No Fences

Last updated
No Fences
Garth Brooks-No Fences (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 27, 1990
Recorded1989–1990
StudioJack's Tracks Recording Studio, Nashville
Genre
Length38:29
Label Capitol Nashville
Producer Allen Reynolds
Garth Brooks chronology
Garth Brooks
(1989)
No Fences
(1990)
Ropin' the Wind
(1991)
Singles from No Fences
  1. "Friends in Low Places"
    Released: August 6, 1990
  2. "Unanswered Prayers"
    Released: October 12, 1990
  3. "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House"
    Released: January 1991
  4. "The Thunder Rolls"
    Released: April 30, 1991
  5. "Wild Horses"
    Released: November 20, 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [3]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly A [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]

No Fences is the second studio album by the American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990, and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The album also reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. On the latter chart, it stayed in the top 40 for 126 weeks. [7] No Fences remains Brooks' best-selling studio album to date with 18 million copies shipped in the US, [8] and is the album that made him an international star. It was his first album issued in Europe (the original European release contained the four singles from his US debut as bonus tracks).

Contents

Singles

Some of Brooks' most famous songs appear on No Fences, including: "The Thunder Rolls" (CMA's 1991 Video of the Year), "Friends in Low Places" (Academy of Country Music's 1990 Single of the Year), "Unanswered Prayers" and "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House". A cover version of The Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue" appears on the album. The album itself was named Album of the Year by the ACM in 1990. It reached Number 1 on the British country music charts (earning Brooks his first gold album in that country) and remained charted for over five years.

The track "Victim of the Game" was later covered by Brooks's friend and future wife Trisha Yearwood for her 1991 eponymous debut album.

Brooks later re-recorded the track "Wild Horses", and released the new recording as a single in early 2001, reaching #7 on the country chart.

25th anniversary reissue

In September 2015, it was announced No Fences would be reissued later in the year to commemorate its 25-year release anniversary. The release would include a new version of "Friends in Low Places", featuring George Strait, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, and Keith Urban singing along with Brooks. The album release has since been delayed due to royalty disputes. [9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Thunder Rolls" Pat Alger, Garth Brooks 3:43
2."New Way to Fly"Brooks, Kim Williams 3:55
3."Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House"Bobby Boyd, Warren Haynes, Dennis Robbins 2:33
4."Victim of the Game"Brooks, Mark D. Sanders 3:09
5."Friends in Low Places" Dewayne Blackwell, Earl Bud Lee4:18
6."Wild Horses"Bill Shore, David Wills 3:12
7."Unanswered Prayers"Alger, Larry Bastian, Brooks3:26
8."Same Old Story" Tony Arata 2:53
9."Mr. Blue"Blackwell3:17
10."Wolves" Stephanie Davis 4:06
Total length:34:34

Personnel

The following credits are sourced from liner notes included with the album's release. [10]

Musicians

Backing and harmony vocalists

Recording

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [26] Platinum70,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [27] 7× Platinum700,000^
Ireland (IRMA) [28] 5× Platinum75,000^
United States (RIAA) [29] 18× Platinum18,000,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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