Country Chart Chronicles: Brad Paisley’s ‘Letter to Me’ Reaches All Generations + More
In 2007, Brad Paisley extended his No. 1 single streak with a track that tapped into a truly universal feeling. The singer's "Letter to Me" looks back on childhood with nostalgia -- but the kind that comes with being older and, at least a bit, wiser -- and hit a nerve with fans in all stages of life.
Paisley wrote "Letter to Me" after being inspired by an assignment his wife, actor Kimberly Williams-Paisley received, to pen a piece for a book titled What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self. Paisley dropped plenty of personal references into the song, and even filmed its accompanying music video at his former high school and invited former classmates and teachers to be in it, but its sentiment is universal.
After Paisley released "Letter to Me" as a single in October of 2017, it quickly climbed to No. 1 on the country charts, and to a Top 40 spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. The song spent four weeks at No. 1, becoming Paisley's sixth consecutive and 10th career chart-topper. It also won him a Grammy.
Who else ruled the charts around this time of years past? Keep reading:
The Boot's monthly Country Chart Chronicles column looks at major country music milestones, forgotten hits and charts oddities. Check back each month to learn more fun facts!