In the fall of 1991, Garth Brooks pulled off a seismic shift in country music.
Fresh off the massive, runaway success of No Fences, expectations for Brooks’ third studio album, Ropin’ the Wind, were already sky-high. But when the LP was released, it shattered every record and redefined what a country artist could accomplish on the pop charts.
On September 28, 1991, Ropin’ the Wind debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200, knocking rock titans Metallica out of the top spot, where they sat with their iconic The Black Album for five weeks.
With one swoop, Brooks proved country music was officially the dominant force in American entertainment. Driven by unforgettable tracks like “The River,” “Rodeo,” and a soaring cover of Billy Joel’s “Shameless,” the 14-time Platinum classic became a monumental turning point in music history. It sold 16 million units and went on to become the best selling LP in the United States.
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According to Billboard, Brooks historic feat occurred when he was just 29. They wrote that the country superstar “achieved these milestones without the benefit of crossover airplay. Rather, it was his electric live concerts and a string of modern country classics from his first two albums, Garth Brooks and No Fences, that helped rocket his third album to No. 1, and propelled country radio to new ratings highs in the early 1990s.”
His official website states that Ropin’ the Wind “was the first album in history to debut at #1 on both the Billboard 200 Top Albums chart and the Billboard Country Albums chart. It also earned Garth his first Grammy award in 1992 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.”
“We were gone for pretty much 250 days out of the year. In the remaining 100 days, I elected to cut Ropin’ the Wind and try to write for it,” he said in a statement reprinted by American Songwriter.
“This album became a lot bigger than I ever thought it could possibly be. When I listen to the singles off of it… I look at it and stand very proud. And when I also look at the cuts, ‘Against the Grain’ and ‘Cold Shoulder,’ these songs I am equally proud of,” he concluded.
Garth Brooks didn’t just top the charts; he proved that heart-on-your-sleeve country storytelling had the power, soul, and arena-sized energy to capture the hearts of the entire world. Thirty-five years after knocking Metallica off the top spot, this legendary album stands as a timeless reminder of the moment country music took over the pop culture landscape.
Related: Garth Brooks Sang a Demo 36 Years Ago That Ended Up Breaking Every Rule in Country Music
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