It’s hard to believe The King has any songs that weren’t #1 hits at this point.
George Strait has an astounding 60 number ones, the most in country music history. The list of songs that topped the charts includes classics like “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” “Write This Down,” “Blue Clear Sky,” “Check Yes Or No,” and “The Chair.”
It would be easy to look at the list and think that King George has hit #1 with every single that he’s released. But there are actually some surprising songs that aren’t on the list.
Here are some of the George Strait songs that were never #1 that may surprise you:
Marina Del Rey
George Strait scored his first ever #1 single with “Fool Hearted Memory” from his 1982 album Strait From The Heart. But the follow-up single from that album, “Marina Del Rey,” peaked at #6 on the chart.
The Cowboy Rides Away
This one took on even more meaning when Strait decided to semi-retire back in 2014 following his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. But back in 1985, the single broke his streak of five strait #1 hits when it peaked at #5 on the charts.
The Fireman
The final single that Strait released from his 1984 album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, and the follow-up to “The Cowboy Rides Away,” “The Fireman” peaked at #5 on the charts – and became his second single in a row that missed out on #1.
Adalida
I’m a little biased because I think this is one of Strait’s more underrated songs (I mean, any song that can work “Pontchartrain” into the lyrics has to be a songwriting masterclass), but Strait’s 1995 single “Adalida” from his album Lead On surprisingly peaked at #3 on the charts.
Troubadour
Another one of my all-time favorite George Strait songs that missed the cut. From his 2008 album of the same name, “Troubadour” somehow managed to peak at only #7 on the charts, though it did earn Strait a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
I Got A Car
Released in 2013 as the final single from his Love Is Everything album, “I Got A Car” was a relative flop at radio, hitting only #17 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Amarillo By Morning
The most surprising song on the list. This one may be hard to believe because it’s one of Strait’s signature songs now, but when it was released as a single back in 1982, it peaked at #4 on the American charts – though it did reach the top of the charts in Canada. And though it wasn’t one of his 60 #1s, “Amarillo By Morning” has since been certified triple platinum by the RIAA and has become one of Strait’s best-selling singles.