Best-Selling Solo Artist in U.S. History Released Debut Album 37 Years Ago Today

Grace GalanteSun, April 12, 2026 at 3:25 AM UTC

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Garth Brooks' self-titled debut album was released 37 years ago today!

On April 12, 1989, the country star released Garth Brooks—a neotraditional country album with elements of honky-tonk and Western swing mixed with rock-and-roll and pop. He would later expand on these sounds in his second album No Fences the following year.

"This album was released in April 1989, in the States. Definitely scared to death," Brooks said of his first record. "I thought the album was very very innocent. And I gotta be truthful with you, every time I hear those songs off the radio or off the album itself, or even when we play them live. I really get that same kind of scared feeling, that I had, way back in 1988, and 1989."

"That first album is always a big one for any artist and I, without trying to sound egotistical, I'm very proud of my first one," he added.

RELATED: Trisha Yearwood Reveals the Secret to Long-Lasting Marriage to Garth Brooks

At the time of Garth Brooks' release, Brooks was already topping the charts with the album's first single, "Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old)."

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The song became the album's first Billboard Top 10 hit, and the record gave way for three more Top 10 singles, including Brooks's first No. 1 song "If Tomorrow Never Comes."

The fourth and final single from Garth Brooks was "The Dance," which stayed at the top of the charts for three weeks and is one of the biggest hits of Brooks' career to this day.

The emotional ballad's music video features appearances by several people who had died while living their dream, including Martin Luther King Jr., Keith Whitley, and the Challenger space shuttle crew.

Garth Brooks was Brooks' first diamond-certified record, selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. The album peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart.

37 years later, Brooks is the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history—with over 200 million albums sold.

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This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”