George Strait is spending his 2023 tour season with a handful of stadium dates. The shows feature opening acts Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton.

George made a statement when the tour was announced in 2022. He said, “When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ’til I walk back out and get on that bus. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement. When we talked about doing these six shows next year with Chris, it was a no-brainer for me. I was all in.”

George Strait w/ Chris Stapleton and special guests Little Big Town 2023 Stadium Shows:

June 3 Milwaukee, Wisc. || American Family Field
June 17 Seattle, Wash. || Lumen Field
June 24 Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
July 28 Nashville, Tenn. || Nissan Stadium
July 29 Nashville, Tenn. || Nissan Stadium
August 5 Tampa, Fla. || Raymond James Stadium

As many of us get ready to see the King of Country Music live in concert one more time, Strait celebrates his 71st birthday today (5/18). To honor the King’s birthday, we share what we believe is George’s very best 20 songs.

RELATED: George Strait Honors Police and Firefighters In Powerful New Video

• 20. “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” – (1986)

  Share

  This one was released in April 1986 as the first single from the album ‘#7.’ The song tells the story of a guy that broke up with a girl. He was the one that told her he had to move on and now he’s the one crying over the loss.

• 19. “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” – (1988)

  Share

  This song was released in December of 1988 as the first single from the album "Beyond the Blue Neon." The narrator is a man who is learning that his woman has left him and probably for good this time. She didn't shed a single tear as she left, and he knows she's perfected goodbye this time.

• 18. “Write This Down” – (1999)

  Share

  This song was released in March of 1999 as the second single from Strait's album ‘Always Never the Same.’ It was his 35th number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The tune also reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of his most successful crossover singles to date.
• 17. “You Look So Good in Love” – (1983)

  Share

  The song is about a guy watching his ex-lover fall in love with another guy. He realizes just how happy his former girlfriend looks now that she's fallen in true love. The video for the song was Strait's first music video.

• 16. “Let’s Fall to Pieces Together” – (1984)

  Share

  This song was released in May 1984 as the third and final single from the album ‘Right or Wrong.’ The song was George Strait's fifth number one on the country chart.

• 15. “Right or Wrong” – (1984)

  Share

  This catchy song is actually a cover. It’s a traditional song dating back to the 1920s, which was previously most associated with Emmett Miller and Bob Wills.
• 14. “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” – (1984)

  Share

  Another George Strait number one. The song is about a guy back in Fort Worth, Texas. He’s enjoying a few beers and thinking about his former lover who is now with someone else in Dallas. The guy wonders if she ever thinks of him and the good times they had together.

• 13. “The Cowboy Rides Away” – (1985)

  Share

  Classic. This was the last song George sang at his legendary concert on June 7, 2014, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with a worldwide record-setting attendance of 104,000 people in the audience.

• 12. “Give It Away” – (2006)

  Share

  At the Academy of Country Music awards in 2007, "Give It Away" won both the Single of the Year and Song of the Year awards; the song also won Song of the Year honors at the Country Music Association Awards the same year.
• 11. “Ocean Front Property” – (1986)

  Share

  No, there is no oceanfront property in Arizona. This is the title song from the album of the same name. The album was his first album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. It was ranked #5 on CMT's list of 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music in 2006.

• 10. “Am I Blue” – (1987)

  Share

  It was released in August 1987 as the third and final single from his album Ocean Front Property. The song became George’s 12th number 1 single in the U.S.

• 9. “Troubadour” – (2008)

  Share

  Strait cites this one as a personal favorite. The song was the 86th chart single of his career. It has become his 79th Top Ten single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Troubadour" was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards.
• 8. “I Saw God Today” – (2008)

  Share

  The lead character in this touching song is walking down the sidewalk after his wife has just had a baby, meanwhile noticing such things as a flower growing out of a crack in the sidewalk, a couple who are expecting a baby and the colors of a sunset. Beautiful.

• 7. “Famous Last Words of a Fool” – (1988)

  Share

  "Famous Last Words of a Fool" is a song George released in January 1988 as the first single from his album ‘If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin'.’ The song was originally recorded by his long-time songwriter Dean Dillon.

• 6. “Check Yes or No” – (1995)

  Share

  The song is an ode to a lover in which the narrator discusses the history of their relationship, detailing how their romance began when they were kids.
• 5. “Unwound” – (1981)

  Share

  Strait’s very first single to country radio and the song that introduced us to this former army corporal. At the time, MCA Records offered him a single deal, agreeing to release one song as a single and to provide the necessary promotion. If the single was successful in sales and radio play, then an album deal would be offered. We know how that turned out!

• 4. “The Fireman” – (1985)

  Share

  Countless country artists from Blake Shelton to Garth Brooks have played this song in their shows before they had enough hits not to do covers. It’s a classic.

• 3. “The Chair” – (1985)

  Share

  "The Chair" came at the end of a night-long songwriting binge by songwriters, Hank Cochran and Dean Dillon. The two had been writing songs all night long and as Dillon puts it, "were about written out" - when he strummed his guitar and sang the line "Excuse me but I think you've got my chair." Twenty minutes later, "The Chair" was complete. The song was named by CMT as one of the Top 100 country songs of all time, posting at number 24.
• 2. “Amarillo by Morning” – (1983)

  Share

  George told CMT in a rare recent interview that this is the song he thinks people remember him most for.

• 1.”All My Ex’s Live in Texas” – (1987)

  Share

  Just classic Strait. The beat, the words, the feel of it, the image it gives listeners - all just perfect!

Sign me up for the Backstage Country email newsletter!

Backstage access to the top names and rising stars of Country Music and more delivered to your inbox.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.