The Dance (song)

Last updated
"The Dance"
Garth Brooks - The Dance.jpg
Single by Garth Brooks
from the album Garth Brooks
B-side "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
ReleasedApril 30, 1990
RecordedNovember 1, 1988
Genre Country
Length3:40
Label Capitol Nashville
Songwriter(s) Tony Arata
Producer(s) Allen Reynolds
Garth Brooks singles chronology
"Not Counting You"
(1990)
"The Dance"
(1990)
"Friends in Low Places"
(1990)

"The Dance" is a song written by Tony Arata, and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks as the tenth and final track from his self-titled debut album, from which it was also released as the album's fourth and final single in April 1990. It is considered by many to be Brooks' signature song. [1] In a 2015 interview with Patrick Kielty of BBC Radio 2, Brooks credits the back to back success of both "The Dance" and its follow up "Friends in Low Places" for his phenomenal success.

Contents

Background

At the opening of the music video, Brooks explains that the song is written with a double meaning - both as a love song about the end of a passionate relationship, and a story of someone dying because of something he believes in, after a moment of glory.

Music video

The song's music video, directed by John Lloyd Miller, features an introduction by Brooks himself explaining the alternative meaning of the song. [2] The video shows several American icons and examples of people who died for a dream. These include archive footage of the following:

It was awarded Video of the Year at the 1990 ACM Music Awards. [2]

Chart performance

On the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, The Dance reached number one and remained there for three consecutive weeks until it was knocked off by "Good Times" by Dan Seals

Release and reception

Released near the beginning of his career, "The Dance" was a hit single around the world, including the United States, Europe, and Ireland, charting inside the British pop top 40. [3] The song cemented Brooks as a country superstar and made him the face of the country music explosion during the 90s. In 1990, it was named both Song of the Year and Video of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. It was awarded the number 14 position in the CMT 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music broadcast in 2003 [4] and also the number 5 position on the network's The Greatest: 100 Greatest Music Videos special in 2004. [5]

In a 1994 Playboy interview, Brooks said, "unless I am totally surprised, The Dance will be the greatest success as a song we will ever do. I'll go to my grave with The Dance. It'll probably always be my favorite song." [6]

In 2001, after the death of Dale Earnhardt, Brooks was invited to the NASCAR awards ceremony that was honoring Earnhardt to play the song as a tribute. [7] [8] The song has been used as several country stations' last song before changing formats. It was also the second song to be played on UK station Country 1035, the first being another Brooks number.

On February 6, 2014, "The Dance" was performed by Brooks on the final episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC.

Track listing

U.S. 7-inch promotional singleCapitol Nashville NR-44629, 1990

  1. "The Dance" - 3:37
  2. "The Dance"

U.S. 7" jukebox singleLiberty S7-17441-A, 1990

  1. "The Dance" - 3:41
  2. "If Tomorrow Never Comes"

U.K. CD singleCapitol CDCLS-735, 1993
Disc 1

  1. "The Dance"
  2. "Friends in Low Places"
  3. "Victim of the Game"
  4. "Kickin' & Screamin'

Disc 2

  1. "The Dance"
  2. "Friends in Low Places"
  3. "The River" (live acoustic version)

Chart positions

Chart (1990)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [9] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [10] 89
Irish Singles Chart [11] 3
Scottish Singles Chart [12] 31
UK Singles Chart [13] 36
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [14] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [15] 8
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [16] 13

Rockell version

"The Dance"
Rockell Version The Dance.jpg
Single by Rockell
from the album Instant Pleasure
ReleasedAugust 1, 2000
Genre Freestyle, dance
Length4:04
Label Robbins Entertainment
Songwriter(s) Tony Arata
Rockell singles chronology
"When I'm Gone"
(1999)
"The Dance"
(2000)
"What U Did 2 Me"
(2001)

"The Dance" is the fifth single in the overall discography of American freestyle recording artist Rockell. It is the first single she released from her second album, Instant Pleasure . There was no video made for this single.

