Double Live is the first live album by American country music singer Garth Brooks. It was released on November 17, 1998, and is a two-disc compilation of live songs, recorded during Brooks's 1996–1998 world tour.
The album sold 1,085,000 copies in its first week, setting the record for the highest first-week sales since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales, surpassing the 950,000 copies sold by Pearl Jam's Vs. in 1993, as well as the highest single week sales, surpassing the 1.06 million copies sold by The Bodyguard soundtrack over Christmas 1992. It became the first new best-selling live album in the US since Eric Clapton's Unplugged in 1992, and later became the best-selling live album in United States music history. It has been certified 25× Platinum by the RIAA (12.5 million shipped as it is a double album), and is the seventh most shipped album in the US. By 2012, it had sold 6,017,000 copies.Sales figures according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Double Live was re-released on September 5, 2014, as Double Live: 25th Anniversary Edition, exclusive to GhostTunes.
Double Live was again re-released on November 20, 2018, as part of the Garth Brooks Anthology Part III: Live book.
Content The song "Tearin' It Up (And Burnin' It Down)" was originally slated for Brooks's 1997 album Sevens, and "Wild as the Wind" was intended for a duets album with Trisha Yearwood.
Album cover themes The album was originally released November 17, 1998, with a commemorative cover. In each of the next six weeks, another commemorative cover was released, each themed with one of Brooks' live performances.
Variations released since the original issue include a First Edition cover, Reunion Arena '91, Texas Stadium '93, World Tour I, World Tour II, Central Park '97, Dublin '98, USS Enterprise '01, The Last Show, Off-Stage and, in 2014, the 25th Anniversary Edition was released including a new cover, additional bonus tracks and a DVD to promote the digital remaster and release of Brook's digital music via GhostTunes.
Commercial performance Double Live debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200, becoming Brooks' seventh, and number 1 on the Top Country Albums, Brooks' ninth number one Country album. In November 2023, Double Live was certified 23× Platinum by the RIAA.
Track listing Original release
25th anniversary edition
Personnel Per liner notes included with the album's release.
Musicians
Susan Ashton — backing vocals Bob Bailey — backing vocals, choir Bruce Bouton — pedal steel guitar Garth Brooks — vocals, acoustic guitar Mark Casstevens — acoustic guitar Lisa Cochran — choir Stephanie Davis — acoustic guitar, backing vocals Mike Elred — choir Ty England — acoustic guitar Béla Fleck — banjo David Gant — keyboards James Garver — electric guitar, backing vocals Mark Greenwood — bass guitar, backing vocals Vicki Hampton — backing vocals, choir Mark Ivey — choir Marabeth Jordan — choir Gordon Kennedy — electric guitar John Kinsch — electric guitar Chris Leuzinger — electric guitar Jimmy Mattingly — fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar Steve McClure — electric guitar, pedal steel guitar Donna McElroy — backing vocals Terry McMillan — harmonica Debbie Nims — acoustic guitar, mandolin, backing vocals Mike Palmer — drums Victoria Shaw — backing vocals Lisa Silver — choir Betsy Smittle — bass guitar Keith Urban — electric guitar Cindy Walker — choir Steve Wariner — acoustic guitar, backing vocals on "Longneck Bottle" Bergen White — choir Dennis Wilson — choir Bobby Wood — keyboards Trisha Yearwood — vocals on "Wild As The Wind", choir Nashville String Machine — string orchestra
Production Guy Charbonneau – engineer Carlos Grier – digital editing John Harris – engineer Joe Loesch - sound design Mark Miller – engineer, mixing engineer Denny Purcell – mastering engineer John Saylor – engineer Steve Smith – engineer
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1998) Peakposition Canadian Albums (RPM) 1 Canadian Country Albums (RPM) 1 European Albums (Billboard) 66 Irish Albums (RPM) 3
Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position US Billboard 200 6 US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 2 Chart (2000) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 28 Chart (2001) Position Canadian Country Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) 80 Chart (2002) PositionCanadian Country Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)89
Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999)Position US Billboard 20050
Singles "It's Your Song" was re-recorded in the studio and released as a single, peaking at #9 in late 1998. Two of the album's other tracks charted on the Billboard charts in 1998 from unsolicited airplay. Year Single Peak chart positions US Country US CAN Country 1998 "It's Your Song" 9 62 5 "Tearin' It Up (And Burnin' It Down)" 63 — — "Wild as the Wind" (with Trisha Yearwood) 65 — —
Certifications
See also List of best-selling albums in the United States
References
pt:Double Live