George Strait has been crowned the King of Country Music -- and with good reason. The Texas-born crooner known for "All My Ex's Live in Texas," "I Cross My Heart," and "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind?" has a number of impressive accomplishments to pad his resume with. He's one of the biggest and best country artists in Nashville alongside legends like Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and Willie Nelson.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Strait has 44 number one singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs. He has the most number one albums and singles, gold albums, platinum albums, and multi-platinum albums in all of country music. Strait is behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles with the most gold and platinum albums in the history of music -- pretty good company to keep. He's the owner of 22 CMA and ACM Awards -- more than anybody in the history of the genre. When Strait announced his farewell tour in 2014, the Cowboy Rides Away Tour, the finale drew a crowd of 104,793 people, a record for the largest indoor concert in North America.
Commercial success doesn't mean the same thing as quality, but these official music videos show why the King is also one of the greatest of all time.
10. "Love Without End, Amen"
This song was the first No. 1 hit off of Strait's tenth studio album in 1991. The live video makes it clear why Strait won the CMA's Entertainer of the Year Award in 1989 and 1991. Strait's trademark shoulder roll and innocent smile pair perfectly with a song about parental affection that is as sincere as it is sentimental.
9. "Troubadour"
This 2008 music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy. The song and video are a nostalgic look at Strait's storied career.
8. Carrying Your Love With Me
Directed by Christopher Cain, Strait's "Carrying Your Love with Me" music video premiered in 1997. It shows the lengths a fresh-faced Strait will go to return to the one he loves.
7. "Amarillo By Morning"
A true cowboy through and through, Strait hosts one of the national radio circuit's biggest events, the George Strait Team Roping Classic. This song, written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser, was written after a long haul from San Antonio, Texas, to Amarillo, Texas after a gig. The video shows Strait singing the ballad intercut with bucking broncos and the people who dare ride them.
6. "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye"
In one of Strait's most ambitious videos, we open on Strait glumly presiding over a soundcheck. As he performs a new song, we see a woman -- Strait's former beloved -- load her saddle and tack into a pickup truck and set off down a long stretch of highway.
Read More: Remember When George Strait Performed 'Boot Scootin' Boogie'?
5. "Heartland"
This song is from Strait's star turn in the 1992 movie Pure Country. Uncharacteristically for Strait, he wears his hair long and his face barely clean-shaven as he brings the house down.
4. "The Seashores of Old Mexico"
Strait lounges on the Mexican seaside as the song's protagonist gets into trouble -- and more trouble.
3. "Write This Down"
Filmed in 2000, this is one of Strait's later videos. It shows Strait having a heck of a time -- along with multiple generations of fans.
2. "The Chair"
1985's "The Chair" showcases Strait's sense of humor. In the video, he politely informs a woman at the bar that she's sitting in his chair, then asks if he can join her. It's hard to decline such an offer from someone with Strait's fit build and charismatic style. Once he draws the woman into deeper conversation, he remarks that the chair was never his, to begin with.
1. "Check Yes or No"
This may be one of the most charming music videos in existence. The video watches a romance blossom from childhood into adulthood, starring actor-singer-songwriter Michael Ray Ryan and Texas Bikini Team founder Dawn Waggoner as a couple. Keep an eye on that note.
This article was originally published in 2018.
