Reba McEntire: Explore Reba McEntire’s Top Albums and Singles

Reba McEntire is a world-class country music singer and songwriter. The prolific singer was born in 1955 and raised on an 8000-acre ranch in Oklahoma. Reba spent much of her early life at rodeos, where her father performed as a world champion steer roper. She also studied music with her mother. In the ninth grade, Reba created her first band with her siblings, but it wasn’t until she performed the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in 1974, which impressed country music star Red Steagall, helping her break into the country music industry.

Reba topped the Billboard charts with her hit single, “Can’t Even Get the Blues,” in 1983 and became one of the most popular country musicians in the late twentieth century. Throughout her decades-long career, the singer has accumulated 24 hit singles, three Grammy wins, and 28 albums certified platinum, gold, or silver. She currently holds the record for a female artist with the most CMA Award nods, with a whopping 50 nominations. Reba has also found success as an actor and TV star in the early 2000s, best known for Buffalo Girls, Is There Life Out There? and her starring role in the sitcom Reba. To date, Reba has released over 30 albums and singles.

Here are some of the most popular and well-known Reba McEntire songs:

1. 1. “How Blue” (1984): This song from Reba’s second major studio album with MCA Nashville Records became her first number-one single, thrusting her into the spotlight and leading to many more chart-toppers and hit albums.
2. 2. “Whoever’s in New England” (1986): The title track from her 1986 studio album, “Whoever’s in New England,” tells the story of a wife who suspects her husband of having an affair under the cover of business trips to New England. Reba won her first Grammy for the single, for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
3. 3. “Cathy’s Clown” (1989): A cover of a dance hit by The Everly Brothers, Reba slows the song down and transforms it into a soulful ballad. “Cathy’s Clown” topped the Billboard country song charts and is among one of her biggest singles to date.
4. 4. “Fancy” (1990): Reba released this cover of a 1969 song by Bobbie Gentry on her album Rumor Has It (1990). “Fancy” is a powerful song about a mother who wants more for her young daughter, and it solidified Reba’s reputation for being a powerful singer who could successfully place her own unique spin on classic favorites.
5. 5. “For My Broken Heart” (1991): In 1991, a plane crash resulted in the deaths of eight members of Reba’s band, prompting her to dedicate her next album, For My Broken Heart, to their memory. The album’s title song, a powerful ballad about losing a loved one, became the superstar singer’s sixteenth track to top the country music charts.
6. 6. “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (1991): A cover of Vicki Lawrence’s song of the same name from 1972, Reba’s version peaked at number 12 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart.
7. 7. “The Heart Won’t Lie” (1992): The third single from Reba’s eleventh album It’s Your Call (1992) is a harmonious duet with country singer Vince Gill, which topped the Billboard country chart for two weeks.
   
8. 8. “Does He Love You” (1993): A duet with Linda Davis, this song topped Billboard’s Hot Country chart and went on to win a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
9. 9. “If You See Him/If You See Her” (1998): Recorded as a longing duet with country act Brooks & Dunn, this song topped the charts and became the title track for both bands’ upcoming albums.
10. 10. “Because of You” (2007): Originally recorded by pop music star Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You” was re-released as a duet with Reba and Clarkson on her 2007 album, Reba: Duets. The version received widespread acclaim for both vocalists’ performances, becoming Reba’s fifty-fifth top 10 single on the Hot Country charts, tying the record with Dolly Parton.
11. 11. “Consider Me Gone” (2009): This upbeat dance number from her thirty-third studio album, Keep on Loving You (2009), is a testament to the singer’s staying power. The song debuted at number 51 on the Hot Country Singles Chart, topping the charts for four weeks in a row.

To date, Reba has released over 30 albums—here are some of her most well-known:

1. 1. My Kind of Country (1984): Reba’s second album with label MCA Nashville Records, My Kind of Country, is an album of longstanding country hits often credited with bringing traditional country music back into the mainstream. Hits from this album include “How Blue” and “Somebody Should Leave.”
2. 2. Whoever’s in New England (1986): Reba’s first big commercial breakthrough, Whoever’s in New England, became her first certified-platinum album and featured a combination of classic ’80s country songs (like “You Can Take the Wings Off Me”) and songs that anticipated the new sound of ’90s country (like “Little Rock”).
3. 3. What Am I Gonna Do About You (1986): Reba’s twelfth studio album, What Am I Gonna Do About You, debuted at number 36 on Billboard’s country albums chart, eventually reaching number one and staying there for three weeks straight.
4. 4. For My Broken Heart (1991): After a 1991 plane crash resulted in the deaths of eight members of her band, Reba recorded a heartfelt new album dedicated to their memory. The album made the top 10 list for seven weeks straight, peaking at number three, and featured the hit single “The Greatest Man I Never Knew,” which earned the singer a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
5. 5. Read My Mind (1994): Read My Mind contained such hits as “Why Haven't I Heard From You” and “She Thinks His Name Was John” (which was the first country song to address AIDS). The album was certified platinum three times and peaked at number two on the country album charts.
6. 6. What If It’s You (1996): This album is one of Reba’s most commercially successful of all time—it’s certified multi-platinum, peaked at number one on the country chart, and number 15 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. The album featured “The Fear of Being Alone,” a hit single that reached the second spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart.
7. 7. I’m a Survivor (2001): Volume three of Reba’s greatest hits album, I’m a Survivor, became her third certified gold album, which broke the record for a female country singer with the most gold certifications. The title track, “I’m a Survivor,” would become the theme song for the hit sitcom Reba.
8. 8. Keep On Loving You (2009): Reba’s first album with a new label, Valory, Keep On Loving You, broke the record for most Billboard number-one albums by a female country artist.

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