Bless the Broken Road
| "Bless the Broken Road" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band from the album Acoustic | |
| Released | 1994 |
| Genre | Country, Pop |
| Length | 3:50 |
| Label | Liberty |
| Writer(s) |
Marcus Hummon Bobby Boyd Jeff Hanna |
| Producer(s) | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
| "Bless the Broken Road" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Marcus Hummon from the album All in Good Time | |
| Released | 1995 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 4:09 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Producer(s) | Monroe Jones |
"Bless the Broken Road" is a song that has been recorded by several American country music artists. It was co-written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd and Jeff Hanna in 1994. It was first recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1994, followed by Hummon on his 1995 album All in Good Time.
Since then, many artists have recorded the song with Rascal Flatts's version being the highest-charting, becoming a number 1 hit on the Billboard country music charts in 2005 and earning the songwriters a Grammy Award for Best Country Song.
History
Singer-songwriter Marcus Hummon co-wrote the song with Jeff Hanna (of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) and Bobby Boyd. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded it for the 1994 album Acoustic. One year later, Hummon covered the song for his debut album All in Good Time for Columbia Records.[1] His rendition includes backing vocals from Hanna and Matraca Berg.[2] Michael McCall of New Country magazine thought that Hummon's rendition was the best track on the album.[3]
Sons of the Desert recorded its own version of the song, for a planned second album on Epic Records that would have been released in 1998. This album was not released, due to a dispute between the band and its label.[4]
Since then, many artists have recorded the song including Melodie Crittenden, Geoff Moore, Selah, Jamie Slocum, Carrie Underwood, Buddy Greene, and Rascal Flatts.
Melodie Crittenden version
| "Broken Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Melodie Crittenden | ||||
| from the album Melodie Crittenden | ||||
| Released | January 1998 | |||
| Format | CD Single | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:52 | |||
| Label | Asylum #9945 | |||
| Producer(s) |
Byron Gallimore Stephony Smith[5] | |||
| Melodie Crittenden singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Also in 1998, Melodie Crittenden recorded the song under the title "Broken Road," and included it on her self-titled debut album for Asylum Records. Released as the first of two singles from it, this version was a number 42 single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.[6]
This version was featured on an episode of Dawson's Creek.
Critical reception
Billboard gave Crittenden's version a positive review in the January 17, 1998, issue, calling it "sheer poetry with a moving message."[5]
Chart positions
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7] | 48 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 42 |
Rascal Flatts version
| "Bless the Broken Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Rascal Flatts | ||||
| from the album Feels Like Today | ||||
| Released | November 1, 2004 | |||
| Format | CD single, music download | |||
| Genre | Country, Christian country | |||
| Length |
3:46 (Album Version) 3:38 (Single Version) | |||
| Label | Lyric Street | |||
| Producer(s) |
Mark Bright Marty Williams | |||
| Certification | Platinum (RIAA) | |||
| Rascal Flatts singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The highest-charting rendition is by the country music group Rascal Flatts, who cut the song for the Feels Like Today album. Released in November 2004, this version spent five weeks at number one on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song[9] and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The song topped the 2 million mark in paid downloads on September 18, 2010. It's Rascal Flatts' third song to reach that mark, following "Life Is a Highway" and "What Hurts the Most".[10] As of February 2016, the song has sold 3.489 million in the US.[11]
On May 25, 2005, during a live performance on American Idol by Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts,[12] an additional version was recorded. While not in wide release, and never included on an album, the version received enough radio airplay to enter the country music charts at number 50.[9]
In 2009, an acoustic version recorded by Rascal Flatts was included in the soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie.
On May 19, 2012, "Bless the Broken Road" debuted at number 76 and went to number 41 next week on the UK Singles chart (The Official Charts Company), the band's first and only appearance on the chart.
Song information
Rascal Flatts' version of the song is in the key of C major, with a vocal range from C4 (Middle C) to A5.[13]
Charts
| Chart (2004–05) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[14] | 41 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[15] | 35 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] | 58 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[17] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[18] | 29 |
| US Billboard Pop 100 | 40 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[19] | 20 |
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[A] | 50 |
- Notes
- A^ Carrie Underwood/Rascal Flatts version.
Year-end charts
| Chart (2005) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[20] | 3 |
Selah version
| "Bless the Broken Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Selah with Melodie Crittenden | ||||
| from the album Bless the Broken Road: The Duets Album | ||||
| Released | 2006 | |||
| Format | CD Single | |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Curb | |||
| Writer(s) |
Marcus Hummon Bobby Boyd Jeff Hanna | |||
| Producer(s) | Allan Hall, Jason Kyle, Todd D. Smith | |||
| Selah chronology | ||||
| ||||
Selah, a contemporary Christian music band, covered the song in 2006 on the album Bless the Broken Road: The Duets Album featuring a duet vocal from Crittenden.[21] Also released as a single, Selah's version peaked at number five on the Hot Christian Songs charts.
Chart positions
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Christian Songs[22] | 5 |
Awards
In 2007, this version of the song was nominated for a Dove Award for Song of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards.[23]
References
- ↑ Morris, Edward (10 March 2005). "Rascal Flatts Takes Bow for "Broken Road"". CMT. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ↑ All in Good Time (CD booklet). Marcus Hummon. Columbia Records. 1995. 66124.
- ↑ McCall, New Country (November 1995). "Album reviews". New Country. 2 (14): 57–58. ISSN 1074-536X.
- ↑ Bjorke, Matt. "Matt's Songwriter Spotlight - Marcus Hummon". About.com. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- 1 2 "Singles". Billboard: 66. 17 January 1998.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 107. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3501." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. March 30, 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Melodie Crittenden – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Melodie Crittenden.
- 1 2 Whitburn, p. 339
- ↑ "Week Ending Sept. 5, 2010: Rihanna Leads The Pack". Chart Watch. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ↑ Bjorke, Matt (August 30, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Singles Sales Report: August 30, 2016".
- ↑ USA Today Underwood Wins Idol
- ↑ ""Bless the Broken Road" sheet music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ↑ "Singles Top 40 from the Official UK Charts Company". UK Singles Chart. The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Chart Track: Week 20, 2012". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Rascal Flatts – Bless The Broken Road". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ↑ "Rascal Flatts – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Rascal Flatts.
- ↑ "Rascal Flatts – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Rascal Flatts.
- ↑ "Rascal Flatts – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Rascal Flatts.
- ↑ "Best of 2005: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ↑ "Bless the Broken Road: The Duets Album". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ↑ "Chart history for Selah". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ↑ 38th Annual GMA Awards on About.com
| Preceded by "Mud on the Tires" by Brad Paisley |
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single (Rascal Flatts version) February 12-March 12, 2005 |
Succeeded by "Nothin' to Lose" by Josh Gracin |