Gospel Music: Alan Jackson Songs

Alan Jackson is a prolific country singer with a large catalog of gospel songs. This blog covers some of his best gospel tunes.

Alan Jackson’s musical career

Alan Jackson is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 16 studio albums, three greatest hits albums, two Christmas albums, and two gospel albums. He has sold over 80 million records worldwide, with more than 50 of his singles having reached the top ten on the Billboard country singles chart.

Early life and musical influences

Alan Jackson was born on October 17, 1958 in New Milford, Connecticut, the son of Ruth Musick and Joseph Eugene Jackson. He was raised in Newnan, Georgia. His mother was a devout Christian and regularly attended church with her children. Jackson’s father, who owned a local country music club, exposed him to the music of Hank Williams, Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs at an early age. When Jackson was eighteen, he joined the country band The Buckaroos as a guitarist.

Jackson’s first experience with live performances came as a member of The Buckaroos. The band often performed at local clubs and fairs in Georgia. They also toured throughout the southeastern United States.JSON
While he was a member of The Buckaroos, Jackson wrote his first song, “Blue Side of Me”, which was later recorded by Emmylou Harris.

After The Buckaroos disbanded in 1983, Jackson signed a recording contract with Arista Nashville. His debut album, Here in the Real World, was released in 1990 and included three Top 10 singles: “Blue Blooded Woman”, “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow” and the title track. Jackson’s second album, Don’t Rock the Jukebox (1991), produced five No. 1 singles: “Midnight in Montgomery”, “(Who Says) You Can’t Have it All”, “Someday”, “Dallas” and the title track.

First album and breakthrough success

Alan Jackson’s first album, Here in the Real World, was released in 1990 and achieved gold status in the United States. The album’s second single, “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow”, peaked at number 21 on the Country charts, while the title track reached number three. “I’d Love You All Over Again”, which Jackson co-wrote with Roger Cook, was the album’s third and final single. It peaked at number two on the Country charts and became Jackson’s first hit outside of the United States when it reached number one on the Canadian Country charts.

Later albums and critical reception

Alan Jackson’s next album, High Mileage, was released in 1998. The album’s title track, which Jackson co-wrote with Jim McBride, was a top five hit on country radio. The album also included the Top Ten hit “Right on the Money”. High Mileage was Jackson’s second album to be certified platinum by the RIAA.

Jackson’s 2000 album, When Somebody Loves You, was led by the single “It Must Be Love”, which Jackson co-wrote with Randy Owen of Alabama. The song became Jackson’s twentieth Number One hit on the country charts. When Somebody Loves You was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Album.

Jackson released his first greatest hits collection,Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story, in 2003. The two-disc set included forty-two of Jackson’s singles, as well as five new songs. “Remember When”, one of the new songs, became a Number One hit on country radio. Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story was certified double platinum by the RIAA and received critical acclaim from music critics.

In 2004, Jackson released his fifteenth studio album, What I Do. The lead single from the album, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”, becameJackson’s twenty-first Number One hit on the country charts. What I Do received positive reviews from music critics and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Jackson’s best-known songs

Jackson has had many number-one hits on the Billboard country singles and albums charts, as well as several crossover hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Some of Jackson’s best-known songs include “Here in the Real World”, “Chattahoochee”, “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”, “Drive”, and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”.

“Here in the Real World”

Jackson’s first single, “Here in the Real World”, was released on January 8, 1990, and reached number 3 on the country chart. The album of the same name was released on February 27, 1990, and peaked at number 7. Jackson wrote or co-wrote all but one of the eleven tracks on the album.

“Chattahoochee”

“Chattahoochee” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in May 1993 as the fourth single from his album A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’bout Love). The song is a moderate up-tempo in which the narrator gives various accounts of fun growing up along the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. Jackson co-wrote this song with Jim McBride, who is also credited with helping Jackson develop his signature sound.

The song became Jackson’s sixth Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in August 1993. In 2004, the song was honored by the CMA as one of the Top 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.

“Remember When”

“Remember When” is a song written by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in August 2003 as the lead-off single from his Greatest Hits Volume II album. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, becoming Jackson’s twenty-fifth Number One on that chart. In 2009, the song was ranked at Number 25 on CMT’s 40 Greatest Love Songs list.

The song is a mid-tempo ballad in which the narrator looks back on happy times during his relationship with his significant other, and how those memories still bring smiles to their faces “remember when I first kissed you / and how our hearts united / we were young and in love / we’d do anything”.

Jackson’s impact on gospel music

Alan Jackson is a country music singer who has also dabbled in gospel music. He has released several gospel albums and has even won a Grammy for his gospel music. Jackson’s music has had a significant impact on the genre, and he is considered one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music.

Jackson’s gospel albums

Jackson’s three gospel albums, Precious Memories (2006), Precious Memories Volume II (2011) and Angels and Alcohol (2015), have all achieved commercial and critical success. Jackson is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 160 million records worldwide. He has won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, 17 CMA Awards, 20 ACM Awards and three American Music Awards. He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Jackson’s influence on other artists

Jackson’s songs have been covered by other artists. Amy Grant’s recording of “Lead Me On” hit No. 1 on the Contemporary Christian chart in 1988, and Jackson himself recorded a duet of the song with Grant on her 1991 Heart in Motion album.Grant later told The Tennessean that Jackson is “one of the greatest songwriters of our time … hands down.” Tim McGraw’s version of “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” won a Grammy Award for Best Country Male Vocal Performance and was a Number One country hit in 2002. Alan Thicke recorded a cover of Jackson’s song “Blacktop” for his 1990 album Ammunition.