You probably think you know the score with George Strait. He’s the "King of Country." He has 60 number-one hits. He wears the same crisp Wrangler jeans and Resistol hat he’s worn since 1981. It’s a clean, perfect narrative. But honestly, if you look closely at the massive catalog of songs by George Strait, the math doesn't always add up the way the legends say it does.
Here’s the thing.
People love to throw around that "60 Number Ones" figure like it’s a settled legal fact. It’s not. Well, it is, but it depends on which record book you're holding. If you’re looking strictly at the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart—the industry gold standard—he actually has 44. To get to 60, you have to combine every single chart that has ever existed, from Radio & Records to the Gavin Report. Does that make him less of a king? Hardly. But it’s the kind of nuance that gets lost when we talk about a guy who has been a permanent fixture on our radios for over forty years.
The Signature Song That Never Hit Number One
It sounds like a lie. You’d bet your truck on it being a chart-topper. But "Amarillo by Morning"—arguably the most iconic of all songs by George Strait—never actually reached number one.
Think about that for a second.
Released in 1983 as the third single from Strait from the Heart, it peaked at #4. It’s a song about a rodeo cowboy who has lost everything—his wife, his health, his money—but still has his soul. It’s haunting. It’s dusty. It features perhaps the greatest fiddle outro in the history of recorded music. Yet, in the year of our Lord 1983, it couldn't nudge past the competition to the top spot.
Funny enough, it actually did hit #1 in Canada. Maybe they just understood the loneliness of the road a bit better that year.
Today, "Amarillo by Morning" is certified triple platinum. It’s the song he usually saves for the end of the night. It’s the one everyone knows every single word to. It proves a point George has been making his whole career: a song doesn’t need a plastic trophy to become a part of the American fabric.
Why "The Chair" Changed Everything
By the mid-80s, country music was in a bit of a weird spot. It was getting glossy. Pop-country was creeping in. Then came "The Chair" in 1985.
This track is a masterclass in songwriting by Dean Dillon and Hank Cochran. It’s a conversation. There is no chorus. Read that again. One of the biggest country songs ever written doesn't have a hook you repeat three times. It’s just a guy at a bar talking to a woman, trying to convince her he wasn't actually sitting in the chair next to her.
"Can I drink you a buy?"
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He trips over his words. He’s charming but slightly desperate. It’s a human moment captured in two minutes and forty-eight seconds. It went to #1 because it felt real at a time when a lot of music felt like it was coming off an assembly line.
The Songs That Didn't Quite Get There
We tend to ignore the "flops," but George's near-misses are often more interesting than his easy wins.
- "The Cowboy Rides Away": Peaked at #5. It became the name of his retirement tour and his unofficial theme song, yet it broke a streak of five consecutive #1 hits.
- "Troubadour": This one only hit #7 in 2008. It’s a mid-tempo reflection on aging, where George acknowledges he’s no longer the young buck on the cover of Strait Country. It’s vulnerable in a way "The Fireman" isn't.
- "Marina Del Rey": Hit #6. It’s a beach song that isn't annoying. That’s a rare feat in country music.
The Secret Sauce of the 90s Run
If the 80s were about establishing the brand, the 90s were about total, undisputed world domination. This is when the songs by George Strait started crossing over.
Look at "I Cross My Heart" from the Pure Country soundtrack.
It’s the ultimate wedding song. In 1992, you couldn't get married in a barn or a church without hearing it. It’s sentimental, sure, but George’s delivery keeps it from being sappy. He has this weird ability to sing a love song without sounding like he’s trying to sell you something. It’s just... there. Like a piece of furniture you’ve owned forever that’s actually quite beautiful if you stop to look at it.
Then you have "Check Yes or No."
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Released in 1995, it’s a story-song about a third-grade romance. It’s simple. Maybe too simple? But it stayed at #1 for four weeks. It won Single of the Year at the CMAs. It’s the kind of song that makes people who hate country music say, "Well, I like that one George Strait song."
The Longevity Factor
One stat that actually is true and mind-blowing: George Strait is the only artist in history—in any genre—to have a Top 10 hit every single year for thirty consecutive years.
That started in 1981 with "Unwound." It didn't stop until 2011.
Think about what changed in the world between '81 and 2011. The internet was born. Cell phones went from bricks to computers. The Soviet Union collapsed. Through all of it, George just kept picking songs that worked. He doesn't write most of them. He’s an interpreter. He’s the guy who knows how to find a Dean Dillon or Jamey Johnson demo and turn it into a standard.
Dealing With the "New" George
Lately, the music has slowed down. He isn't chasing radio play anymore. He’s 73 years old. He doesn't need to.
His newer stuff, like "MIA in MIA" or "The Little Things" from his 2024 album Cowboys and Dreamers, sounds like a man who is comfortable. He’s leaning back into the Western Swing that he loved as a kid in Poteet, Texas. It’s fiddle-heavy. It’s relaxed.
When he broke the record for the largest ticketed concert in U.S. history at Kyle Field in 2024 (110,905 people), he didn't do it with pyro or 20 background dancers. He did it with a band and a list of songs that have lived in people's lives for decades.
Actionable Insights for the Casual Listener
If you’re just getting into the catalog, don't just hit "shuffle" on a Greatest Hits album. You’ll miss the texture.
First, listen to the "Story Trilogy." Play "The Chair," then "Ocean Front Property," then "All My Ex's Live in Texas." It gives you the full range of his personality: the smooth talker, the liar, and the guy who’s just trying to stay out of trouble.
Second, find the deep cuts. Check out "Adalida." It’s a Cajun-flavored track that only hit #3 but has more energy than half of his #1s. Or listen to "I Can Still Make Cheyenne," which is arguably his best pure storytelling song. It’s a gut-punch about a rodeo rider who calls home only to find out his wife has moved on.
Third, watch a live performance of "The Cowboy Rides Away." Pay attention to the audience. You’ll see three generations of people—grandfathers, fathers, and sons—all singing the same bridge.
The real legacy of songs by George Strait isn't the number 60 or the number 44. It’s the fact that in a genre that constantly tries to reinvent itself to stay "relevant," George just stood still. He waited for the world to come back to him. And it always does.
To truly appreciate the "King," move beyond the radio edits. Dig into the B-sides from the Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind era. That’s where the real Texas honky-tonk soul lives. Put on a pair of decent headphones, ignore the chart positions, and just listen to the phrasing. That’s where the magic is.