Achy Breaky Heart
Encyclopedia
"Achy Breaky Heart" is a hit country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart", its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...

 on his 1992 album Some Gave All
Some Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...

. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...

, 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. In the United States became a crossover hit on pop and country radio, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 and topping the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, becoming the first Country single to be certified Platinum since Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...

 and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...

's "Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream
"Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton...

" in 1983. The single topped in several countries and after being featured on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...

, peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

. 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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. Thanks to the video of this hit, there was the explosion of the linedance into the mainstream, becoming a craze.

History

The song was initially to be recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...

 in the early 1990s but the group decided against recording it after lead singer Duane Allen
Duane Allen
Duane David Allen had formal training in both operatic and quartet singing before becoming a member of The Oak Ridge Boys in 1966. Allen is the lead singer for the quartet and is heard on the majority of their most successful songs.He was inducted in the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame.He is...

 said that he did not like the words "achy breaky". It was then recorded in 1991 under the title "Don't Tell My Heart" by The Marcy Brothers
The Marcy Brothers
The Marcy Brothers was an American country music trio formed in Oroville, California in 1988 and disbanded in 1991. The trio consisted of three brothers: Kevin, Kris, and Kendal Marcy. They released two albums for divisions of Warner Music Group and charted six singles on the Billboard country charts...

 and Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...

 on his debut album Some Gave All
Some Gave All
-Album:-End of decade charts:-Sales and Certifications:-Singles:-Other charted songs:- Personnel :*Billy Ray Cyrus - vocals, rhythm guitar*Greg Fletcher - drums*Corky Holbrook - bass, vocals*Michael J...

in 1992. It is written in the key of A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...

 and possesses but two chords: A and E.

The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for the song was filmed during a concert at the Paramount Arts Center
Paramount Arts Center
The Paramount Arts Center is a historic theater located in Ashland, Kentucky, in the United States. Listed as the Paramount Theatre on the National Register of Historic Places, this landmark theater is an important part of theater in Kentucky.-History:...

 in Ashland, KY. It was nominated for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....

 and Song of the Year
Song of the Year
Song of the Year may refer to:* Dove Award for Song of the Year* Grammis Song of the Year* Grammy Award for Song of the Year* Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year* Singing News Fan Awards for Song of the Year...

 in the 35th Annual
Grammy Awards of 1993
The 35th Grammy Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Eric Clapton was the night's big winner, winning 6 awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...

 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

s in 1993, but lost both awards to Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...

's "Tears in Heaven
Tears in Heaven
"Tears in Heaven" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings about the pain and loss Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor. Conor fell from a window of the 53rd-floor New York apartment of his mother's friend on March 20, 1991. Clapton, who arrived at the...

."

Other cover versions

  • Alvin and the Chipmunks
    Alvin and the Chipmunks
    Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...

     covered the song in 1992 on Chipmunks in Low Places
    Chipmunks in Low Places
    - Musicians and vocalists :* Alvin Chipmunk – vocals* Simon Chipmunk – vocals* Theodore Chipmunk – vocals* Brittany Miller – vocals* Jeanette Miller – vocals* Eleanor Miller – vocals* B. James Lowry – guitar* Roy Huskey, Jr...

    . 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
    Kikki Danielsson
    Ann-Kristin "Kikki" Danielsson is a Swedish country, dansband and pop singer. Sometimes, she also plays the accordion and she has also written some lyrics. She is also famous for yodeling in some songs. Kikki Danielsson gained her largest popularity in the Nordic region from the late 1970s until...

     covered the song with lyrics in Swedish
    Swedish language
    Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

     by Mikael Wendt and Christer Lundh, as "En allra sista chans" on her 1993 album Jag ska aldrig lämna dig
    Jag ska aldrig lämna dig
    Jag ska aldrig lämna dig is a 1993 studio album from Swedish country and pop singer Kikki Danielsson. The songwriters Mikael Wendt and Christer Lundh had travelled to India to get inspirations.-Track listing:-Contributing musicians:...

    .
  • "Rudolf Rock & Die Schocker" covered the song with lyrics in German
    German language
    German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

    , as "Klitzekleines Herz" on her 1992 released single.

Parodies

"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...

 wrote a parody called "Achy Breaky Song
Achy Breaky Song
"Achy Breaky Song" is a country song by American song parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on his album Alapalooza, parodying the song "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus. The song details a disgruntled listener's disdain for it , as well as several alternatives he would rather endure, rather...

." 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 "tied to a chair and kicked down the stairs". This parody appears on his album Alapalooza
Alapalooza
Alapalooza is the eighth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1993. The cover sleeve is a spoof on the movie poster of the hit movie Jurassic Park. The name is a parody of the music festival Lollapalooza....

. Run C&W
Run C&W
Run C&W was an American country music group composed of lead vocalist Russell Smith, formerly of the Amazing Rhythm Aces; banjoist Bernie Leadon, formerly of the Eagles and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; along with Nashville songwriters Jim Photoglo and Vince Melamed, both of whom played various...

 also parodied the song as "Itchy Twitchy Spot" on their debut album Into the Twangy-First Century.

In the Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...

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." Another episode sees him chasing 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 made a spoof called "ACDC Charge" that is exclusive to Electric Current

Critical reception

The song reached number two on VH1's 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs, and on Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....

magazine's 50 Worst Songs Ever. In 2002, Shelly Fabian from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

 ranked the song number 249 on the list of the Top 500 Country Music Songs. In 2007, the song was ranked at number 87 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s. In 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...

 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."

Billy Ray Cyrus version

CD maxi
  1. "Achy Breaky Heart" — 3:24
  2. "I'm So Miserable" — 4:00
  3. "Wher'm I Gonna Live?" — 3:29


Alvin and The Chipmunks version

7" single
  1. "Achy Breaky Heart"
  2. "I Ain't No Dang Cartoon"


Sales and Certifications

Country Certifications Certifications sales
Australia 3× Platinum 210,000
United Kingdom Silver 200,000
United States Platinum 1,000,000

Billy Ray Cyrus version

> > > > > > > > >
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...

Adult Contemporary
5
Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...

Country Singles
1
Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...

Top Singles
4


End of year chart (1992) Position
Australian Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks 2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 15

Alvin and the Chipmunks version

Chart (1992/1993) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks 71
UK Singles Chart 53
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK