On this day (September 28) in 1991, Garth Brooks’ third studio album Ropin’ the Wind debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It spent 18 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the chart between 1991 and 1992. The LP also debuted at No. 1 on the country chart and held the top spot for 41 weeks, giving Brooks his longest run at the top of that tally. Additionally, this marked the first time a country album had topped both charts in more than a decade.
Brooks timed the release of Ropin’ the Wind perfectly. FM stations that specialized in contemporary country music quickly grew in number in the early 1990s. The new format showcases artists who are too modern for traditional stations and too country to play alongside the alternative rock that was beginning to dominate pop stations with the rise of Nirvana and other Seattle-based bands. The same alternative rock boom drove older listeners away from top 40 radio in search of music that aligned with their sensibilities. Brooks, with his blend of rock and traditional country, was exactly what they wanted to hear.
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Garth Brooks Takes a Billy Joel Album Cut to No. 1
Ropin’ the Wind introduced fans to some Garth Brooks classics. “Rodeo,” “Papa Loved Mama,” and “What She’s Doing Now” were all hits. However, none of them had the longevity of “Shameless.” It was a massive hit and remains a fan favorite. However, some may not realize that it’s a cover of a Billy Joel album cut.
Brooks recalled discovering the song in the liner notes of The Hits. “I was talked into becoming a member of a CD club,” he wrote. “You know, the 40,000 CDs for a penny deal. With those clubs, they write you with the selection of the month. If you don’t write back and cancel, they send it to you and charge you for it,” he explained.
After being on the road for six months, he came home to six new CDs. One of those was Billy Joel’s Storm Front. “I fell in love with the album and fell back in love with Billy Joel. One of his songs really captured me, a song called ‘Shameless.’ I kept watching it, and when he did not release it as a single, we contacted his people in the hopes that we could cut it,” Brooks recalled. “His people sent us a letter acknowledging that he knew who I was and was very honored that I was cutting it. That was quite a compliment for me then, as it is now.”
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