How Reba McEntire Fought to Record Her First No. 1 Hit

Reba McEntire has been a household name for so long that it’s easy to forget how much she struggled before she made it big.

What Was Reba McEntire’s First No. 1 Hit?

The country icon didn’t score her first No. 1 hit until her 14th single, “Can’t Even Get the Blues,” in 1983 — and she had to fight to even get the chance to record it.

McEntire initially signed to Mercury in November of 1975, where she released a long string of singles that didn’t quite break through.

She’d even scored a few successes, including Top 10 hits with “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven,” “Today All Over Again” and “I’m Not That Lonely Yet,” but McEntire didn’t land her true breakthrough without a struggle.

READ MORE: Why Reba’s Wedding Plan Will Not Be Traditional

According to the Boot, Mercury was considering “Can’t Even Get the Blues” for another Mercury artist, Jacky Ward, and McEntire had to argue with producer Jerry Kennedy to include the song on her own new album.

Kennedy believed that McEntire’s voice was better suited to ballads, but he ultimately relented, and “Can’t Even Get the Blues” was the final song that McEntire recorded for her Unlimited album.

McEntire’s instincts turned out to be correct.

When Did Reba McEntire Score Her First No. 1 Hit?

Released as the second single from Unlimited, “Can’t Even Get the Blues” — which was written by Tom Damphier and Rick Carnes — reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart on Jan. 8, 1983, and McEntire followed it up with another No. 1 hit, “You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving.”

Why Did Reba McEntire Leave Mercury Records?

She departed Mercury after just one more album, later revealing that she had fought with the label over the pop-country direction they wanted to take her in, among other issues.

In 1984 McEntire’s second album for MCA, My Kind of Country, gave her two more No. 1 hits with “How Blue” and “Somebody Should Leave,” and in 1984 she won an ACM Award for Top Female Vocalist, as well as a CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, setting her on the path to becoming one of the most iconic country singers of all time.