Pam Tillis has described her 1991 single “Maybe It Was Memphis” as the best song she ever recorded, crediting her decision not to abandon it after an earlier unsuccessful version. The song became a major breakthrough from her album Put Yourself in My Place, demonstrating the importance of persistence in her career after a slow start during the 1980s.

Written by Michael Anderson, “Maybe It Was Memphis” followed earlier Tillis releases including “Don’t Tell Me What to Do” and “One of Those Things”, but became her biggest hit at that point. Tillis first recorded it for Warner Brothers before later re-recording it for Arista; the second version earned a CMA Single of the Year nomination and her first Grammy nomination.