Country Music Memories: Jason Aldean Earns First No. 1 Song

Jason Aldean has built one of the biggest careers in contemporary country music, but it all started with his first No. 1 hit more than a decade ago. Do you remember the first song that took him to the top of the charts?

Aldean had a long journey to finally getting a record released, but he didn't have to wait long for success to strike once he got his music out there. His debut single, "Hicktown," became a Top 10 hit, and he scored his first No. 1 single with its follow-up, "Why." The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on May 27, 2006 -- 15 years ago today.

Rodney Clawson, Vicky McGehee and John Rich from Big & Rich co-wrote "Why," which was a stark contrast to the high-voltage party vibe of "Hicktown." The mid-tempo ballad finds an introspective Aldean realizing that he has caused his lady love great pain, and asking himself why he treats her the way he does and so often fails to show his true feelings for her.

"Sometimes I wonder why / Does it always have to come down to you leaving / Before I'll say, 'I love you'? / Why do I always use the words that cut the deepest / When I know how much it hurts you? / Oh, baby, why do I do that to you," Aldean sings in the chorus.

The third single from Aldean's self-titled debut album, "Amarillo Sky," also became a smash hit: It landed at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.