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Tim
McGraw, a freshman in country's crowded class of '92, seemed the least
likely to graduate to superstardom. His first record didn't work, but some
of his songs got incredible reactions from the fans. Even his record company
didn't allow him to record one song in particular – until they saw him
perform it live in 1994. That very song, "Indian Outlaw," went on to sell
nearly 25 million albums and singles. It was the much-wanted break Tim
McGraw had been looking for and before he would that realize he was standing
on the threshold of superstardom, "Not A Moment Too Soon," the album that
soon followed, would become the biggest selling album of the year and would
go on to sell six million copies. Aside from his unlistenable duets with
wife Faith Hill he's had excellent taste in songs. And he's the
personification of the average guy in search of extraordinary love. The key
to Tim McGraw's success lies in his capability of selecting the songs that
the public loves to hear. Sometimes his music produces an irresistible beat
that easily overrides an absurd lyric like on "I Like It, I Love It" and
"Down On The Farm." In other instances McGraw effectively takes on the role
of everyday Joe that the public can identify with as on "Where The Green
Grass Grows" and "Something Like That." Most of the time he aims for the
heart, with "Don't Take The Girl," "Just To See You Smile," and "My Best
Friend" among the tunes that brings out the right emotions at the right
time.
Making a fan fare dance on your tunes is always a tough job
for an artist, but "All I Want" sold more than three million copies and
spawned a running success on the country charts. "I Like It, I Love It"
reached number one on the country charts as the leadoff single, while "She
Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" also went to number one in 1996. "Can't
Really Be Gone", "All I Want is a Life", and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep On
It" were all top 5 hits. In 1996, McGraw’s choice of Faith Hill as the
opening act for his "Spontaneous Combustion Tour" led not only to the most
successful country tour that year, but also to their nuptial knot in late
1996. Together and separately the couple have remained among the most
successful artists in every genre ever since. 1997's Everywhere, become
another crossover smash; it topped the country charts, and sold four million
copies. Meanwhile, "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me," another
husbandandwife duet from Hill's 1998 album Faith, climbed into the Top Five.
His next album, 1999's tripleplatinum
A Place in the Sun, hit
number one country and pop, and four of its singles also hit number one.
2000 brought McGraw's first Greatest Hits compilation, predictably a
bestselling smash, and another Top Ten duet from Hill's Breathe album,
"Let's Make Love." In 2002, Tim McGraw bucked country music traditions by
recording his album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors with his tour band
The Dancehall Doctors. Tim McGraw and the Dance Hall Doctors reached number
2 on the country charts, with "Real Good Man" reaching number one, number 2
in 2003 with "She's My Kind of Rain" and the top 5 with "Red Rag Top."
McGraw's 2004 album Live Like You Were Dying continued his record of
commercial success. The album was a perfect combination of living life fully
and in the moment. As part of the effort to get G8 leaders to address the
humanitarian crises in Africa, McGraw also participated in the Live 8: The
Long Walk to Justice concert series, performing along with Faith Hill at the
Rome, Italy concert on July 2, 2005.
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