# Chart Rewind: In 2006, Carrie Underwood Carved Her Name Into the No. 1 Spot

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/chart-rewind-in-2006-carrie-underwood-carved-her-name-into-the-no-1-spot/
- Published: 2026-11-11T18:01:22+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T18:23:10+00:00
- Original publisher: Billboard
- Original article: https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/carrie-underwood-before-he-cheats-chart-rewind-2006-1236379394/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- “Before He Cheats” topped Hot Country Songs on 11 November 2006.
- It helped define Underwood’s assertive musical image.
- The song peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100.

## Summary

Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart on 11 November 2006, becoming a defining hit from her debut era. The song challenged the wholesome image she had developed as an American Idol contestant and helped establish her as a prominent voice for assertive female anthems.

Songwriters Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear had originally imagined Gretchen Wilson singing the story of a woman damaging her unfaithful boyfriend’s vehicle. Underwood chose it for her 2005 debut album, Some Hearts; it became her third radio-promoted country single and her second Hot Country Songs No. 1. The track also reached the top 10 on three other radio charts, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 during a 64-week run, and won single of the year from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.