On This Day in 1990, Garth Brooks Was at No. 1 With His Favorite Song To Perform Live—“I Could Play It 4 or 5 Times a Night”

On this day (July 15) in 1990, Garth Brooks was on a three-week run at the top of the country chart with “The Dance.” It was the fourth single and second No. 1 from his self-titled debut album. More than three decades later, it remains one of his best-known songs. It is also his favorite song to perform live.

Brooks first heard the song at an open mic night at Douglas Corner in Nashville before he inked his recording contract. His friend, Tony Arata, performed it for the crowd, which consisted mostly of other songwriters. The future superstar immediately fell in love with the song. Later that night, he told Arata that if he ever got a record deal, he would cut the song.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1990, Garth Brooks Released His Signature Song, Fulfilling a Promise to a Friend]

After Brooks signed with Capitol Nashville and began working on his debut album, he kept his word. However, when Arata first heard the album, he didn’t recognize his song. Brooks and producer Allen Reynolds had transformed it into something much grander than Arata had imagined.

“The Dance” Is Garth Brooks’ Favorite Song to Perform

By 1994, Garth Brooks was one of country music’s biggest stars. He had also been playing songs from his first two albums, including his two most popular tracks “The Dance” and “Friends in Low Places.” While speaking to Playboy that year, he revealed that he was already sick of playing “Friends in Low Places.” His fans’ love for the song was the only thing keeping it in his setlist. “The Dance” was different, though.

“I could play it four or five times a night, and I’d still be okay with it,” he said of the 1990 hit. “I think ‘Friends in Low Places’ will probably be the biggest commercial success we’ll ever have as artists. But I’ll go even further than that and say that, unless I am totally surprised, ‘The Dance’ will be the greatest success as a song we’ll ever do,” Brooks added. “I’ll go to the grave with ‘The Dance.’ It’ll probably always be my favorite song.”

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