There’s no denying George Strait has had a stellar career in country music. Rightfully dubbed the King of Country Music, Strait captured the ears and hearts all around the world. Songs like “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Fool-Hearted Memory,” “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind?” and “Cowboys Like Us” reminded us that, even though he was an accomplished country superstar, he remained true to his Texas roots.
Trailing behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles, George Strait ranks as No. 3 for the most gold and platinum albums sold in music history. In addition, he has 44 No. 1 singles on “Billboard’s Hot Country Songs.” He also has the most No. 1 albums and singles, gold albums, platinum albums, and multi-platinum albums in all of country music.
As for awards, Strait also leads the way: he has 22 CMA and ACM Awards, more than anyone in country music history.
The record-breaking didn’t stop there. During the finale of his farewell tour in 2014, it drew a crowd of 104,793 people, a record for the largest indoor concert in North America.
Even though he’s nearing 70, his legacy of songs and music videos continue to impress us. We’re looking at George Strait’s top ten music videos.
10.”Love Without End, Amen”
The video tells the story of a singer who looks back on being sent home from school for fighting. He’s expecting his father to be angry at him, but instead, his father tells him that fathers always love their children and that such love is a “love without end, Amen.” It’s Strait’s sweet, sentimental thoughts on his love of being a father.
9. “Troubadour”
In 2008, Strait released this music video which includes Strait family photos and sentimental video clips. Strait fondly looks back on his whirlwind of a career in the video for “Troubadour.” This was his first music video since 2006’s “The Seashores of Old Mexico.”
8. “Carrying Your Love With Me“
On May 26, 1997, the video for “Carrying Your Love With Me” premiered on CMT as their “Hot Shot Video of the Week.” In the video, Strait hitchhikes which signifies the lengths someone would go for their loved ones. The video has over four million views on Youtube.
7. “Amarillo By Morning”
The video for the 1983 hit features Strait performing as well as scenes from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In the song, a rodeo cowboy sings about his life on the road and how he “lost a wife and a girlfriend somewhere along the way.” In 1975, the Country singer Chris LeDoux, who was also a rodeo champion, recorded the song.
6. “The Chair”
Strait’s second music video of his career, “The Chair” was released in 1985. His crooning voice comes through as he sings, “Oh, I like you, too, and to tell you the truth, that wasn’t my chair after all.” “The Chair” was Strait’s first single from the album Something Special. It reached No. 1 on the country music charts in both the United States and Canada. CMT named the song as one of the Top 100 country songs of all time. “The Chair” has a unique structure: it has no refrain or chorus, only the basic melody repeats through the song.
5. “Heartland”
In 1992, George Strait made his film debut when he sang “Heartland” in the movie, Pure Country. The song reached the top of the “Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.” The uptempo country-rock song describes the heartland of America: “The only place I feel at home” and “Where they still know wrong from right.”
4. “The Seashores of Old Mexico”
In “The Seashores of Old Mexico,” Strait trades Texas prairies for a Mexican seaside. Filmed in Feb. 2006 in Tulum, Mexico the song is about a young man wanted in Arizona. He decides to go on the run and heads for Mexico. On his first night there, he loses all of his money playing poker. After his truck breaks down, he hitches a ride to a beach town in Mexico where he finds love and settles down for the rest of his life.
3. “Write This Down”
In 2000, the video for “Write This Down,” shows Strait performing alongside his loyal fans. Directed by Deaton Flanigen, Bill Young, and Jack Hattingh, the live music video was filmed at Strait’s concert at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. It was Strait’s 35th number-one single on the “Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks.”
2. “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye”
In the video for “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye,” we see George Strait’s former lover as she packs her saddle and tack into a pickup truck and heads for the highway. The narrator of the video is a man who learns that his lady has left him for good this time. She didn’t shed a single tear as she left and he knows she’s said goodbye for the last time.
1. “Check Yes or No”
The No. 1 hit “Check Yes or No” was a huge success for Strait. The video follows a couple from the time they were kids passing notes to their 20-year wedding anniversary. The narrator discusses the history of their relationship with his former lover, detailing how their romance began when they were young. It’s romantic as well as entertaining.
