Ropin' the Wind is the third studio album by country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 2, 1991, and became his first studio album to debut at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart. This marked the first time a country singer topped both charts since Kenny Rogers accomplished this just over a decade earlier. The album had four runs at No. 1 between September 28, 1991, and April 3, 1992, spending a total of 18 weeks at the top and ultimately being certified 14× Platinum by the RIAA in 1998. In the UK, it reached the Top 50 pop albums list and maintained the No. 1 position for several months on the country charts. It is the last studio album released under Capitol Records Nashville until the 1995 album Fresh Horses.
The track "Shameless" is a cover version of a song by Billy Joel, recorded on his 1989 album Storm Front.
According to AllMusic, Ropin' the Wind was the first country album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Background Brooks commented on the album, saying:
Reception Ropin' the Wind debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming his first album to achieve this milestone, and reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, selling 400,000 copies. This made it his second No. 1 country album. In September 1998, Ropin' the Wind was certified 14× Platinum by the RIAA.
Track listing
Personnel
Garth Brooks – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar Susan Ashton – backing vocals Bruce Bouton – lap and pedal steel guitars, Dobro Sam Bush – mandolin Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar Mike Chapman – bass guitar Charles Cochran – string arrangements Larry Cordle – backing vocals Jerry Douglas – Dobro Carl Jackson – backing vocals Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar Rob Hajacos – fiddle Kenny Malone – percussion Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass Milton Sledge – drums, percussion Bobby Wood – keyboards Trisha Yearwood – backing vocals Nashville String Machine – string orchestra
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1991)PeakpositionCanadian Albums (RPM)22Canadian Country Albums (RPM)1European Albums (Billboard)91Irish Albums (Billboard)10Spanish Albums (AFYVE) 31Zimbabwean Albums Chart* Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 20001
Singles Year Single Peak chart positions US Country CAN Country CAN AC UK 1991 "Rodeo" 3 1 — — "Shameless" 1 1 26 71 "What She's Doing Now" 1 1 — — 1992 "Papa Loved Mama" 3 2 — — "The River" 1 1 — —
Other charted songs Year Single Peak positions US Country 1992 "Against the Grain" 66
Year-end charts Chart (1991)PositionUS Billboard 20079US Top Country Albums (Billboard)47 Chart (1992)PositionUS Billboard 2001US Top Country Albums (Billboard)1 Chart (1993)PositionUS Billboard 20068US Top Country Albums (Billboard)13 Chart (1994)PositionUS Top Country Albums (Billboard)44
Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999)Position US Billboard 20012
Certifications and sales
See also List of best-selling albums in the United States
References