Hit Parade | "Friends in Low Places, Part 2"

Host: Chris Molanphy | Slate Podcasts
Date: November 27, 2020

Episode Overview

This episode of "Hit Parade" continues host Chris Molanphy’s deep dive into the story of country music’s pop crossover, focusing particularly on Garth Brooks’s career in the mid-1990s through the early 2000s. Molanphy dissects how Brooks shaped the sound, sales, and star-power of country music and led the genre to new commercial heights — while also encountering challenges, creative missteps, and bold experiments along the way. The episode contextualizes Brooks’s influence in a broader movement of country artists breaking into—or aspiring to break into—the pop mainstream, ending on Brooks’s enduring legacy and adaptability up to the present day.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Garth Brooks Post-Urban Cowboy Crossover (00:00–06:53)

• 90s Comeback: While late-80s country lagged on the pop charts, Garth Brooks harnessed both his star power and new technology (SoundScan) to lead a renewed country presence in the early ‘90s.
• Prolonged Absence: After a two-year gap between albums (unusual for Brooks), he returned in 1995 with high anticipation. The lead single "She's Every Woman" shot to No. 1 on Hot Country Singles in just seven weeks.
• Brooks’s Stylistic Exploration: Brooks, inspired by 70s rock, began experimenting with rock-to-country covers, notably with Kiss ("Hard Luck Woman", 1994) and Aerosmith ("The Fever", 1995).

Quote:
"Brooks began exploring other rock songs he could countrify..." — Chris Molanphy (01:23)

Chart Battles: Garth Brooks vs. The Beatles (06:53–09:38)

• Album Release Conflict: "Fresh Horses" (Brooks’s new album) dropped the same week as The Beatles' "Anthology 1," leading to a high-profile sales showdown.
• Sales Aftermath: Beatles’ album sold over 850,000 copies; Brooks debuted at No. 2 with 480,000. "Fresh Horses" never reached No. 1—a first in the SoundScan era for Brooks.
• Single Flop: "The Fever" (Aerosmith cover) peaked at No. 23, signaling his first promoted single to miss the country top 20.

Quote:
"If we get pounded, it's by the Beatles and everyone's expecting us to get pounded anyway. ...If for some reason we hold our own, it's going to make country music, make Garth Brooks look stronger." — Garth Brooks (06:28)

Dealing with Setbacks and Country-Pop Expansion (09:39–11:52)

• Personal Struggles: Brooks openly pondered a career pause amid lower-than-expected sales and fan reactions.
• Shania Twain’s Ascendancy: Shania Twain, produced by Mutt Lange, emerged with a bombastic approach, merging country with arena rock, taking the crossover formula beyond what Brooks had done.
• Other Crossover Successes: Brooks and Dunn topped 1996 with "My Maria," a pop song reimagined for country audiences.

Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood: Duets to Romance (11:53–14:05)

• Yearwood Collaboration: Trisha Yearwood, whom Brooks mentored, joined him for the hit duet "In Another’s Eyes" (No. 2 on Hot Country Singles, 1997).
• Personal & Professional Partnership: Their initially platonic partnership turned romantic, culminating in marriage years later.

Quote:
"[Trisha] launched her career with a chart topper, the 1991 No. 1 smash 'She's In Love With The Boy.' ...The relationship [with Brooks] would eventually become more than platonic." (12:02–13:46)

"Garthstock": Central Park and National Acclaim (14:05–17:37)

• Central Park Concert: Brooks staged a massive free Central Park show (dubbed "Garthstock") in August 1997, televised live on HBO. Attendance estimates ranged from 750,000 to close to a million, eclipsing prior legendary concerts.
• Billy Joel Cameo: The concert cemented Brooks’s urban appeal and influence, featuring a performance with Billy Joel.

Quote:
"He knew that cities like New York made up a not insignificant share [of his audience]...so on August 7, 1997, Brooks and his band fulfilled a dream to play a free show at New York’s Central Park." (14:14–15:20)

Records, Chart Tactics, and the RIAA Game (17:38–23:40)

• Sales Strategies: For the album "Sevens" (1997), Brooks delayed the release for strategic promotion, leading to a then-record 900,000 copies sold in the first week.
• Multi-Disc Album Strategy: Brooks began releasing box sets and double CDs (e.g., "Double Live") to boost RIAA certifications, taking advantage of the rule that counts each disc as a separate sale.
• "It’s Your Song" and The Hot 100: Rule updates enabled Brooks’s songs to appear on the pop Hot 100 for the first time, though only minorly.

