George Strait Is Back On Top with “Honky Tonk Time Machine”
It’s not just wishful thinking, and it’s not skewing the numbers to paint a sunny picture. With his new album Honky Tonk Time Machine, “King” George Strait is back at the top of the country genre, and in multiple ways.
Honky Tonk Time Machine debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this week with 51,000 equivalent albums sold, and 44,000 in pure album sales. This is good enough to give Strait the best-selling album sales week in country so far in 2019, and also puts him at #4 on the all-genre Billboard 200. This also extends Strait’s already historic marker for the most #1 albums in country music history. Now with 27 #1 albums under his belt, that puts him 10 albums ahead of the nearest competition. Both Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson have 17 #1 albums to their name.
But that’s not all George Strait fans have to celebrate. Though Strait also holds the record for the most #1 country songs in history with 60, he’s struggled for the last decade to chart another #1, let alone find much of any traction on radio at all. His last Top 20 showing was back in 2013 with “I Got A Car” which stalled at #17.
But that’s all about the change with Strait’s current single “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar.” It’s showing surprisingly real promise and traction on country radio. The song shocked everyone by debuting at #20, and though many thought it would fall precipitously afterwards due to embellished first week spins, the song only edged down slightly in the weeks after, and since then has continued its climb. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” is sitting at #18 on radio at the moment, with solid gains that are expected to see it potentially challenge for the Top 10, or perhaps even hit #1 in the coming weeks. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” also sits at #22 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, which is also Strait’s best performance in 7 years.
On top of all this, traditional country fans were surprised to see George Strait receive more performance time than any other artist at the 2019 ACM Awards on Sunday (4-7), which will only help the cause of Honky Tonk Time Machine, and “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar,” which Strait performed as the final song of the night. He also performed with Miranda Lambert, and did a rendition of “God and Country Music” in the middle of the presentation.
Despite all the concerns about lingering bad singles from mainstream country’s usual suspects and the controversy of whether Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” is country or not, country music has been enjoying a resurgence of interest in artists, albums, and songs that are undeniably more country, and more quality than what we saw during the height of the Bro Country era. A #1 record for George Strait was probably a given. But to have the best sales week so far this year, and possibly one of the best we’ll see into the near future—not to mention the radio success of “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar”—it’s putting “King” George back where he’s supposed to be: at the top.
April 9, 2019 @ 11:12 am
Fun to see George receive a decent amount of air time on the ACMs for a change, and this is an enjoyable album. With that being said, it hurts my heart to listen to him live now. Really struggles. He still sounds pretty strong with his studio efforts … Trigger, is this one of the main reasons why he stopped touring so much?
April 9, 2019 @ 1:11 pm
I heard King George live last June, and he sounded incredible.
April 9, 2019 @ 2:25 pm
You basing that off seeing one tv performance? There’s ZERO struggle live in person!
April 9, 2019 @ 7:46 pm
Obviously you were not at 2019 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. He was AMAZING live! Not sure where you’re getting your information Throwback Country…. I believe he stopped touring to focus on family, as evidenced by singing songs his son wrote and bringing his grandson on stage to sing with him. He has earned his exclusivity, and still has Vegas dates for those wanting a live experience.
April 10, 2019 @ 11:02 am
I have been blessed…I got to see GEORGE STRAIT 8 times before he became king and hope to see him again.,..I got to see ALAN JACKSON JUST a couple weeks ago…I have seen REBA and even seen no show GEORGE JONES… but for awhile I’ve seen Cody JINKS 2 time’s with meet and greet seen the steel woods with and Whitey Morgan but I have to say WAYLON was, is, and always will be my FAVORITE
April 9, 2019 @ 11:25 am
Hail yeah George, back on top!!
April 9, 2019 @ 11:39 am
George’s success gives me hope that radio will play Reba’s outstanding new music. I would love to see 3 or 4 top-10 hits from Stranger Than the Truth.
April 9, 2019 @ 2:15 pm
I would love to see Reba gain some traction at Radio but it won’t happen. Radio is facing backlash for their bro-country decade and so they were faced with a choice, bring back a veteran artist to bring some good will. George Strait success is dependent on Radio and Radio knows this, the same way a Thomas Rhett or a Cole Swindell career is dependent on Radio. Reba’ s success and Women in general find success outside of Radio whether its through tv, Broadway, movies, business, or all the above and radio doesn’t like this. Kacey Musgraves is proof of this. Twitter is full of people complaining that they request Freedom by Reba and yet its never played. Our request don’t matter, radio plays what they want to play and women are not part of their plan. George Strait has done nothing to promote this new album or single and yet somehow his song is climbing the charts. This is not a good thing, its proof that by some miracle radio decides to go traditional don’t expect to see women. A song climbing the charts shouldn’t be because of a legacy, it should be earned.
