What Mattered Most (song)
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| "What Mattered Most" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ty Herndon | ||||
| from the album What Mattered Most | ||||
| B-side | "You Don't Mess Around with Jim"[1] | |||
| Released | February 6, 1995 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Doug Johnson | |||
| Ty Herndon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"What Mattered Most" is a song written by Gary Burr and Vince Melamed, and recorded by American country music singer Ty Herndon. It was released in February 1995 as Herndon's debut single and served as the lead single and title track from his debut album What Mattered Most. It became Herndon's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Upon its release, the song was added to the playlists of 133 radio stations surveyed by Billboard, breaking a record set by Tracy Lawrence for the most adds in one week.[2]
The song was later included as the B-side to Herndon's early-1996 single "In Your Face," which peaked at 63 on the country charts.[1]
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song unfavorably saying that while Herndon turns in a "credible vocal performance", it is "a shame that this formulaic, by-the-numbers song, written by two Nashville pros, doesn't make much of an impression."[3] Michael McCall of New Country was more positive, calling it "a powerful, sensitive song about a man who realizes, too late, that he noticed everything about his lover except what was in her heart."[4]
Personnel
From What Mattered Most liner notes.[5]
- Gary Burr - background vocals
- Joe Chemay - bass guitar
- Dan Dugmore - steel guitar
- Paul Franklin - Dobro
- Rob Hajacos - fiddle
- Kraig Hutchens - electric guitar
- Mike Jones - background vocals
- Paul Leim - drums
- Terry McMillan - percussion
- Steve Nathan - keyboards
- Brent Rowan - electric guitar
- Biff Watson - acoustic guitar
Music video
The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann and premiered in early 1995.
Chart positions
"What Mattered Most" debuted at number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of February 25, 1995.
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 90 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[9] | 43 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[10] | 18 |