On This Day in 1985, Randy Travis Released His Debut Single, a Commercial Disappointment That Became a No. 1 Hit
On 29 July 1985, Randy Travis released his debut single "On the Other Hand," which initially flopped, failing to crack the country chart's top 40. Warner Bros. re-released it in April 1986, and this time it shot to number one, launching the career of an artist who had struggled for nearly a decade to break into country music.
Before signing with Warner Bros. in early 1985, Travis had recorded under his real name, Randy Traywick, with little success, including a No. 91 peak in 1978. His debut single first peaked at just No. 67, and his label only reissued it after his second single, "1982," reached No. 6. The re-released version topped the chart by late July 1986, becoming the first of 16 chart-topping singles for Travis, and won Song of the Year at both the CMA and ACM Awards for songwriters Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, with Travis also winning Single of the Year at the ACM Awards.
- Randy Travis's 1985 debut single initially flopped, peaking at just No. 67.
- Warner Bros. re-released it in 1986; it became his first No. 1 hit.
- It won Song of the Year at the 1986 CMA and ACM Awards.