# Garth Brooks (album)

Garth Brooks is the debut album by American country music artist Garth Brooks, released on April 12, 1989, through Capitol Nashville. It was both a critical and chart success, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart. The album has been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments over ten million copies.

## Background

Brooks commented on the album, saying:
   This album was released in April 1989, in the States. Definitely scared to death. I thought the album was very very innocent. And I gotta be truthful with you, every time I hear those songs off the radio or off the album itself, or even when we play them live. I really get that same kind of scared feeling, that I had, way back in 1988, and 1989. Whether you get the album or not, or whether you have the album or not. Thanks, for just, the interest. That first album is always a big one for any artist and I, without trying to sound egotistical, I'm very proud of my first one.

## Singles

This album contains Brooks' earliest hits, for instance his first ever single, "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)", which peaked at No. 8 on the Country Billboard Charts in 1989. It put the name of an independent cowboy singer, Chris LeDoux, into the mainstream due to the lyric "A worn out tape of Chris LeDoux" Two other strong starts include his first No. 1, "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and the Academy of Country Music's 1990 Song of the Year and Video of the Year, "The Dance" (another No. 1). It also features his first hit he wrote entirely in "Not Counting You", another top 10 success.

## Notable covers

Punk rock cover artists Me First and the Gimme Gimmes released a version of "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" as the first track on their October 2006 album Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Love Their Country.
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" has been covered by Ronan Keating (former lead singer of Irish group Boyzone), and many other famous singers including Barry Manilow.
Moe Bandy previously recorded "Nobody Gets Off in This Town" on his 1988 album No Regrets.

## Commercial performance

Garth Brooks peaked at No. 13 on the US Billboard 200, and peaked at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums. In November 2006, it was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over ten million copies in the United States. To date, the album has shipped ten million copies in the US.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Chicago Tribune | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
USA Today deemed the album "core country with heartfelt, hurtin' vocals and country timelessness."

## Track listing

Original Release
Limited Series Release

## Personnel

* Garth Brooks – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Additional musicians
* Bruce Bouton – pedal steel guitar
* Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
* Mike Chapman – bass guitar
* Kathy Chiavola – backing vocals on "Alabama Clay"
* Charles Cochran – string arrangements
* Rob Hajacos – fiddle
* Wendy Johnson – backing vocals on "I've Got A Good Thing Going", "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Everytime That It Rains"
* Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar
* The Nashville String Machine – string section
** George Binkley III
** John Borg
** Roy Christiensen
** Carl Gorodetzky
** Dennis Molchan
** Pamela Sixfin
** Gary Vanosdale
* Jennifer O'Brien – backing vocals on "I've Got A Good Thing Going", "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Everytime That It Rains"
* Wayland Patton – backing vocals on "Alabama Clay"
* Milton Sledge – drums
* Hurshel Wiginton – backing vocals on "I've Got A Good Thing Going", "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Everytime That It Rains"
* Bobby Wood – keyboards, synthesizer
* Curtis Young – backing vocals on "I've Got A Good Thing Going", "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Everytime That It Rains"
Technical personnel
* Allen Reynolds – production
* Mark Miller – recording and mixing engineering
* Denny Purcell – mastering

## Charts
### Singles

| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Year | Single | US Country | CAN Country | UK |
| 1989 | "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" | 8 | 9 | — |
| 1989 | "If Tomorrow Never Comes" | 1 | 2 | — |
| 1990 | "Not Counting You" | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1990 | "The Dance" | 1 | 1 | 36 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| United States (RIAA) | Diamond | 10,000,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||