On This Day in 1983, Reba McEntire Topped the Charts for the First Time With a Song She Had To Fight To Record
At this point, Reba McEntire’s name is practically synonymous with country music. With 75 million records sold, the “Fancy” singer is showing no signs of slowing down at 70. However, no one achieves international stardom overnight. Which means yes, there was a time when even Reba McEntire had to fiercely advocate for herself in order to be taken seriously. On this day (Jan. 11) in 1983, the redheaded Oklahoma starlet began to see the fruits of that labor with her first-ever No. 1 hit, “Can’t Even Get the Blues.”
Signing with Mercury Records in November 1975, Reba McEntire instantly got to work. She released her eponymous debut album two years later. By the early ’80s, as she was gearing up for her fifth album Unlimited, her career hadn’t quite borne out the way she’d hoped. Additionally, Reba’s record label wanted her to record almost exclusively pop-country material. These songs didn’t exactly jive with the three-time Grammy winner’s own vision for her career.
Reba’s career trajectory had already begun to shift by this point, landing a string of Top 40 country singles in the early ’80s. Then, Unlimited’s lead single, “I’m Not That Lonely Yet, climbed to No. 3 on the country charts—the biggest hit of her career to date.
[RELATED: The Story Behind the Song That Forever Changed Reba McEntire’s Career]
Reba McEntire Disagreed With Her Producer Over This Song
Written by Tom Damphier and Rick Carnes, “Can’t Even Get the Blues” is an up-tempo number about a woman who has become numb to her former lover’s indiscretions. Initially, the song was being considered for country singer Jacky Ward. Jerry Kennedy, Reba McEntire’s producer, wanted her to stick to the softer ballads she had mostly focused on up until that point.
But Reba argued with Kennedy over “Can’t Even Get the Blues” until he finally conceded. It was the final song she recorded for her fifth studio album, Unlimited.
Reba’s instincts didn’t fail her, as “Can’t Even Get the Blues” became the first chart-topping hit of her career. Later, its follow-up single, “You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving,” reached the same milestone.
More than 40 years later, Reba McEntire remains one of the most-decorated country music artists in history, regardless of gender.
Featured image by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
