Murder on Music Row
Encyclopedia
"Murder on Music Row" is a song made popular as a 2000 duet between country music
artists George Strait
and Alan Jackson
. Although not released officially as a single, it gained attention for its criticism of mainstream country music trends at the time, and received enough unsolicited airplay to chart at number 38 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts.
crossover acts. Its lyrics tell of how "The steel guitar no longer cries and you can't hear fiddles play / But drums and rock and roll guitars are mixed up in your face." In addition, the song states that older traditional country artists, such as Hank Williams, George Jones
, and Merle Haggard
, "wouldn't stand a chance on today's radio."
group Larry Cordle
& Lonesome Standard Time originally recorded by the song as the title track of their 1999 album Murder on Music Row. Their version was awarded the Song of the Year award at the 2000 International Bluegrass Music Awards.
ed by Country music
artists George Strait
and Alan Jackson
. Originally, the two singers performed the song together at the 1999 CMA
awards show; Strait and Jackson later recorded it for 2000's Latest Greatest Straitest Hits
album. The studio version, although never released officially as a single
, reached number 38 on the Hot Country Songs
chart from unsolicited play and served as the b-side to Strait's late-2000 single "Go On
." In 2000, it also received the Country Music Association
's award for Vocal Event of the Year, as well as the CMA's Song of the Year award a year later.
and George Jones
recorded a version of the song that was included on the album Songs of the Year 2007 that was only available in Cracker Barrel
restaurants.
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...
artists George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
and Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
. Although not released officially as a single, it gained attention for its criticism of mainstream country music trends at the time, and received enough unsolicited airplay to chart at number 38 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts.
Content
The song is a criticism of the ongoing trend of country popCountry pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
crossover acts. Its lyrics tell of how "The steel guitar no longer cries and you can't hear fiddles play / But drums and rock and roll guitars are mixed up in your face." In addition, the song states that older traditional country artists, such as Hank Williams, George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, and 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,...
, "wouldn't stand a chance on today's radio."
Original version
American bluegrassBluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
group Larry Cordle
Larry Cordle
Larry Cordle was born in eastern Kentucky and is an American country and bluegrass singer-songwriter. Cordle is most famous for his song "Murder on Music Row", which was recorded by George Strait and Alan Jackson and received the CMA Award for Song of the Year in 2000.-Career:Cordle has written...
& Lonesome Standard Time originally recorded by the song as the title track of their 1999 album Murder on Music Row. Their version was awarded the Song of the Year award at the 2000 International Bluegrass Music Awards.
George Strait/Alan Jackson version
The song was later coverCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
ed 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...
artists George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
and Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
. Originally, the two singers performed the song together at the 1999 CMA
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
awards show; Strait and Jackson later recorded it for 2000's Latest Greatest Straitest Hits
Latest Greatest Straitest Hits
Latest Greatest Straitest Hits is a 2000 compilation album by George Strait. It was released by MCA Records. The album represents his greatest hits since the release of his 1995 box set Strait Out of the Box. The set contains two newly-recorded tracks. "The Best Day" was released as a single and...
album. The studio version, although never released officially as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, reached number 38 on the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart from unsolicited play and served as the b-side to Strait's late-2000 single "Go On
Go On
"Go On" is the title of a song written by Mark Nesler and Tony Martin, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in July 2000 as the lead-off single from his 2000 album George Strait.-Content:...
." In 2000, it also received the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
's award for Vocal Event of the Year, as well as the CMA's Song of the Year award a year later.
Chart performance
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 38 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 47 |
Dierks Bentley/George Jones version
In 2006 Dierks BentleyDierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip...
and George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
recorded a version of the song that was included on the album Songs of the Year 2007 that was only available in Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969 and its first store was located in Lebanon, Tennessee, where the company is now headquartered...
restaurants.