"What Mattered Most" | ||||
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Single by Ty Herndon | ||||
from the album What Mattered Most | ||||
B-side | "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" [1] | |||
Released | February 6, 1995 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:41 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Doug Johnson | |||
Ty Herndon singles chronology | ||||
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"What Mattered Most" is a song written by Gary Burr and Vince Melamed, and recorded by American country music singer Ty Herndon. It was released in February 1995 as Herndon's debut single and served as the lead single and title track from his debut album What Mattered Most . It became Herndon's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Upon its release, the song was added to the playlists of 133 radio stations surveyed by Billboard, breaking a record set by Tracy Lawrence for the most adds in one week. [2]
The song was later included as the B-side to Herndon's early-1996 single "In Your Face," which peaked at 63 on the country charts. [1]
Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song unfavorably saying that while Herndon turns in a "credible vocal performance", it is "a shame that this formulaic, by-the-numbers song, written by two Nashville pros, doesn't make much of an impression." [3] Michael McCall of New Country was more positive, calling it "a powerful, sensitive song about a man who realizes, too late, that he noticed everything about his lover except what was in her heart." [4]
From What Mattered Most liner notes. [5]
The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann and premiered in early 1995.
"What Mattered Most" debuted at number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of February 25, 1995.
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [6] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [7] | 90 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [8] | 1 |
Chart (1995) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [9] | 43 |
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [10] | 18 |
"What Mattered Most (Alternative Version)" | |
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Song by Ty Herndon | |
from the album Got It Covered | |
Released | June 4, 2019 |
Genre | Country |
Length | 3:53 |
Label | BFD |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
|
On June 4, 2019, Herndon re-released the song for Pride Month. For this version, Herndon swapped the gender pronouns to reflect his status as an openly gay man. The single is the first released from his Got It Covered record, released in August. Its release marks Herndon's return to his standard country pop after the release of four dance singles. Herndon revealed in an interview with NPR that he was in a closeted relationship with a man at the time of the song's original release in 1995. That relationship and that of his parents inspired his performance of the track. After coming out of closet, Herndon began performing the song with mixed genders, beginning the song with its traditional lyrics and switching to male pronouns before the end. [11]
The music video for the updated version of What Mattered Most features Herndon singing in a studio and surrounded by sound engineers and producers. He introduces the video by saying that he is now "brave enough" to record the song the way it should have been recorded. [12]
Boyd Tyrone Herndon is an American country music singer and songwriter. His music career began in the 1980s as a member of the Tennessee River Boys, a predecessor to the country band Diamond Rio. Herndon quit the band early on and gained his first national exposure as a competitor on Star Search. He then played at various honky-tonks in Texas. After signing to Epic Records in 1993, Herndon made his debut in 1995 with his number-one single, "What Mattered Most". This was followed that same year by the release of his first album, also titled What Mattered Most.
Treasures is the thirty-fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on September 24, 1996, by Rising Tide Records and Blue Eye Records. The Steve Buckingham-produced album is made up of covers of rock and country hits from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned three singles: "Just When I Needed You Most", which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart; a dance remix of "Peace Train", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Dance Music chart; and a dance remix of "Walking on Sunshine". The album's release was accompanied by a CBS television special, Dolly Parton: Treasures.
What Mattered Most is the debut studio album by American country music artist Ty Herndon, issued in 1995 on Epic Records. The album's title track, which was Herndon's debut single, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in mid-1995. Other singles from the album were, in order, "I Want My Goodbye Back," "Heart Half Empty" and "In Your Face." Doug Johnson produced the entire album, with additional production from Ed Seay on "Heart Half Empty".
Living in a Moment is the second studio album by American country music artist Ty Herndon. The album was released in 1996 via Epic Records. Like his debut album What Mattered Most, the album has been certified gold by the RIAA. It features the singles "Living in a Moment", "She Wants to Be Wanted Again", "Loved Too Much" and "I Have to Surrender".
Stephanie Kay Bentley is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 1996 as a duet partner on Ty Herndon's single "Heart Half Empty", which peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The single was included both on Herndon's 1995 debut album What Mattered Most and on Bentley's 1996 debut album Hopechest. It produced three more singles for her on the country charts, although only one reached Top 40.
Big Hopes is the third studio album by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It features the singles "A Man Holding On ", "It Must Be Love", and "Hands of a Working Man". These songs peaked at #5, #1, and #5, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. "It Must Be Love" was his third and final Number One on the country charts, while "Hands of a Working Man" was his last Top Ten.
"It Must Be Love" is a song written by Craig Bickhardt and Jack Sundrud, and recorded by American country music singer Ty Herndon. It was released in August 1998 as the second single from his album Big Hopes. The song reached a peak of Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming the third and final Number One of his career. It was also his highest entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 38 on the chart.
When the Wrong One Loves You Right is the third studio album by American country music artist Wade Hayes. Released in January 1998 as his final album for Columbia Records Nashville, it includes the singles "The Day That She Left Tulsa " and "How Do You Sleep at Night", which peaked at #5 and #13, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Also released were the title track and "Tore Up from the Floor Up", neither of which reached the Top 40.
Ty Herndon is an American country music artist. His discography consists of six studio albums and 26 singles. Of his singles, three reached number 1 on the Hot Country Songs charts: "What Mattered Most", "Living in a Moment", and "It Must Be Love".
"You Can Leave Your Hat On" is a song written by Randy Newman and appearing on his 1972 album Sail Away.
"Living in a Moment" is a song written by Pat Bunch and Doug Johnson, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in June 1996 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. In October of that year, it became his second Number One hit.
"Me and You" is a song written by Skip Ewing and Ray Herndon, the latter of whom was formerly the guitarist of the band McBride & the Ride. It was recorded by American country music singer Kenny Chesney, who included it on two albums: All I Need to Know (1995) and Me and You (1996). It was released in July 1996 as the second single and title track from the latter album, peaking at number 2 on the US country singles charts in 1996.
"I Want My Goodbye Back" is a song written by Pat Bunch, Doug Johnson and Dave Berg, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in June 1995 as the second single from his debut album, What Mattered Most. The song reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in September 1995.
"Loved Too Much" is a song written by Billy Livsey and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in March 1997 as the third single from his album Living in a Moment. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in June 1997.
"A Man Holdin' On (To a Woman Lettin' Go)" is a song written by Gene Dobbins, John Ramey and Bobby Taylor, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in March 1998 as the first single from his album Big Hopes. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July 1998.
"Hands of a Working Man" is a song written by D. Vincent Williams and Jim Collins, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in January 1999 as the third single from his album, Big Hopes. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in May 1999, and was Herndon's last Top Ten country hit.
"Steam" is a song written by Lewis Anderson and Bob Regan, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in August 1999 as the lead single and title track from his album Steam. The song reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 19 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
"Heart Half Empty" is a song written by Gary Burr and Desmond Child, and recorded by American country music artists Ty Herndon and Stephanie Bentley. It was released in October 1995 as the third single from his debut album What Mattered Most. The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It later appeared on Bentley's debut album Hopechest, which like What Mattered Most was released on Epic Records.
"No Mercy" is a song written by Todd Cerney, Dennis Morgan and Stephen Allen Davis, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in January 2000 as the second single from his album Steam.
Ron Wallace is an American country music singer-songwriter. Wallace was signed to Sony/Columbia Records and charted one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. He released an EP, It Must Be Love, independently in late March 2015.
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