on March 31. "Say Something" received a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.