| "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Riley Green | ||||
| from the album Different 'Round Here | ||||
| Released | September 20, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label | BMLG | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Dann Huff | |||
| Riley Green singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I Wish Grandpas Never Died" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Riley Green. It is the third single from his debut studio album Different 'Round Here.
History
Green had written the song and performed it on tour before adding it to the tracklist of his debut album. According to him, he was persuaded to record the song by Brad Paisley. [1] The song caused waves on country radio, for the lyric "I wish country music still got played on country radio." A radio edit was created to edit out the jab towards pop country, and the lyric was replaced with "I wish George Jones still got played on country radio." [2]
The song is a tribute to Green's grandfathers, both of whom are also credited as co-writers on the song. [3]
Commercial performance
The song has sold 123,000 copies in the United States as of March 2020. [4]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2019–2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada ( Canadian Hot 100) [5] | 95 |
| Canada Country ( Billboard) [6] | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [7] | 66 |
| US Country Airplay ( Billboard) [8] | 12 |
| US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard) [9] | 12 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2019) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) [10] | 91 |
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Country Airplay (Billboard) [11] | 54 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) [12] | 47 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia ( ARIA) [13] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Canada ( Music Canada) [14] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States ( RIAA) [15] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Ryan Reichard (January 6, 2020). "Brad Paisley was ready to release his own 'I Wish Grandpas Never Died' if Riley Green didn't release his". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ Gazibara, Steve (August 27, 2019). "Country Radio Didn't Like A Line In Riley Green's "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," So The Lyrics Were Changed". Whiskey Riff. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
- ^ "Riley Green Says He Wrote "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" As a Way to Cope, Explains Why He Gave Both His Grandpas Writers Credit, & MORE". The Ty Bentli Show. August 16, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (March 4, 2020). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: March 2, 2020". Rough Stock. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ "Riley Green Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Riley Green Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Riley Green Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Riley Green Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "Riley Green Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^ "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Riley Green – I Wish Grandpas Never Died". Music Canada. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Riley Green – I Wish Grandpas Never Died". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 12, 2022.