What Mattered Most (song)

"What Mattered Most" is a song written by Gary Burr and Vince Melamed, and recorded by American country music singer Ty Herndon. It was released in February 1995 as Herndon's debut single and served as the lead single and title track from his debut album What Mattered Most. It became Herndon's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"What Mattered Most"
Single by Ty Herndon
from the album What Mattered Most
B-side"You Don't Mess Around with Jim"[1]
ReleasedFebruary 6, 1995
GenreCountry
Length3:41
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Doug Johnson
Ty Herndon singles chronology
"What Mattered Most"
(1995)		 "I Want My Goodbye Back"
(1995)

History

Upon its release, the song was added to the playlists of 133 radio stations surveyed by Billboard, breaking a record set by Tracy Lawrence for the most adds in one week.[2]

The song was later included as the B-side to Herndon's early-1996 single "In Your Face," which peaked at 63 on the country charts.[1]

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song unfavorably saying that while Herndon turns in a "credible vocal performance", it is "a shame that this formulaic, by-the-numbers song, written by two Nashville pros, doesn't make much of an impression."[3] Michael McCall of New Country was more positive, calling it "a powerful, sensitive song about a man who realizes, too late, that he noticed everything about his lover except what was in her heart."[4]

Personnel

From What Mattered Most liner notes.[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann and premiered in early 1995.

Chart positions

"What Mattered Most" debuted at number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of February 25, 1995.

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 90
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (1995) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[9] 43
US Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 18

2019 version
"What Mattered Most (Alternative Version)"
Single by Ty Herndon
from the album Got It Covered
ReleasedJune 4, 2019
GenreCountry
Length3:53
LabelBFD
Songwriter(s)

On June 4, 2019, Herndon re-released the song for Pride Month. For this version, Herndon swapped the gender pronouns to reflect his status as an openly gay man. The single is the first released from his Got It Covered record, released in August. Its release marks Herndon's return to his standard country pop after the release of four dance singles. Herndon revealed in an interview with NPR that he was in a closeted relationship with a man at the time of the song's original release in 1995. That relationship and that of his parents inspired his performance of the track. After coming out of closet, Herndon began performing the song with mixed genders, beginning the song with its traditional lyrics and switching to male pronouns before the end.[11]

Music video

The music video for the updated version of What Mattered Most features Herndon singing in a studio and surrounded by sound engineers and producers. He introduces the video by saying that he is now "brave enough" to record the song the way it should have been recorded.[12]

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 187. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
  2. Wilonsky, Robert (1995-04-27). "Thank God he's a pretty boy". The Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  3. Billboard, February 18, 1995
  4. McCall, Michael. "Ty Herndon — What Mattered Most". New Country. 2 (7): 62.
  5. What Mattered Most (Media notes). Ty Herndon. Epic Records. 1995. 66397.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 9245." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 22, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  7. "Ty Herndon Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  8. "Ty Herndon Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  9. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  10. "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  11. Stephen Daw. "Ty Herndon Changes Pronouns on His Country Hit: What Mattered Most: Watch". Billboard.
  12. "Ty Herndon - "What Mattered Most" (Alternative Version) Official Music Video - YouTube". YouTube.
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