Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits goes to #1
Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits which soared all the way to the top of the Billboard 200 pop album chart on this day in 1980 marking Kennys arrival as a crossover superstar.By 1980 Kenny Rogers already had seven 1 country singles under his belt including Lucille The Gambler (1978) and Coward Of The County (1979).All three of those songs as well as Dont Fall In Love With A Dreamer his 1980 duet with Kim Carnes had also reached the top 10 on the Billboard pop charts but it was a brand-new song on Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits that would help propel that album to 12-times Platinum status and give Rogers his only solo 1 pop hit the Lionel Richie-penned Lady.
(A simultaneous country chart-topper Lady also gave Richie the former Commodores frontman his only share of a country 1.) For several years following the success of his Greatest Hits album Kenny Rogers remained a hot item on both the pop and country charts his biggest crossover hits coming with two 1983 duets written by prominent songwriters Weve Got Tonight written by Bob Seger and performed with Sheena Easton (1 Country 6 Pop) and Islands In The Stream written by Barry Gibb and performed with Dolly Parton (1 Country Pop and Adult Contemporary).And while Rogers would cease to be a factor on the pop charts after 1984 he would go on to earn five further country 1 hits Crazy (a 1985 cover of the Willie Nelson-penned classic) Morning Desire and Tomb Of The Unknown Love (both 1987) Make No Mistake Shes Mine (1987 with Ronnie Milsap) and Buy Me A Rose (1999 with Alison Kraus and Billy Dean).
