Country Music Spotlight: Joe Nichols

Joe Nichols has a peculiar career pattern in not just the world of country music, but in the entire artform of music. That pattern consists of him creating a No. 1 single, then a few lower charting singles, before creating another No. 1 hit that takes over the radio. His two most recent singles seem to be bucking that trend, with one hitting No. 1 at the end of 2013, and his newest tune (Yeah) heading towards that number by August.


The 37 year-old Arkansas native released four single in the late 90's, that only found sporadic success in Canade, but it was with the emotionally potent song The Impossible that he finally made waves in the US, which peaked at No. 3 in 2002. The songs melody and lyrics that echoed a world where both senseless tragedy and beautiful could occur hit home for many in the post-9/11 landscape, something that drew ire from critics, but made it a hit with audiences.

Following up that song may have been a challenge for many, but Nichols smartly plopped the song Brokenheartsville as his next song. That particular tune became his first No. 1 single, which really isn't much of a surprise. It's actually a great song that uses a slower pace to hit home a simultaneous clash of sorrow and throwing caution to the wind. After this song, Nichols had two songs that failed to enter the Top 5, but as I said before, that peculiar career pattern giveth, and taketh away. And while it may have taken away from him this time around, he had two more hit songs on the way, one (What's A Guy Gotta Do) would became a recurring radio hit, while the other one became one of the most popular songs of his career.

Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off handles a subject that could be entirely serious and full of shame, and instead turns it into the country music equivalent of a humorous anecdote. The breezy song was an obvious choice to become a single, and once it was released as such, it soared. After this one, it'd be four years until Nichols hit another No. 1 hit, which is bizarre considering he made my favorite song of his during that period. I'll Wait For You, a recollection of a wife waiting for her husband in various scenarios, is a beautiful song that just tugs at the heartstrings every single time I listen to it. Dang it guys, I'm not crying right now, I promise. I'm just gonna grab some tissues before I finish this column...

The No. 1 single that awaited him in 2009 was Gimmie That Girl, his triumphant return to the spotlight and one that seemed to bring more bouncy energy than previously seen from the singer. Unfortunately, that was the only hit single from the album Old Things New, and another four years would go by before one particular song would become a phenomenon in the world of country music; Sunny And 75. Oh boy, is that a big song, and for good reason! Nichols is obviously inconsistent at churning out No. 1 songs, but whenever he steps up to create a new tune, he always manages to craft some kind of new emotional experience that furthers himself as an artist.