April 9, 2019 @ 11:45 am
If you tell a cowboy he can’t he’ll prove he can. Now that’s a fact Jack!!!
April 9, 2019 @ 12:06 pm
The album is fantastic, and Strait’s ACM performances were the indisputable highlights of the show. The King, indeed.
April 9, 2019 @ 3:24 pm
every song george sang on the program just stood apart in such a fresh yet familiar way , I thought . It felt like no one really understood what has been missing until they heard it . that sound still screams COUNTRY MUSIC and there’s no denying the power in it . ashley mcbryde and one guitar singing GIRL GOIN NOWHERE , miranda and george singing RUN , ….nothing else came close to resonating with that live crowd and US , I’m certain .
radio , labels , writers , artists ………they can’t keep running from the truth . there is something inherently powerful in a trad-sounding well-written timeless COUNTRY song .
April 9, 2019 @ 12:13 pm
Can Lee ann Womack have a similar revival.
April 9, 2019 @ 3:28 pm
I sorta like what Lee Ann’s been recording …..sorta . but like so many others ignored by radio I cannot help feeling she’d love to record a straight-up album of ORIGINAL trad country if it would be accepted . her voice was made to deliver honest COUNTRY music and more younger people need to be aware of her talent in that respect .
April 9, 2019 @ 6:28 pm
I think she’s in a position to record whatever she wants now because she is ignored. Not by the Grammys, she at least she gets nominated for her work .
April 10, 2019 @ 10:20 am
Country radio sucks. Thanks
April 9, 2019 @ 12:22 pm
I forgot to record the ACMs and CBS still doesn’t have it showing on demand. I haven’t been able to see George’s performances. Very bummed out by this.
April 9, 2019 @ 12:34 pm
It’s been on CBS’s website since yesterday. You can watch the whole thing. It’s still there on the front page, easy to find.
April 9, 2019 @ 12:38 pm
Ah! On their website? Thanks! I didn’t even think to look there.
April 9, 2019 @ 12:32 pm
I don’t buy CD’s very often, but I did due honor to King George and went to Walmart to get a copy! It comes with a “God and Country Music” sticker if you get it from there. I love the album. Great variety and superb production.
April 9, 2019 @ 1:01 pm
Yee, and I cannot stress this enough… haw
April 9, 2019 @ 3:37 pm
Its interesting to read the comments here and compare them with the comments made on Facebook. There’s quite a difference in tone. Just an observation…
April 9, 2019 @ 3:37 pm
It’s too bad he can no longer record at the furious pace that he used to – putting out a new record annual, sometimes even within mere months of each other back in the 1980’s – but I definitely think this is his best album in a long time, maybe even a decade or more. It’s been well worth the wait and there are already a few instant classics on there. No skippables either.
April 9, 2019 @ 4:35 pm
George is the only reason I watched the ACM’s.
April 9, 2019 @ 4:56 pm
I know this has nothing to do with George but any thoughts on Aaron Lewis and stains reuniting would that end his country career? And do you think its likely they do stay together
April 9, 2019 @ 5:19 pm
Aaron has been playing that game back and forth for a while now, and has a country record about to come out. I don’t think this will end his country career, though he has had a rough go of it here lately with the negative press after walking out of a couple of shows. I think he intends to grow old with country.
April 9, 2019 @ 5:41 pm
If you notice most every singer struggle on these award shows. For whatever reason the audio setup just isn’t right and most sound flat or out of pitch. I can say at his concerts live he sounds a hundred times better. Even at the Houston rodeo in a crowd of 80000 plus he sounded amazing. I really don’t understand the reason the award shows sound so bland.
April 9, 2019 @ 6:48 pm
Good news, but am I the only one who can’t stand the phrasing / vocal delivery pattern in the versus of the linked to song? He’s definitely going for a deliberate “modern” sound on that song, and it’s completely unnecessary and greatly takes away from the listenability of the song.
April 10, 2019 @ 2:17 am
I love Strait, but I must agree with your observation. The modern sound is definitely there; I haven’t heard the rest of the album yet, so I’ll hope it’s got a more traditional vibe.
April 9, 2019 @ 7:29 pm
“Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” sounds like a classic to me.
April 9, 2019 @ 10:00 pm
This is great and all, but when is country music going to get some new, mainstream traditional artists? Are we just gonna keep recycling the same artists over and over until they die?
