Ropin' the Wind
1991 studio album by Garth Brooks
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Ropin' the Wind is the third studio album by country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 2, 1991, and became his first studio album to debut at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart. This marked the first time a country singer topped both charts since Kenny Rogers accomplished this just over a decade earlier. The album had four runs at No. 1 between September 28, 1991, and April 3, 1992, spending a total of 18 weeks at the top and ultimately being certified 14× Platinum by the RIAA in 1998. In the UK, it reached the Top 50 pop albums list and maintained the No. 1 position for several months on the country charts. It is the last studio album released under Capitol Records Nashville until the 1995 album Fresh Horses.
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| Ropin' the Wind | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 2, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990–1991 | |||
| Studios |
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 39:21 | |||
| Label | Capitol Nashville | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Garth Brooks chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ropin' the Wind | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | A−[2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[3] |
| Los Angeles Times |   [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
The track "Shameless" is a cover version of a song by Billy Joel, recorded on his 1989 album Storm Front.
According to AllMusic, Ropin' the Wind was the first country album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.[1]
Background
Brooks commented on the album, saying:
"Ropin' the Wind was what we called the son of Fences. Ropin' the Wind was made during this kind of tour that we were on from No Fences. We were gone for pretty much 250 days out of the year. In the remaining 100 days, I elected to cut Ropin' the Wind and try to write for it. This album became a lot bigger than I ever thought it could possibly be. When I listen to the singles off of it like 'Rodeo,' 'What She's Doing Now,' 'The River,' 'Papa Loved Mama,' and 'Shameless,' I look at it and stand very proud. And when I also look at the cuts, 'Against the Grain' and 'Cold Shoulder,' these songs I am equally proud of."[6]
Reception
Ropin' the Wind debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming his first album to achieve this milestone, and reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, selling 400,000 copies. This made it his second No. 1 country album. In September 1998, Ropin' the Wind was certified 14× Platinum by the RIAA.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Against the Grain" | 2:23 | |
| 2. | "Rodeo" | Larry Bastian | 3:54 |
| 3. | "What She's Doing Now" | 3:26 | |
| 4. | "Burning Bridges" |
| 3:36 |
| 5. | "Which One of Them[A]" | Brooks | 2:40 |
| 6. | "Papa Loved Mama" |
| 2:50 |
| 7. | "Shameless" | Billy Joel | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Cold Shoulder" |
| 3:54 |
| 9. | "We Bury the Hatchet" |
| 3:05 |
| 10. | "In Lonesome Dove" |
| 4:49 |
| 11. | "The River" |
| 4:25 |
| Total length: | 39:22 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Alabama Clay" |
| 3:39 |
| 13. | "Everytime That It Rains" |
| 4:12 |
| 14. | "Nobody Gets Off In This Town" |
| 2:19 |
| 15. | "Cowboy Bill" |
| 4:33 |
| Total length: | 55:47 | ||
Personnel
- Garth Brooks – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Susan Ashton – backing vocals
- Bruce Bouton – lap and pedal steel guitars, Dobro
- Sam Bush – mandolin
- Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
- Mike Chapman – bass guitar
- Charles Cochran – string arrangements
- Larry Cordle – backing vocals
- Jerry Douglas – Dobro
- Carl Jackson – backing vocals
- Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar
- Rob Hajacos – fiddle
- Kenny Malone – percussion
- Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass
- Milton Sledge – drums, percussion
- Bobby Wood – keyboards
- Trisha Yearwood – backing vocals
- Nashville String Machine – string orchestra
Charts
Weekly charts
Singles
Other charted songs
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Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[28] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[29] | 5× Platinum | 500,000^ |
| Japan | — | 23,000[30] |
| Spain | — | 40,000[30] |
| United States (RIAA)[31] | 14× Platinum | 14,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||