Country Music

Country Music Hits

Uncategorized

Gary Allan had gone more than eight years without a No. 1 country hit. Then a song called “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” brought him back — and gave him something he had never achieved before. Allan’s previous chart-topper, “Nothing On but the Radio,” had reached No. 1 in December 2004. He continued recording and touring, but another No. 1 never came. Years passed while country radio changed around him. Then came “Every Storm,” written by Allan with Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren. The message was simple: bad times do not last forever. In February 2013, the song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, ending an eight-year, two-month gap between chart-toppers. It became the fourth No. 1 of Allan’s career. But the comeback was even bigger than one song. That same week, his album Set You Free reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the first time Gary Allan had ever topped the all-genre album chart. After eight years waiting for country music to bring him back to No. 1, Gary Allan returned with a song whose title seemed to explain the entire journey.

Gary Allan’s Long Wait Ended With “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)”

For more than eight years, Gary Allan kept doing what seasoned country artists do when the spotlight cools: he kept working. He recorded, toured, and stayed committed to the kind of honest country music that had made him a familiar name. But after “Nothing On but the Radio” reached No. 1 in December 2004, another chart-topper did not come easily. Country radio changed. The landscape shifted. The gap kept growing.

Then Gary Allan helped write a song that sounded less like a slogan and more like a truth people could live by. “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain),” written with Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren, carried a simple message: hard times do not last forever. It was the kind of line that can sound small on paper and enormous when the right voice sings it.

A Return That Took Time

By February 2013, “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. It ended an eight-year, two-month wait between chart-toppers and became the fourth No. 1 of Gary Allan’s career. For an artist who had spent years pushing forward without that kind of payoff, the moment felt earned rather than lucky.

What made the comeback especially striking was how quietly it arrived. Gary Allan did not return with a flashy reinvention. He returned with a song that sounded like himself: weathered, steady, and full of hard-won feeling. In a genre that often rewards immediacy, that kind of patience can be rare.

“Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” was more than a hit single. It became a kind of message back to Gary Allan’s listeners, and maybe to Gary Allan himself: the worst stretch is not the final chapter.

The Bigger Milestone

The comeback did not stop with the single. That same week, Gary Allan’s album Set You Free reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was the first time Gary Allan had ever topped the all-genre album chart, a milestone that added another layer to the story. After years of waiting for one door to open, two opened at once.

That matters because album charts can reflect more than a single hit. They can show momentum, loyalty, and the kind of audience trust that builds over time. For Gary Allan, Set You Free was not just a strong release. It was proof that his audience was still there, still listening, and still ready to follow him when the songs connected.

A Title That Felt Like a Summary

There is something fitting about the way the story unfolded. After eight years without a country No. 1, Gary Allan came back with a song whose title seemed to explain the whole journey. “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” was not just a hit. It was a reminder that persistence sometimes looks quiet until the exact right moment brings everything into focus.

For Gary Allan, February 2013 was not only a return to the top. It was a career reset written in plain language, carried by a voice that never stopped sounding like it had something real to say.

 

Related Post

Uncategorized

The last time Sonny Osborne played the banjo, he knew it was over before the song had even ended. It happened in Myrtle Beach in November 2003. The Osborne Brothers were performing “Ruby” when, about two-thirds of the way through, Sonny’s left shoulder suddenly gave way. His arm dropped to his side. He looked across the stage at his brother Bobby and said quietly, “I think I’m done.” They still finished “Ruby.” Then the group closed with a quick “Rocky Top.” Sonny would never play the banjo again. Doctors found that muscles and tendons connected to his rotator cuff had torn loose. Surgery could repair some of the damage, but not all of it. The injury ended Sonny’s life on the road and brought the Osborne Brothers’ half-century musical partnership to a close. For more than 50 years, that banjo had been beside Bobby’s voice. Then one night, in the middle of “Ruby,” Sonny’s hands were forced to say goodbye before he was ready.

Uncategorized

DON GIBSON WROTE “OH LONESOME ME” AND “I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU” ON THE SAME DAY. ONE BECAME HIS NO. 1 HIT. THE OTHER WAS PUT ON THE B-SIDE — AND GREW INTO ONE OF THE MOST RECORDED COUNTRY SONGS EVER WRITTEN. In 1957, Gibson was living in a trailer park north of Knoxville, Tennessee. Sitting down to write a lost-love ballad, he came across one line he had already written: “I can’t stop loving you.” He looked at it again and realized he had his title. That same day, he also wrote “Oh Lonesome Me.” On December 3, Gibson recorded both songs for RCA with producer Chet Atkins. “Oh Lonesome Me” became the A-side and reached No. 1 on the country chart. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was placed on the other side of the record. But the B-side refused to stay there. Over the years, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was recorded more than 700 times. In 1962, Ray Charles took it all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Don Gibson had written two classics in one day. The song placed second on the record may have traveled the farthest.

