On This Day in 1981, Reba McEntire Stepped Into a Nashville Studio and Recorded the Song That Would Become Her First No. 1 Hit

On 12 November 1981, Reba McEntire recorded “Can’t Even Get the Blues” at Woodland Sound Studio in Nashville. The song became her first No. 1 hit and marked a shift from the slow ballads that had shaped her early career towards a more upbeat sound.

The mid-tempo track was initially intended for Jacky Ward, but McEntire pushed to record it herself. Its lyrics describe a woman so repeatedly hurt that she can no longer summon heartbreak; the song spent one week at No. 1 and began a run of 24 chart-toppers. Some of McEntire’s best-known songs, including “Fancy” and “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, never reached the top spot.