Songoftheday 8/26/21 - Elegant intelligent heaven sent all my money spent, I put a big down payment on that itty bitty diamond ring...

 

 

"Unbelievable" - Diamond Rio

from the album Unbelievable (1998)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (two weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 3

 

Today's song comes from the country music band Diamond Rio, who had started out as the "Tennessee River Boys" in the early 1980's. Most likely inspired by the hit song from Alabama, the Nashville-based group were hired players at the Opryland USA amusement park there. After a thorough shuffling of members (including future SOTD artist Ty Herndon) where none of the original members remained, they were taken under the wing of producer Keith Stegall, and eventually got signed to Arista Nashville at the beginning of the 1990. Their debut single, "Meet In The Middle", came out a year later, and did what even Alabama couldn''t achieve, going all the way to #1 on Billboard magazine's Country Singles chart out of the gate (caveat though that Alabama's first #1 was their first major-label chart hit). That was followed by four more top ten country radio hits. Their debut album Diamond Rio went to #83 on the Billboard 200 sales chart and #13 on the Country Albums tally, going on to sell over a million copies. "Meet In A Middle" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 1992, which the Judds took for their "Love Can Build A Bridge" anthem. Also from the album, the track "Poultry Promenade" was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Grammy, which went home with violinist Mark O'Connor for his New Nashville Cats album. 

The band returned later in 1992 with their sophomore effort Close To The Edge. While it wasn't as big as their debut, selling about half as much (#87 Billboard 200, #24 Country Albums), it still spun off a pair of top ten country radio hits including "In A Week Or Two" at #2. That song also was up for a Grammy, losing to Brooks & Dunn's "Hard Workin' Man". Also, the album's instrumental, "Appalachian Dream" had them up again for Best Country Instrumental, which Chet Atkins took home for "Young Thing". They pretty much had the same result with their next two albums, getting as high as the runner-up spot once on each with "Love A Little Stronger" in 1994 and "Walkin' Away" in 1996. From their fourth album IV, the song "That's What I Get For Lovin' You" earned the band their third Country Duo/Group Grammy Nomination, losing out to Brooks & Dunn again for their cover of "My Maria". Also from the set, Diamond Rio got their third and so far last Country Instrumental Grammy nomination with "Big", which again they lost to Chet Atkins for "Jam Man". 

Although their success hadn't been as flashy as heavy hitters like Brooks & Dunn or Garth Brooks, they were consistent, and in 1997 the band released their first Greatest Hits set. The collection would be their first release to enter the top ten on Billboard's Country Albums chart at #8, while peaking at #75 on the Billboard 200 all-genre tally and going on to sell over a million copies. But even more importantly, they returned to the top of the Country Singles chart for the first time since their debut with "How Your Love Makes Me Feel". They won the Academy of Country Music's Top Country Vocal Group trophy, their third after their 1991/1992 start. The track was also up for a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, which Alison Krauss and Union Station nabbed for "Looking In The Eyes Of Love".

With that momentum in their favor, Diamond Rio came back in 1998 with their fifth studio release Unbelievable. The lead single, the somber breakup ballad "You're Gone". peaked at a respectable #4 on the Country Singles chart. For the second offering to radio, the group took a left turn with the absolutely joyously perky "Unbelievable". Written by industry vets Al Anderson and Jeffrey Steele, the bouncy track gives lead singer Marty Roe a chance to demonstrate his "flow" on an groove that gives the band a chance to shine instrumentally (a rarity in the genre, especially today). The "kissable, lovable, huggable, unbelievable" hook really gets under your skin, and the twostep dance-friendly song profited from Billboard magazine's rule changes which allowed all genre radio play to count towards the pop Hot 100 list, whether or not it's sold as a retail single. And for the first time, Diamond Rio found themselves not only on the list, but in the higher tier...

"Unbelievable" became Diamond Rio's first top-40 hit on the Hot 100 in February of 1999. The song spent two weeks at #2 on Billboard's Country Singles chart. Internationally, the single went all the way to #1 on the Canadian Country chart. The Unbelievable album, released in July of 1998, landed their second top ten on the Country Albums chart at #9, while cresting at #70 on the Billboard 200, going on to move over a half million copies. At the Grammy Awards in 2000, the band was again nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Unbelievable", which went to the Dixie Chicks for their "Ready To Run". 

Despite the big success of the title track, the album's third (and final) single, "I Know How The River Feels", stalled down at #33 on the Country Singles chart. But this won't be their last time on this series.

(8/10)

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Here's the band's concert version from their Diamond Rio Live album in 2014...

and lastly at a show in Waco in 2020...

Up tomorrow: Neo-soul singer is using his pronouns.