![21 Years Ago: Kenny Chesney Hits No. 1 With ‘The Good Stuff’](https://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2017/07/Kenny-Chesney1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
21 Years Ago: Kenny Chesney Hits No. 1 With ‘The Good Stuff’
Twenty-one years ago today, on July 27, 2002, Kenny Chesney added another No. 1 hit to the growing list of "good stuff" that was happening in his career. It was on that date that the singer soared to the top of the charts with his song "The Good Stuff" and held reign for seven straight weeks.
"The Good Stuff," which was the second single from Chesney's multi-platinum No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems album, was written by veteran tunesmiths Craig Wiseman and Jim Collins. The mid-tempo song explains that the "good stuff" is "the first long kiss on a second date" and "the way that she looks with the rice in her hair / Eatin' burnt suppers the whole first year;" the lines "Spent five years in the bottle / When the cancer took her from me / But I've been sober three years now" are especially poignant, as they're based on a tragic, true story.
"The security guard where we were writing that day, Rusty Martin, was a friend of ours. He had lost his wife to cancer. In fact, he had moved up [to Nashville] because of that," Wiseman recalls to The Boot.
"[Jim and I] were talking about, what if you just sat there and watched your wife die. We both just sat there and were sort of stunned for a minute. We said, 'Okay, let’s get a cup of coffee and write a song!'"
"The Good Stuff," which also reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, was the No. 1 country music single for the entirety of 2002 as well. The single earned Chesney an ACM Awards trophy for Single of the Year and also helped him earn Top Male Vocalist. The artist also included "The Good Stuff" on his 2009 album Greatest Hits II.
WATCH: How Well Do You Know Kenny Chesney?
LOOK: Kenny Chesney's Best Beach Pics
More From 102.3 The Bull
![Maren Morris Is ‘Going to Be a Little More Private’ to Stop Online Mom-Shamers](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2020/02/maren-morris-to-hell-and-back.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Chase Rice Gets Sexy on New, Unreleased Song That Desperately Needs a Title](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2020/07/chase-rice-song-porch.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Remember When Jason Aldean Released His Debut Album?](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2017/07/jason-aldean-debut-album-still.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney Has a ‘Whole New Respect’ for Teachers After Homeschooling His Kids](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/05/joe-don-rooney-wife-renew-vows.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Jason Aldean’s Debut Album: All of the Songs, Ranked](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2019/07/jason-aldean-debut-album-songs-ranked-e1563809195402.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Tired of Being a Bird? Just Call This Number](http://townsquare.media/site/174/files/2020/07/Tired-of-Being-a-Bird.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Chase Rice Shows Off His Sentimental Side in Unreleased Song ‘Ain’t Many Like Us Left’ [Watch]](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2020/07/chase-rice-new-song-aint-many-like-us-left.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Blake Shelton: Helping Raise Gwen Stefani’s Kids Is ‘A Big Responsibility’ [Watch]](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2020/04/blake-gwen-kids.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Tucker Beathard Announces ‘King’ Album, Releases ‘Faithful’ Single [Listen]](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2020/04/tucker-beathard-int.jpg?w=980&q=75)