Track listing

US CD single

No.TitleLength
1."The Dance" (The Hex/Dez Radio Mix)4:09
2."The Dance" (The Hex/Dez Club Mix)9:21

Chart positions

ChartPeak
position
US Hot Dance Singles Sales 27

Related Research Articles

Chris Gaines is a one-off fictional rock persona created as a movie character for Garth Brooks to explore musical styles far removed from his success as a country singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garth Brooks discography</span>

American country music singer-songwriter Garth Brooks has released sixteen studio albums, two live albums, and fifty-one singles. He has sold estimated over 170 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to RIAA, Brooks is the top-selling solo artist of all time with 157 million certified albums in the US. American Music Awards honored him the "Artist of the 90s Decade" and iHeartRadio Music Awards also honored him the "Artist of the Decade".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Thunder Rolls</span> 1991 single by Garth Brooks

"The Thunder Rolls" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in April 1991 as the fourth and final single from his album No Fences. The song became his sixth number one on the country chart. Co-writer Pat Alger plays acoustic guitar on the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Religion discography</span>

The discography of Bad Religion, an American punk rock band, consists of 17 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, one box set, two extended plays (EPs), 29 singles, five video albums and 25 music videos. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1980, the band originally featured vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarist Brett Gurewitz, bassist Jay Bentley and drummer Jay Ziskrout, who released their self-titled debut EP in February 1981 on Gurewitz's label Epitaph Records. Pete Finestone replaced Ziskrout before the release of the band's full-length debut album How Could Hell Be Any Worse? in 1982. The following year's Into the Unknown featured bassist Paul Dedona and drummer Davy Goldman, before Bentley and Finestone returned to the band and Greg Hetson joined as second guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friends in Low Places</span> 1990 single by Garth Brooks

"Friends in Low Places" is a song recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 6, 1990, as the lead single from his album No Fences. The song spent four weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs, and won both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards for 1990 Single of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Piña Coladas</span> 1998 single by Garth Brooks

"Two Piña Coladas" is a song recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in March 1998 as the third single from his album Sevens. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1998. A concert version is available on Double Live. The song was written by Shawn Camp, Benita Hill and Sandy Mason. Camp provides an additional acoustic guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If Tomorrow Never Comes</span> 1989 single by Garth Brooks

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a song by American country music artist Garth Brooks. Written by Brooks and Kent Blazy, it was released in August 1989 as the second single from his album Garth Brooks and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series and Double Live. This was his first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It is also sometimes referred to as his signature song. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" was named Favorite Country Single in the American Music Awards of 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Shall Be Free</span> 1992 single by Garth Brooks

"We Shall Be Free" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in August 1992 as the first single from his album The Chase and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, Double Live, and The Ultimate Hits. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 1992, becoming his first single to miss the Top 10 on that chart due to an airplay ban from some radio stations. "We Shall Be Free" peaked at #22 on the Billboard Christian Songs charts through a marketing deal with Rick Hendrix Company, and earned Brooks a 1993 GLAAD Media Award. This song was written by Brooks and Stephanie Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can't Deny It</span> 1990 single by Lisa Stansfield

"You Can't Deny It" is a song by English singer-songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield from her debut solo studio album, Affection (1989). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney, and Andy Morris, produced by Devaney and Morris, and remixed by Gail "Sky" King and Yvonne Turner. The song was released as the album's second North American single on 2 May 1990, by Arista Records and received generally positive reviews from music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Underwood discography</span>

American country music singer Carrie Underwood has released nine studio albums, one greatest hits album, and 29 singles. Underwood rose to fame after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was released in 2005 and is the fastest-selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. It also became the best-selling solo female country debut in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) history, as well as the top-selling debut album of any American Idol contestant in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rascal Flatts discography</span>

Rascal Flatts were an American country music group founded in 1999 by Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. Signed to Lyric Street Records until 2010, the band released ten studio albums plus a greatest hits package, the first six on the Lyric Street Records label, the last four on Big Machine Records. Their highest-certified albums are Feels Like Today and Me and My Gang, which are both certified 5× Platinum. Except for their 2000 self-titled debut and 2017's Back to Us, all of the group's albums have reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honky Tonk Truth</span> 1997 single by Brooks & Dunn

"Honky Tonk Truth" is a song written by Ronnie Dunn, Kim Williams and Lonnie Wilson, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in August 1997 as the first single from their first compilation album The Greatest Hits Collection. It peaked at #3 on the US Country chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Mattea discography</span>

