Bless the Broken Road explained

Bless the Broken Road
Artist:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Album:Acoustic
Released:1994
Genre:Country, pop
Label:Liberty
Producer:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Bless the Broken Road
Artist:Marcus Hummon
Album:All in Good Time
Released:September 5, 1995
Genre:Country
Label:Columbia
Producer:Monroe Jones

"Bless the Broken Road" is a song that has been recorded by several American country music artists. Co-written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd, and Jeff Hanna in 1994, it tells how the journey through relationship heartbreak and disappointment was an important series of lessons along the broken road to finding one’s true love. It was first recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1994, followed by Hummon on his 1995 album All in Good Time.

Since then, many artists have recorded the song, with Rascal Flatts' version being the highest-charting, becoming a number 1 hit on the Billboard country music charts in 2005 and earning the songwriters a Grammy Award for Best Country Song.

History

Singer-songwriter Marcus Hummon co-wrote the song with Jeff Hanna (of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) and Bobby Boyd. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded it for the 1994 album Acoustic. One year later, Hummon covered the song for his debut album All in Good Time for Columbia Records.[1] His rendition includes backing vocals from Hanna and Matraca Berg.[2] Michael McCall of New Country magazine thought that Hummon's rendition was the best track on the album.[3]

Sons of the Desert recorded its own version of the song, for a planned second album on Epic Records that would have been released in 1998. This album was not released, due to a dispute between the band and its label.[4]

Since then, many artists have recorded the song including Melodie Crittenden, Geoff Moore, Selah, Jamie Slocum, Carrie Underwood, Buddy Greene, Boyce Avenue, and Rascal Flatts.

Melodie Crittenden version

Broken Road
Type:single
Artist:Melodie Crittenden
Album:Melodie Crittenden
Released:January 1998
Genre:Country
Length:3:52
Label:Asylum #9945
Producer:Byron Gallimore
Stephony Smith
Next Title:I Should've Known
Next Year:1998

Also in 1998, Melodie Crittenden recorded the song under the title "Broken Road" and included it on her self-titled debut album for Asylum Records. Released as the first of two singles from it, this version was a number 42 single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.[5]

This version was featured on an episode of Dawson's Creek.

Critical reception

Billboard gave Crittenden's version a positive review in the January 17, 1998, issue, calling it "sheer poetry with a moving message."[6]

Chart positions

Rascal Flatts version

Bless the Broken Road
Cover:Bless the broken road.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Rascal Flatts
Album:Feels Like Today
Released:November 1, 2004
Genre:
Length:3:46 (Album Version)
3:38 (Single Version)
Label:Lyric Street
Producer:
Prev Title:Feels Like Today
Prev Year:2004
Next Title:Fast Cars and Freedom
Next Year:2005

The highest-charting rendition is by the country music group Rascal Flatts, who cut the song for the Feels Like Today album. Released in November 2004, this version spent five weeks at number one on Hot Country Singles & Tracks. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song[7] and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The song topped the 2 million mark in paid downloads on September 18, 2010. It's Rascal Flatts' third song to reach that mark, following "Life Is a Highway" and "What Hurts the Most".[8] As of January 2020, the song has sold 3,719,000 copies in the US.[9]

On May 25, 2005, during a live performance on American Idol by Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts,[10] an additional version was recorded. While not in wide release, and never included on an album, the version received enough radio airplay to enter the country music charts at number 50.[7]

In 2009, an acoustic version recorded by Rascal Flatts was included in the soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie.

On May 19, 2012, "Bless the Broken Road" debuted at number 76 and went to number 41 next week on the UK Singles chart (The Official Charts Company), the band's first and only appearance on the chart.

