Alan Jackson: More consistent hitmaker than Prince, Madonna, Michael
Newnan native Alan Jackson turns 50 later this month. Believe it or not, he was born the same year as Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
But unlike those three '80s icons, his career didn't take off until 1990 at the relatively ripe age of 32.
Since that year, Jackson (Alan, that is) has been a more consistent hitmaker than those three arguably bigger names. He has hit the country top 20 chart every year since 1990, churning out hit after hit, 24 No. 1's so far including the recent rollicking "Good Time." He has more Country Music Award nominations than any other artist (79).
Yet he has never gotten the headlines or mainstream level of fame of Garth Brooks in the 1990s or more recently, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Keith Urban.
Then again, his persona as a neo traditionalist married to his high school sweetheart is refreshing, a small town southern man who seldom utters or does anything remotely controversial.
Jackson's legacy will be his ever-growing playbook. Here are five of his best-known songs, No. 1 tunes he'll certainly be singing Oct. 4 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre:
1. "Chattahoochee" (1992) — His playful ode to Atlanta's waterway remains a staple on country radio 16 years later and even made it on "Karaoke Revolution Country."
2. "Gone Country" (1994) — How prescient this song is nowadays, as pop and rock artists have been "going country" unabated the past year, from Darius Rucker to Jewel to Jessica Simpson.
3. "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" (2001)- While Keith's angry "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" got all the buzz, Jackson won over the Kleenex crowd with his gentle take on 9/11, a mental souvenir of those anxious weeks after the attacks.
4. "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" (2003) — Encroaching on Chesney territory, Jackson hooks up with the estimable Jimmy Buffett to make playing hooky sound oh so enticing.
5. "Small Town Southern Man" (2007) - This is the quintessential Alan Jackson song, featuring violins, a sing-along chorus and sentimentally poetic lyrics ("Raised on the ways and gentle kindess of a small town southern man.")
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
