Achy Breaky Heart

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"Achy Breaky Heart"
Single by Billy Ray Cyrus
from the album Some Gave All
Released March 23, 1992 (1992-03-23)
Format
Recorded January 1992
Genre
Length 3:23
Label
Writer(s) Don Von Tress
Producer(s)
  • Joe Scaife
  • Jim Cotton
Billy Ray Cyrus singles chronology
"Achy Breaky Heart"
(1992)		 "Could've Been Me"
(1992)

"Achy Breaky Heart" is a country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart" and performed by The Marcy Brothers in 1991, its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and performed by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1992 album Some Gave All. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song, it made him famous and has been his most successful song. It became the first single ever to achieve triple Platinum status in Australia and the 1992's best selling single in the same country.[1][2] In the United States it became a crossover hit on pop and country radio, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first Country single to be certified Platinum since Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's "Islands in the Stream" in 1983.[3] The single topped in several countries and after being featured on Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom, peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. It remains Cyrus's biggest hit single in the USA to date, and his only one to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Thanks to the video of this hit, there was the explosion of the linedance into the mainstream, becoming a craze.[4][5][6][7] The song is considered by some as one of the worst songs of all time; featuring at number two in VH1 and Blenders list of the "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever." [8]

Background

The song was initially to be recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1990s but the group decided against recording it after lead singer Duane Allen said that he did not like the words "achy breaky".[9] It was then recorded in 1991 under the title "Don't Tell My Heart" by The Marcy Brothers and Billy Ray Cyrus on his debut album Some Gave All in 1992. It is written in the key of A major and possesses only two chords: A and E.

The music video for the song was filmed during a concert at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY. It was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993, but lost both awards to Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven."[citation needed]

Other cover versions

Parodies

In the Hannah Montana episode "The Way We Almost Weren't", Billy Ray Cyrus' character Robby Stewart is seen in a fictional setting writing Achy Breaky Heart in a New Mexico cafe in 1987. He tries the words "itchy twitchy heart" and "herky jerky heart" but is unsatisfied. Jackson suggests he use the words "achy breaky," but Robby blows it off as "the dumbest thing I've ever heard."[11]

Celtic fans used the tune of the song to pay tribute to winger Paddy McCourt,[citation needed] a trend continued by various teams, for instance Newcastle United fans for midfielder Yohan Cabaye,[citation needed]West Ham United fans towards attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet[12] and Leicester City fans for winger Anthony Knockaert.[citation needed]

Critical reception

The song reached number 23 on CMT's 100 Greatest Videos in 2008, and number 2 on Blender magazine's 50 Worst Songs Ever.[8] In 2002, Shelly Fabian from About.com ranked the song number 249 on the list of the Top 500 Country Music Songs.[13] In 2007, the song was ranked at number 87 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s.[14]

Track listings

Sales and Certifications

Country Certifications Certifications sales
Australia 3× Platinum[1] 210,000
United Kingdom Silver[15] 200,000
United States Platinum[16] 1,000,000

Charts

Billy Ray Cyrus version

Preceded by Billboard Hot Country Songs
number-one single
May 30–June 27, 1992		 Succeeded by
"I Saw the Light"
by Wynonna Judd
Preceded by RPM Country Tracks
number one single
June 27–July 11, 1992
Preceded by RPM Country Tracks
number-one single of the year
1992		 Succeeded by
"In the Heart of a Woman"
by Billy Ray Cyrus

Alvin and the Chipmunks version

Chart (1992–93) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 53
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[36] 71

References

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External links

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  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2004." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2170." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 27, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2022." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Musicline.de – Cyrus,Billy Ray Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Billy Ray Cyrus search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  26. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart". Top 40 Singles.
  27. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1992-08-22" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Billy Ray Cyrus. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Billy Ray Cyrus. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  30. ↑ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Billy Ray Cyrus. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  31. ↑ 1992 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved July 25, 2008)
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ "The Chipmunks – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for The Chipmunks.
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