Achy Breaky Heart
"Achy Breaky Heart" | |
---|---|
Song |
"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 Singles & Tracks 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]
History
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."
Other cover versions
- Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song in 1992 on Chipmunks in Low Places. This version, which features speaking parts by Billy Ray himself, reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming their first chart entry on any Billboard chart in 32 years.
- Kikki Danielsson covered the song with lyrics in Swedish by Mikael Wendt and Christer Lundh, as "En allra sista chans" on her 1993 album Jag ska aldrig lämna dig.[10]
- Stef Carse covered the song with lyrics in French, which was titled "Achy Breaky Dance."
- Marianne Weber a Dutch singer covered the song on her Album "Country & Weber", which was titled "Ik doe wat ik wil".
- South African singer Ray Dylan covered the song on his album "Goeie Ou County vol 2". [11]
- Jo Vally, a Belgian singer covered the song in 2013 titled "Ik Gaf Je M'n Hart" (I gave you my heart).
- The song was covered in the Snoopy's Classiks on Toys album "Snoopy's Country Classiks on Toys" with music performed on toys and Peanuts characters singing the lyrics.
- The in 2014, Cyrus and rapper Buck 22 released an updated version of the song called Achy Breaky 2.
Parodies
"Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody called "Achy Breaky Song." The lyrics describe Yankovic's annoyance with "Achy Breaky Heart", as well as several alternatives he would rather endure rather than having to listen to it any more, including being "ti[ed]...to a chair and kick[ed]...down the stairs". This parody appears on his album Alapalooza. Run C&W also parodied the song as "Itchy Twitchy Spot" on their debut album Into the Twangy-First Century. ApologetiX also parodied the song as "Fakey Shakey Parts".
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."[12] Then, in the episode Ooo, Ooo, Itchy Woman, he chases a mouse around the house until it ends up in the piano and sees that it's a good player. He proceeds to ask if it knows Achy Breaky Heart.
In 1994, Bill Nye the Science Guy's Season 1 episode Electricity made a spoof called "AC/DC Charge" that is exclusive to Electric Current.
A caricature of Billy Ray Cyrus (named "Billie Rae Cyprus") sang a brief parody of this song in a 1993 episode of Animaniacs during the Pinky & The Brain short "Bubba Bo Bob Brain". In the parody, "Achy Breaky Heart" is replaced with "Empty Hollow Head", with lyrics describing the caricature's inability to understand what he hears.
Leicester City F.C. fans have adapted the song slightly for singing on the terraces, for their flamboyant French winger, Anthony Knockaert.
Critical reception
The song reached number 23 on CMT's 100 Greatest Videos in 2008, and 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] In 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the song at number 18 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever while calling out: "Attention, all units! Country music has been kidnapped. Suspect last seen with a rat-tail and driving a Chevy with 'Truck Balls.' Also wanted for child endangerment."[15]
Track listings
Billy Ray Cyrus version
|
Alvin and The Chipmunks version
|
Sales and Certifications
Country | Certifications | Certifications sales |
---|---|---|
Australia | 3× Platinum[1] | 210,000 |
United Kingdom | Silver[16] | 200,000 |
United States | Platinum[17] | 1,000,000 |
Charts
Billy Ray Cyrus version
|
|
Alvin and the Chipmunks version
Chart (1992/1993) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) | 53 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[36] | 71 |
References
- ^ a b Hurst, Jack (1993-07-04). "ACHY BREAKY START BRUISED BY THE CRITICS, BILLY RAY CYRUS IS COMING BACK FOR MORE". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1992". ARIA. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Cyrus Goes Triple-Platinum; Brooks Breaks 8 million. Billboard. 1992-08-15. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "Line dancing refuses to go out of style". Star-News. 1992-10-30. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Stepping to country fun". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City). 1993-04-17. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Cyrus sets off dance craze". The Daily Courier. 1994-07-25. Retrieved 2010-08-12. [dead link]
- ^ "This time around, the country craze proves to have some staying power". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 1995-06-13. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b "VH1 & Blender Magazine Present: 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs ... Ever". Archived at PR Newswire. VH1, Blender. 12 May 2004.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=
(help) - ^ "The Ones That Got Away". Country Weekly. 2009-04-06.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Information at Svensk mediedatabas
- ^ http://www.musica.co.za/cd/id/6005298030511/Ray_Dylan-Goeie_Ou_Country_-_Vol2#contents Retrieved 10 January 2014
- ^ "The Way We Almost Weren't". Hannah Montana. Season 2. Episode 23. May 4, 2008.
{{cite episode}}
: Unknown parameter|episodelink=
ignored (|episode-link=
suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=
ignored (|series-link=
suggested) (help) - ^ Fabian, Shelly (2002). "Top 500 Country Music Songs". About.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s
- ^ Wilkening, Matthew (September 11, 2010). "100 Worst Songs Ever -- Part Five of Five". AOL Radio. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
- ^ "BPI certification results". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
- ^ "RIAA singles for "Achy Breaky Heart"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2004." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2170." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 27, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2022." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Billy Ray Cyrus" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ "Billy Ray Cyrus Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- ^ 1992 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved July 25, 2008)
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1992". RPM. December 19, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992". RPM. December 19, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard Year End listing for "Achy Breaky Heart"". Billboard. 1992-12-31. Retrieved 2009-04-25. [dead link]
- ^ "Best of 1992: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ "The Chipmunks Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
External links
- 1992 singles
- Billy Ray Cyrus songs
- Kikki Danielsson songs
- Alvin and the Chipmunks songs
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Number-one singles in New Zealand
- Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles
- RPM Country Tracks number-one singles
- RPM Country Tracks number-one singles of the year
- Number-one debut singles
- Singles certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
- Mercury Records singles