Garth Brooks (album)

Garth Brooks is the eponymous debut studio 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 #13 on the Billboard 200. On the Top Country Albums chart the album peaked at #2 for eight weeks behind Clint Black's Killin' Time. In 2006 Garth Brooks was certified Diamond by the RIAA for shipments of 10 million copies in the US.

This album contains Brooks' earliest hits, for instance his first ever single, "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)", which peaked at #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 "The worn out tape of Chris LeDoux" Two other strong starts include his first #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 #1).

Background
Brooks commented on the album, saying:

Track listing
Original Release
"Not Counting You" (Garth Brooks) – 2:30
"I've Got a Good Thing Going" (Larry Bastian, Sandy Mahl, Brooks) – 2:50   
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" (Kent Blazy, Brooks) – 3:37
"Everytime That It Rains" (Charley Stefl, Ty England, Brooks) – 4:07
"Alabama Clay" (Larry Cordle, Ronny Scaife) – 3:35
"Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" (Randy Taylor, Brooks) – 2:53
"Cowboy Bill" (Bastian, Ed Berghoff) – 4:28
"Nobody Gets Off in This Town" (Bastian, DeWayne Blackwell) – 2:17
"I Know One" (Jack Clement) – 2:49
"The Dance" (Tony Arata) – 3:37

Limited Series Release
"Not Counting You"
"I've Got a Good Thing Going"
"Uptown Down Home Good Ol' Boy"
"If Tomorrow Never Comes"
"Everytime That It Rains"
"Alabama Clay"
"Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)"
"Cowboy Bill"
"Nobody Gets Off in This Town"
"I Know One"
"The Dance"

Chart performance
Garth Brooks peaked at #13 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and peaked at #2 on the Top Country Albums.

Charts
Charts (1989/1990)PeakpositionCanadian RPM Top Albums60Canadian RPM Country Albums22U.S. Billboard 200[] 13U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums2

 Sales and Certifications 
RegionProviderCertificationSales/ShipmentsUnited StatesRIAADiamond10,000,000

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

Personnel
Bruce Bouton - steel guitar
Garth Brooks - lead and backing vocals
Mark Casstevens - acoustic guitar
Mike Chapman - bass
Kathy Chiavola - backing vocals
Rob Hajacos - fiddle
Wendy Johnson - backing vocals
Chris Leuzinger - electric guitar
Jennifer O'Brien - backing vocals
Wayland Patton - backing vocals
Milton Sledge - drums
Hurshel Wiginton - backing vocals
Bobby Wood - keyboards, synthesizer
Trisha Yearwood - backing vocals
Nashville String Machine

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)

References

Category:Garth Brooks albums