The Greatest (Kenny Rogers song)

Last updated
"The Greatest"
Single by Kenny Rogers
from the album She Rides Wild Horses
ReleasedApril 17, 1999
Genre Country
Length3:09
Label Dreamcatcher
Songwriter(s) Don Schlitz
Producer(s) Brent Maher, Jim McKell
Kenny Rogers singles chronology
"I'll Be There for You"
(1992)
"The Greatest"
(1999)
"Slow Dance More"
(1999)

"The Greatest" is a song written by Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in April 1999 as the first single from the album She Rides Wild Horses . The song reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. [1]

Contents

Content

In the song, a little boy is outside playing baseball by himself, saying, "I'm the greatest player," and tosses the ball up in the air to hit the ball and swings and misses. The boy repeats this two more times, striking himself out, and as his mother calls him inside for supper, he sees himself as the greatest pitcher (he 'pitches' to himself), instead of the greatest hitter.

The story in the song is played out in a TV commercial by The Foundation for a Better Life, promoting the value of Optimism.

Chart performance

Chart (1999)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [2] 10
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [3] 26

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [4] 97

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References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 299.
  2. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 8397." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. July 19, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  3. "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  4. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1999". RPM . December 13, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2013.