Honkytonk University is an album by 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...

 singer Toby Keith

Toby Keith

Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...

, released in 2005. The album has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for sales of in excess of 2 million units.

"Honkytonk U" was the first single to be released from the album, breaking the country top 10. "As Good as I Once Was" was the album's biggest hit, topping the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for six weeks. Due to the closure of DreamWorks shortly afterwards, however, "Big Blue Note" was released on Keith's Show Dog Nashville

Show Dog Nashville

Show Dog-Universal Music is an American independent record label specializing in country music artists. It was formed from the merger of Show Dog Nashville and Universal South Records in 2009...

 label, going on to peak at #5.

Track listing

All songs written by Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick

Scotty Emerick

Walter Scott "Scotty" Emerick is an American country music artist, known primarily for his work with Toby Keith. In addition to penning several of Keith's singles, Emerick has also written for Sawyer Brown, George Strait and several other artists...

 except where noted.

1. "Honkytonk U
   Honkytonk U
   "Honkytonk U" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in February 2005 as the lead-off single, and partial title track to his 2005 album Honkytonk University...
   
   " (Toby Keith) - 3:35
2. "As Good as I Once Was
   As Good as I Once Was
   "As Good as I Once Was" is a single by American country music singer Toby Keith that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. This song and his 2003 single "Beer for My Horses" are both his longest-running Number One hits, each having spent six weeks at Number One...
   
   " - 3:49
3. "She Ain't Hooked on Me No More" - 3:36
   • duet with Merle Haggard
     Merle Haggard
     Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
     
     
4. "Big Blue Note
   Big Blue Note
   "Big Blue Note" was the third and final single from Toby Keith's 2005 album Honkytonk University. It peaked at #5 on the United States country charts...
   
   " - 2:58
5. "Just the Guy to Do It" - 2:59
6. "She Left Me" (Keith) - 3:21
7. "Knock Yourself Out" (Keith, Emerick, Dean Dillon
   Dean Dillon
   Dean Dillon is an American country music artist. Between 1982 and 1993, Dillon recorded six studio albums on various labels, and charted several singles on the Billboard country charts. Although he has not charted since 1993, Dillon has continued to write several hit songs for other artists, most...
   
   ) - 3:05
8. "You Ain't Leavin' (Thank God Are Ya)" (Keith, Emerick, Dillon) - 3:13
9. "I Got It Bad" (Keith, Chuck Cannon
   Chuck Cannon
   Charles Marion "Chuck" Cannon, Jr. is an American country music songwriter. His compositions include hit singles for Toby Keith and John Michael Montgomery. Cannon has also received awards for Broadcast Music Incorporated, as well as an Academy of Country Music award for Song of the Year...
   
   ) - 3:51
10. "Your Smile" - 3:24
11. "Where You Gonna Go" - 4:04
12. "You Caught Me at a Bad Time" - 3:27

Personnel

• Eddie Bayers – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
   on "Honkytonk U"
• Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
  Steel-string acoustic guitar
  A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
  
   on "Honkytonk U"
• Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
  Steel guitar
  Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
  
   on "Honkytonk U"
• Scotty Emerick
  Scotty Emerick
  Walter Scott "Scotty" Emerick is an American country music artist, known primarily for his work with Toby Keith. In addition to penning several of Keith's singles, Emerick has also written for Sawyer Brown, George Strait and several other artists...
  
   – acoustic guitar
• Shannon Forrest – drums on all tracks except "Honkytonk U"
• Paul Franklin
  Paul Franklin (musician)
  Paul Franklin is an American multi-instrumentalist, known mainly for his work as a steel guitarist. He began his career in the 1970s as a member of Barbara Mandrell's road band; in addition he toured with Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. He has since become a prolific session musician in Nashville,...
  
   – steel guitar
• Tony Harrell – piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  , keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
   on "Honkytonk U"
• Wes Hightower – background vocals
  Backing vocalist
  A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
  
  
• Johnny Hiland – electric guitar
  Electric guitar
  An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
  
   on "She Left Me"
• David Hungate
  David Hungate
  David Hungate is a bass player noted as a member of Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1977-1982. Boz Scaggs's Silk Degrees album of 1976 included Hungate and several other future members of Toto...
  
   – bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
   on "Honkytonk U"
• Clayton Ivey – piano, keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ
• Julian King – background vocals
• B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar on "Honkytonk U"
• Brent Mason
  Brent Mason
  Brent Mason is an American session guitarist and occasional songwriter. He is known primarily for his work in the field of country music. In addition to releasing two instrumental studio albums, he holds several credits as a songwriter...
  
   – electric guitar
• Gordon Mote – piano, keyboards on "Honkytonk U"
• Steve Nathan – piano, keyboards, Hammond B-3 ogan
• Jerry McPherson – electric guitar
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica
  Harmonica
  The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
  
  
• Brent Rowan – electric guitar on "Honkytonk U"
• John Wesley Ryles
  John Wesley Ryles
  John Wesley Ryles is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records.Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label,...
  
   – background vocals
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
• Glenn Worf
  Glenn Worf
  Glenn Worf is one of the premier Nashville session bassists. He was born in Dayton, Ohio but grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and has concentrated on the bass guitar since he was thirteen. He majored in music at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Inevitably his talents forced him to abandon the...
  
  – bass guitar on all tracks except "Honkytonk U"

Chart performance

Chart (2005)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	1
U.S. Billboard 200	2