Country music is in a death spiral right now. Old Town Road is just another piece of evidence. Quite frankly nobody listens to country radio anymore. Even average, simple redneck guys who never see this site are no longer interested in what’s on the radio. They listen to Jason Aldean from 10 years ago, for instance.
How is this profitable for the industry? Or do they just not care? This seems to be a horrible business model – it’s like Wendy’s making bad sub sandwiches and calling themselves Subway, in the hopes of attracting “non traditional” customers.
Country is country, folks. People who don’t like Country will never like it. Just putting a hip hop beat on it doesn’t mean hip hop fans are going to become country fans.
But what can we do? These record producers don’t seem to care.
April 9, 2019 @ 10:09 pm
I think there’s a lot of promise in up-and-coming traditionalists such as Dillon Carmichael, William Michael Morgan, and even though they’re kind of like the Monkees version of a country band, Midland. Granted, none of these artists are tearing up the charts, but I do believe there is a lot of talent out there, and some with mainstream implications. We just have to continue to support these artists and hope they break through.
April 10, 2019 @ 7:31 am
I had the pleasure of being able to stand on the side of the stage next to his vocal monitor during the Oceanfront Property tour. Even then, his volume was at a conversation level. But smooth as the butter we heard the other night…
April 10, 2019 @ 7:31 am
The two ATL country radio stations have Every Little Honky Tonk Bar on heavy rotation.
April 10, 2019 @ 9:32 am
George Strait may be getting old, but the Same thing happend in the late 80ś as Don Williams, Waylon, and George Jones had a 1 in 1989. The recycling of artist is the start of the next generation of Real Country Music.
April 10, 2019 @ 12:28 pm
Couple nights ago I went out and got in the truck and it was “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” on the air, when it finished I switched over to another station and they were in the middle of playing it as well. The local Walmart has no copies left of “Honky Tonk Time Machine”.
The one thing I’d love to see George Strait do is a whole album of new songs with Alan Jackson. “Murder On Music Row” and “Designated Drinker” are great songs.
April 11, 2019 @ 7:24 am
Lord, yes. I’ve been pining for exactly this ever since I heard “Designated Drinker” when I bought that AJ album on release day.
April 10, 2019 @ 1:42 pm
I love this song, and I’ve ordered the CD. I am also glad to see you added it to your latest additions to the SCM playlist!
April 10, 2019 @ 6:35 pm
Saw him in Atlanta a couple weeks back. The man is outstanding! And even though I buy most of my music via iTunes, I bought a CD for the car.
April 10, 2019 @ 8:00 pm
George’s Honkey Tonk Bar is a “in your face” against modern country pop. He’s staye’n true to his roots.
April 11, 2019 @ 7:28 am
Not that I was expecting anything less with the fanbase he’s cultivated over the years with the quality of his music, but this is great news. I bought HTTM on release day just as I have every GS album since Blue Clear Sky. Go George go. It’ll be pretty neat if he gets a No. 1 single to go with this latest No. 1 album this late in his career.
April 11, 2019 @ 6:42 pm
Really enjoying the new George album, and Reba’s too. Not sure how I would know they were out without this website!
Thanks Trig!
April 14, 2019 @ 12:42 pm
This is great news. Hopefully it will go top 10 at least. Yay King G.
April 15, 2019 @ 10:12 am
I love this album! And country music the way it’s suppose to be! 🙂
April 25, 2019 @ 6:35 am
I saw the great George Strait on this year’s ACMs and live in Atlanta a week or so earlier. I was dumbfounded that he didn’t sound as good at the ACMs (though I loved him being on the times and still singing the pants off anyone else there). He was incredible live in concert. It was my first and probably only time as it’s quite expensive. We drove from PA to GA and stayed with family there just for the concert. It was well worth it for me. I saw a good number of youngsters there, too, college age and twenties, which is encouraging.
George is really pumped at the show and the energy comes out in his performance. My husband isn’t a country music fan (prefers classic rock) yet loved the show and the music.
His encore rendition of Heartland, a good two hours after the show started, was belted out as if it was the first song of the night. See 5:20 of a great video someone posted from the concert.
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=ivMVhTrHAfw
Sound isn’t the best but you still get the idea. His ending is so energetic especially at his age. I wish I had one tenth of his energy and talent being 14 years younger than he. He sang 31 or so songs with all his heart.
I bought the Honky Tonk Time Machine album digitally and am thrilled it hit #1! I bought it for that reason – to send Nashville a message. It has a nice variety of catchy tunes. Blue Water, Take Me Away, and the title song are among my favorites without a bad song in the bunch.
God bless George Strait, country music, and Trig/Savingcountrymusic for an outstanding blog!