On February 26, 2020, the song received renewed attention after California-based artist RMR sampled the piano melody for his debut song "Rascal". The song and music video would go on to be a viral hit.[11]

Song information

Rascal Flatts' version of the song is set in the key of C major, with a vocal range from C4 to A5.[12]

Charts

Chart (2004–2012)Peak
position
Canada Country (Radio & Records)[13] 1
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[14] 41
US Billboard Pop 10040
Chart (2005)Peak
position

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Selah version

Bless the Broken Road
Type:single
Artist:Selah with Melodie Crittenden
Released:March 2006
Genre:Contemporary Christian music
Length:4:10
Label:Curb
Producer:Allan Hall, Jason Kyle, Todd D. Smith
Chronology:Selah
Next Title:Hosanna
Next Year:2009

Selah, a contemporary Christian music band, covered the song in 2006 on the album featuring a duet vocal from Crittenden.[16] Also released as a single, Selah's version peaked at number five on the Hot Christian Songs charts.

Accolades

In 2007, this version of the song was nominated for a Dove Award for Song of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards.[18]

Film adaptation

A feature film based on the song, titled God Bless the Broken Road, began filming in 2015, and was originally announced to be released in 2016.[19] The actual release was September 7, 2018.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rascal Flatts Takes Bow for "Broken Road". Morris. Edward. 10 March 2005. CMT. 24 September 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20091012101112/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1497995/rascal-flatts-takes-bow-for-broken-road.jhtml. 2009-10-12. dead.
  2. All in Good Time . Marcus Hummon . 1995 . CD booklet . Columbia Records . 66124.
  3. McCall. New Country. November 1995. Album reviews. New Country. 2. 14. 57–58. 1074-536X.
  4. Web site: Matt's Songwriter Spotlight - Marcus Hummon . 24 September 2010 . Bjorke . Matt . . https://web.archive.org/web/20080508140954/http://countrymusic.about.com/od/songwriters/a/sng_mhummon.htm . 2008-05-08 . live .
  5. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. 2008. 107. 978-0-89820-177-2.
  6. 17 January 1998. Singles. Billboard. 66.
  7. Whitburn, p. 339
  8. Web site: Week Ending Sept. 5, 2010: Rihanna Leads The Pack. Chart Watch. 6 August 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130925175731/http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-sept-5-2010-rihanna-leads-the-pack.html. 25 September 2013.
  9. Web site: Bjorke . Matt . Top 30 Digital Country Songs Chart: January 7, 2020. Rough Stock . January 7, 2020 . January 8, 2020.
  10. Web site: USA Today Underwood Wins Idol . . 2017-08-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111225045811/http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-05-25-idol-final-results_x.htm . 2011-12-25 . live .
  11. Holmes . Charles . RMR's Rascal Flatts Homage 'Rascal' Is a Viral Hit — As Long As It Can Stay Online . Rolling Stone. 2 March 2020 .
  12. Web site: "Bless the Broken Road" sheet music. Musicnotes.com. 17 January 2005 . 18 September 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111223084604/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0048698&. 2011-12-23. live.
  13. Web site: Canada Country Top 30 . . December 30, 2019 . 45 . February 18, 2005.
  14. Web site: Singles Top 40 from the Official UK Charts Company . . May 15, 2012 .
  15. Best of 2005: Country Songs. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2005. June 16, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20071118140651/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+Country+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=2005. 2007-11-18. live.
  16. Web site: [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r847374|pure_url=yes}} ''Bless the Broken Road: The Duets Album'']. Allmusic. 24 September 2010.
  17. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=selah|chart=Christian Songs}} Chart history for Selah]. Billboard. 24 September 2010.
  18. http://christianmusic.about.com/od/doves/a/gma07awards.htm 38th Annual GMA Awards
  19. News: NFL Great LaDainian Tomlinson to Star in Movie Based on Country Song . Paul . Bond . . 2017-01-03 . 2018-06-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180620002135/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nfl-great-ladainian-tomlinson-star-movie-based-country-song-960209 . 2018-06-20 . live .
  20. News: Kim Delaney, Jordin Sparks Join 'God Bless The Broken Road' . Anita . Busch . . 2016-05-16 . 2018-06-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180620002337/https://deadline.com/2016/05/kim-delaney-jordin-sparks-god-bless-the-broken-road-movie-1201757277/ . 2018-06-20 . live .