The discography of American country music artist, Kathy Mattea, contains 17 studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums, one extended play (EP), 51 singles, 27 music videos and has made 19 additional album appearances. Under PolyGram and Mercury Records, Mattea's first two albums were releases: her eponymous debut album (1984) and From My Heart (1985). In 1986, Walk the Way the Wind Blows reached number 13 on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned four top ten Billboard Hot Country Songs singles: "Love at the Five and Dime", the title track, "You're the Power" and "Train of Memories". It was followed by Untasted Honey (1987), which was Mattea's first album to certify gold in the United States. Of its four singles, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and "Goin' Gone" both topped the Billboard country chart. In 1989, PolyGram/Mercury released Willow in the Wind, which also certified gold and reached number six on the Billboard country albums chart. Its first single, "Come from the Heart", topped both the American and Canadian country charts. Its remaining three singles were also top ten North American country chart songs: "Burnin' Old Memories", "Where've You Been" and "She Came from Fort Worth".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The River (Garth Brooks song)</span> 1992 single by Garth Brooks

"The River" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks. In late 1992, it became his ninth Number One hit on the Billboard country charts. It was released in April 1992 as the fifth and final single from his album Ropin' the Wind, and it has appeared on three albums that have sold more than ten million copies each in the US alone, these being Ropin' The Wind, The Hits and Double Live. The song was written by Garth Brooks and Victoria Shaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Red Strokes</span> 1994 single by Garth Brooks

"The Red Strokes" is a single by country music artist Garth Brooks from his album, In Pieces. While only charting on the country charts in the U.S. (#49) and Canada (#38) as an album cut, it became one of his most popular songs in the United Kingdom, peaking at #13. This song has not been featured on any of Brooks's greatest hits albums in the United States. However, the dramatic ACM award-winning music video, regarded as one of the most memorable in country music history, was included in The Entertainer DVD box set.

"Not Counting You" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in January 1990 as the third single from his album Garth Brooks. It peaked at #2 in the United States, while it was a number-one in Canada. According to "The Garth Brooks Story" TV special, this was the first song Brooks ever recorded.

Chris LeDoux was a rodeo cowboy who sang and recorded songs in his spare time and sold his albums from the back of his truck. With his father, he started his own record label, American Cowboy Songs, in 1970. Under that label he released 22 albums between 1971 and 1990. After gaining recognition from the 1989 Garth Brooks song, "Much Too Young " he was signed to Liberty Records, where he released 4 studio albums in four years. He released 6 more albums including a live album under Capitol Records. Horsepower in 2003 was his last studio album before his death in 2005. Nine official compilation albums have been released between 1994 and 2008. 20 Greatest Hits has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Move Me</span> 1998 single by Garth Brooks

"You Move Me" is a song co-written by Gordon Kennedy and Pierce Pettis and originally recorded by American contemporary Christian music singer Susan Ashton in 1996. It was recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks and was released as the fourth single from his album Sevens in 1998. It hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached No. 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

"It's Your Song" is a song written by Pam Wolfe and Benita Hill, and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in November 1998 as the only single from his live album Double Live, reaching a peak of number 9 on the U.S. Billboard country singles charts and number 5 on the Canadian RPM country charts that year, as well as peaking at number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Both the live recording from Double Live and an alternate studio recording were shipped to radio.

"It Ain't Nothin'" is a song written by Tony Haselden, and recorded by American country music artist Keith Whitley. It was posthumously released in October 1989 as the second single from the album I Wonder Do You Think of Me. His fifth and last No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, the song was his second posthumous chart-topper, reaching the top of the chart seven months after his death.

References

  1. Brooks, Garth. "Biography". Garth Brooks Official Website. Archived from the original on 2008-10-14. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 "mvdbase.com - Garth Brooks - "The dance"". MVDBase.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  3. Zywietz, Tobias. "The Official Zobbel Homepage". Zobbel.de. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  4. CMT's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music
  5. CMT's The Greatest: 100 Greatest Music Videos
  6. "Playboy Interview: Garth Brooks, by Steve Pond ~ June 1994, PlanetGarth.com". PlanetGarth.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  7. "The Dance - Tribute to Dale Earnhardt". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  8. "A Tribute To Dale Earnhardt Discussion, 2014". Racing Forums. 17 February 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  9. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1274." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. July 21, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  10. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (4 September 1993). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2017 via Google Books.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  11. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IrishCharts.ie. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  12. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  13. "GARTH BROOKS - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  14. "Garth Brooks Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  15. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1990". RPM . December 22, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  16. "Best of 1990: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013.