George Strait

Hits For 30 Years Strait

The Billboard Country Songs chart has again crumbled under the pressure of another George Strait hit. Few could have imagined 29 years ago that his first No.1 success "Fool Hearted Memory" would be followed with 43 more chart-toppers, all the way to April 2009 when "River of Love" climbed to the top spot. Included in this impressive run of success are 82 Top 10 hits, including one every single year since 1981. The latest is "I Gotta Get to You," which has just climbed to No.9: it's the 30th successive year he’s had a Top 10 hit on the chart; or put another way, the fourth decade in which he’s had such a hit. "It's extremely difficult to maintain that relevancy across multiple decades and multiple shifts in styles," Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard's director of charts said. "It tells us that he's been consistent and hasn't really strayed much from his original sound, but he's kept his music contemporary enough that it can fit on country radio from the '80s until now, which is no small feat. He's the country king." "It just continues to be one heck of a ride that I'm enjoying every minute of," Strait said. "Time does fly when you're having fun. Thanks to all of my fans for their support. Long live country music!"