Achy Breaky Heart" is a country music song written by Don Von Tress. Originally titled "Don't Tell My Heart" and recorded by The Marcy Brothers in 1991, its name was later changed to "Achy Breaky Heart" and recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 1992 album Some Gave All. As Cyrus' debut single and signature song, it made him famous and has been his most successful song. It became the first single ever to achieve triple Platinum status in Australia and the 1992's best selling single in the same country.In the United States it became a crossover hit on pop and country radio, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, becoming the first Country single to be certified Platinum since Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's "Islands in the Stream" in 1983. The single topped in several countries and after being featured on Top of the Pops, peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. It remains Cyrus's biggest hit single in the USA to date, and his only one to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Thanks to the video of this hit, there was the explosion of the linedance into the mainstream, becoming a craze.
The song was initially to be recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys in the early 1990s but the group decided against recording it after lead singer Duane Allen said that he did not like the words "achy breaky".It was then recorded in 1991 under the title "Don't Tell My Heart" by The Marcy Brothers and Billy Ray Cyrus on his debut album Some Gave All in 1992. It is written in the key of A major and possesses but two chords: A and E.
The music video for the song was filmed during a concert at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY. It was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in 1993, but lost both awards to Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven." Maybe another cheesy song?
The song reached number two on VH1's 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs, and on Blender magazine's 50 Worst Songs Ever. In 2002, Shelly Fabian from About.com ranked the song number 249 on the list of the Top 500 Country Music Songs. In 2007, the song was ranked at number 87 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s. In 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the song at number 18 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever while calling out: "Attention, all units! Country music has been kidnapped. Suspect last seen with a rat-tail and driving a Chevy with 'Truck Balls.' Also wanted for child endangerment."