Quote:
"[Double Live] debuted to 1.085 million in week one, the biggest week to date of any album in SoundScan history." (20:31)

The Chris Gaines Experiment: Brooks Goes Pop (23:41–30:40)

• Chris Gaines Persona: Brooks conceptualized Chris Gaines, a pop/rock alter ego, as a lead-in to a movie ("The Lamb") that was never made.
• Musical Shift: "In The Life Of Chris Gaines" was pitched as a greatest hits by this fictional star. The single "Lost In You" debuted at No. 5 on the Hot 100—his only top-40 pop hit.
• Fan Confusion & Album Flop: The project baffled fans, the album quickly dropped from the charts, and Chris Gaines vanished from Brooks’s career.

Memorable Moment:
Brooks kept the bit alive as both host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live," appearing as himself and as Chris Gaines (27:54).

The Next Wave: Shania Twain, The Chicks, & The Country-Pop Template (30:41–32:07)

• Twain’s Success: Demonstrated that the crossover Brooks sought was possible—her albums and singles achieved dual country and pop radio domination.
• Pop Crossover Normalized: By 2001, groups like the Chicks and Lone Star achieved massive pop chart success with traditional-sounding country hits.
• Brooks’s Pioneering Role: These feats “would have been unimaginable without the breakthroughs achieved earlier by Garth Brooks.” (30:49)

Final Imperial Album and Lasting Legacy (32:08–37:55)

• Return with "Scarecrow": Brooks released "Scarecrow" (2001), his last pre-retirement album, to strong sales and several hits, proving his continued commercial power.
• Retirement and Family: Took a long hiatus to focus on family and his marriage to Trisha Yearwood.
• Ongoing Influence: Even in absence, Brooks’s blend of pop and country influences shaped a new generation of stars.
• Digital Resistance and Adaptation: Launched ghosttunes.com to combat streaming, eventually striking an exclusivity deal with Amazon.
• Continued Relevance: Kept charting in the 2010s, performed during the pandemic via creative channels (e.g., drive-in concerts).

Quote:
"Leave it to Garth Brooks to figure out a new way to connect with his audience." (36:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Garth vs. Beatles Sales:
  “If we get pounded, it’s by the Beatles and everyone’s expecting us to get pounded anyway. And if for some reason we hold our own, it’s going to make country music, make Garth Brooks look stronger.” — Garth Brooks [06:28]

• Strategic Showmanship:
  “Brooks saw his album sales numbers and he knew that cities like New York made up a not insignificant share…so on August 7, 1997, Brooks and his band fulfilled a dream to play a free show at New York's Central Park.” — Chris Molanphy [14:14]

• On Career Doubt:
  "...If the record and ticket sales don't tell me that I'm stirring things up or changing people's lives, then I think it's time for me to hang it up." — Garth Brooks (as told to Robert Hilburn, LA Times) [08:25]

• Chris Gaines SNL Duality:
  “Hey everybody, I’m Garth Brooks and I get to host Saturday Night Live this weekend. My musical guest gonna be Chris Gaines.” — Garth Brooks (as himself and as Chris Gaines) [27:54]

• Shaping the Future:
  "All of these chart feats would have been unimaginable without the breakthroughs achieved earlier by Garth Brooks." — Chris Molanphy [30:49]

• On Staying Innovative:
  “Leave it to Garth Brooks to figure out a new way to connect with his audience.” — Chris Molanphy [36:17]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:35 | Recap of late 20th-century country crossover and Brooks’s 1990s role
• 06:53 – 09:38 | Brooks vs. The Beatles: "Fresh Horses" and chart rivalry
• 11:53 – 14:05 | Brooks and Trisha Yearwood: duets and personal story
• 14:05 – 15:33 | Central Park “Garthstock” concert and urban reach
• 17:38 – 20:31 | Sales tactics: "Sevens", box sets, RIAA math
• 20:31 – 23:40 | "Double Live" sets record; Billboard Hot 100 rule change
• 23:41 – 30:40 | The Chris Gaines project: conception, rollout, backlash
• 32:08 – 37:55 | "Scarecrow", hiatus, legacy, digital era, and pandemic response

Conclusion

This episode intricately details how Garth Brooks both defined and was constrained by country music's mainstream crossover ambitions, revealing triumphs, innovations, and stumbles—from chart manipulation and iconic live shows to the infamous Chris Gaines experiment. Molanphy ties Brooks's adventures to broader evolutions in the country-pop landscape, highlighting the artist’s ongoing relevance and foundational role in connecting country music to new audiences.

For a deeper dive—including the perspectives of industry insiders—listen to exclusive interviews and bonus content via Slate Plus.