Top Ten Songs by Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson is one of my favorite country singers. Born Alan Eugene Jackson on October 17, 1958, he is an American country music singer and songwriter, who became the second most popular and one of the best-selling country musicians of the 1990s. He was working as a forklift driver in K-Mart before his claim to fame, when his wife Denise ran into country singer/songwriter Glen Campbell at an airport and asked him for advice to help launch her husband's career. Fiddles and steel guitars form the basis of most of Alan's music and bring out the flavor of true country music that warms our hearts and keeps our feet tapping.

AJ has such a unique and soothing voice, especially when he sings his love songs. Since he has so many top hit songs, it's difficult to choose just ten, but for the purpose of this article, that's what I've done.

1. My number one favorite song of Alan's is Remember When, a beautiful love ballad, which was written especially for the 'Greatest Hits 2' Album in 2003. Reminiscing about a married couple's life from the beginning, through all the trials and pains, until they grow old is a sweet and heartwarming song.

Complete with AJ's tender voice, steel guitar and accompanying fiddles the music video for this song will bring tears to your eyes, especially when Denise comes out to dance with him as the pictures roll in the background (some possibly of their three daughters, Mattie Denise, Alexandra Jane and Dani Grace). It was the #1 hit on the country charts for 2 weeks in a row and #29 on the US Hot 100 Chart. The album itself was #1 not only on the Country Chart, but also on the Billboard 200 Chart.

2. I'll Go On Loving You (peaked at #3) comes from the 'High Mileage' Album (1998), which was the #1 album on the country charts and #4 on the Billboard Charts. It has an exquisite haunting sound and poetic verse - "I don't know what brought us together, what strange forces of nature conspire to construct the present from the past."

3. When someone loves you (#5 song) is from the album of the same name, which became the #1 album of the year 2000. The lyrics take you through the painful stages of solitude to the beautiful and blissful time when you find someone to love you. He tells us that when somebody loves you, there's nothing you can't do.

4. I'd love you all over again (#1 for two weeks) comes from AJ's first album, which was a major hit on the charts (#4) - 'Here in the Real World' (1991). It is sweet song that remembers a wedding day on its tenth anniversary and "if I had it to do all over I'd do it all over again. If tomorrow I found one more chance to begin I'd love you all over again"

5. Livin' on love (#1 for two weeks) comes from the 'Who I Am' Album (1994), which was another of AJ's #1 albums. This one shows how a young couple can survive by living on love, even if they don't have much materially. Even when they're older and still don't have much, they can still survive on love because … Livin on love, buyin on time. Without somebody nothing aint worth a dime. Just like an old-fashioned storybook rhyme, livin' on love. It sounds simple that's what you're thinking, but love can walk through fire without blinkin'. It doesn't take much when you get enough, livin' on love."

6. Alan describes the feelings of love in the #1 song It must be love from the 'Under the Influence' Album (1999), which was #2 on the country charts. It's a fun, catchy tune that anyone in love can relate to. Some of the lines are, "I fall like a sparrow and fly like a dove. You must be the dream I been dreaming of. Oh what a feeling, it must be love."

7. Once in a Lifetime Love from the 'Drive' Album (2002), which was #1 on both the Country and Billboard 200 charts. Once in a lifetime love, a love like we've all dreamed of. It may go disguised or right before your eyes, a once in a lifetime love

8. Right On The Money (#1 for 1 week) also comes from the #1 'High Mileage' Album (1998). It is a fun song as AJ describes his woman as always being "right on the money" when it comes to knowing him and "the best cook that's ever melted cheese."

9. Another really fun song is It's five o'clock somewhere, the duet song with Jimmy Buffet, written especially for the #1 'Greatest Hits 2' Album (2003). The banter between the two during the song is really funny. It was in the #1 spot on the country charts for eight weeks in a row!

10. 'Don't Rock The Jukebox' (1991) was his second album, where the song Love's got a hold on you debuted. The album hit #2 on the country charts that year. The song was #1 on the charts for two weeks. In this tune, Alan goes to the doctor to describe his symptoms - sweaty hands, weak knees, he can't eat and he can't sleep. As fate would have it, the doctor tells him, "It sounds like love's got a hold on you. No doubt love's got a hold on you."

And those are my Top Ten Songs by Alan Jackson!