Uncategorized

David Lee Murphy had gone nearly 23 years without a No. 1 of his own. Then Kenny Chesney heard a song Murphy thought Chesney should record — and instead helped put Murphy back behind the microphone. Murphy had been one of country radio’s familiar voices in the 1990s. “Dust on the Bottle” reached No. 1 in 1995, followed by more hits, but eventually his recording career slowed. He never disappeared from Nashville. He simply moved behind the scenes, writing songs other artists took to the top, including Kenny Chesney’s “Living in Fast Forward” and Jason Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor.” Years later, Murphy brought Chesney “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” a song he had written with Chris Stevens and Jimmy Yeary. Murphy originally hoped Chesney might record it. Chesney had another idea: Murphy should make a new album himself. Chesney and Buddy Cannon helped produce No Zip Code, and Chesney joined Murphy on the song. In June 2018, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” reached No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay — Murphy’s first chart-topper since “Dust on the Bottle,” nearly 23 years earlier. Five months later, Murphy and Chesney won CMA Musical Event of the Year. It was Murphy’s first CMA nomination — and his first CMA Award. For more than two decades, David Lee Murphy had helped other singers find hits. Then one of those singers helped make sure country music heard his voice again.

You Missed

Uncategorized

The last time Sonny Osborne played the banjo, he knew it was over before the song had even ended. It happened in Myrtle Beach in November 2003. The Osborne Brothers were performing “Ruby” when, about two-thirds of the way through, Sonny’s left shoulder suddenly gave way. His arm dropped to his side. He looked across the stage at his brother Bobby and said quietly, “I think I’m done.” They still finished “Ruby.” Then the group closed with a quick “Rocky Top.” Sonny would never play the banjo again. Doctors found that muscles and tendons connected to his rotator cuff had torn loose. Surgery could repair some of the damage, but not all of it. The injury ended Sonny’s life on the road and brought the Osborne Brothers’ half-century musical partnership to a close. For more than 50 years, that banjo had been beside Bobby’s voice. Then one night, in the middle of “Ruby,” Sonny’s hands were forced to say goodbye before he was ready.

Uncategorized

DON GIBSON WROTE “OH LONESOME ME” AND “I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU” ON THE SAME DAY. ONE BECAME HIS NO. 1 HIT. THE OTHER WAS PUT ON THE B-SIDE — AND GREW INTO ONE OF THE MOST RECORDED COUNTRY SONGS EVER WRITTEN. In 1957, Gibson was living in a trailer park north of Knoxville, Tennessee. Sitting down to write a lost-love ballad, he came across one line he had already written: “I can’t stop loving you.” He looked at it again and realized he had his title. That same day, he also wrote “Oh Lonesome Me.” On December 3, Gibson recorded both songs for RCA with producer Chet Atkins. “Oh Lonesome Me” became the A-side and reached No. 1 on the country chart. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was placed on the other side of the record. But the B-side refused to stay there. Over the years, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was recorded more than 700 times. In 1962, Ray Charles took it all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Don Gibson had written two classics in one day. The song placed second on the record may have traveled the farthest.

Uncategorized

Gary Allan had gone more than eight years without a No. 1 country hit. Then a song called “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” brought him back — and gave him something he had never achieved before. Allan’s previous chart-topper, “Nothing On but the Radio,” had reached No. 1 in December 2004. He continued recording and touring, but another No. 1 never came. Years passed while country radio changed around him. Then came “Every Storm,” written by Allan with Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren. The message was simple: bad times do not last forever. In February 2013, the song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, ending an eight-year, two-month gap between chart-toppers. It became the fourth No. 1 of Allan’s career. But the comeback was even bigger than one song. That same week, his album Set You Free reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the first time Gary Allan had ever topped the all-genre album chart. After eight years waiting for country music to bring him back to No. 1, Gary Allan returned with a song whose title seemed to explain the entire journey.

Uncategorized

David Lee Murphy had gone nearly 23 years without a No. 1 of his own. Then Kenny Chesney heard a song Murphy thought Chesney should record — and instead helped put Murphy back behind the microphone. Murphy had been one of country radio’s familiar voices in the 1990s. “Dust on the Bottle” reached No. 1 in 1995, followed by more hits, but eventually his recording career slowed. He never disappeared from Nashville. He simply moved behind the scenes, writing songs other artists took to the top, including Kenny Chesney’s “Living in Fast Forward” and Jason Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor.” Years later, Murphy brought Chesney “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” a song he had written with Chris Stevens and Jimmy Yeary. Murphy originally hoped Chesney might record it. Chesney had another idea: Murphy should make a new album himself. Chesney and Buddy Cannon helped produce No Zip Code, and Chesney joined Murphy on the song. In June 2018, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” reached No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay — Murphy’s first chart-topper since “Dust on the Bottle,” nearly 23 years earlier. Five months later, Murphy and Chesney won CMA Musical Event of the Year. It was Murphy’s first CMA nomination — and his first CMA Award. For more than two decades, David Lee Murphy had helped other singers find hits. Then one of those singers helped make sure country music heard his voice again.