Better Than I Used to Be (Sammy Kershaw song)

"Better Than I Used to Be"
"Better Than I Used to Be"
Single by Tim McGraw
from the album Emotional Traffic
Released	November 28, 2011
Genre	Country
Length	3:22
Label	Curb
Songwriter(s)	Ashley Gorley; Bryan Simpson;
Producer(s)	Byron Gallimore; Tim McGraw;
Tim McGraw singles chronology

"Better Than I Used to Be"
"Better Than I Used to Be"
Single by Sammy Kershaw
from the album Better Than I Used to Be
Released	March 30, 2010
Genre	Country
Length	3:20
Label	Big Hit
Songwriter(s)	Ashley Gorley; Bryan Simpson;
Producer(s)	Buddy Cannon
Sammy Kershaw singles chronology

"Better Than I Used to Be" is a song written by Ashley Gorley and Bryan Simpson. The song was originally recorded by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw in 2010 for the album of the same name, released August 31, 2010, on Big Hit Records.^[1] The version released by Sammy Kershaw was released as a single, but did not enter the charts.

Tim McGraw version[]

The song was later covered by Tim McGraw in 2011 and was released to iTunes and country radio on December 1, 2011, via Curb Records. The song served as the first single for his final Curb album, Emotional Traffic, which was released on January 24, 2012.

Critical reception[]

Giving McGraw's version four stars out of five, Taste of Country reviewer Billy Dukes said, "It's the first time fans get to experience many of the burdens the singer has talked of shedding in recent years."^[2] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock was positive, calling it "a strong story song from a mature singer/songwriter." He went on to say that it was McGraw's "most country song to date with strong lyrical imagery and one of Tim’s best vocal performances in years."^[3] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave it a 'B+', calling the song "classic McGraw" and saying that the production is, "clean, tasteful, and decidedly country."^[4]

Chart performance[]

McGraw's version of the song debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of December 17, 2011.^[5] It also debuted at number 81 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of December 31, 2011. It also debuted at number 71 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of February 11, 2012.

Chart (2011–12)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[6]	71
US Billboard Hot 100^[7]	52
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[8]	5

Year-end charts[]

Chart (2012)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)^[9]	6

Certifications[]


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[10]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

^ "Better Than I Used to Be". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
^ Dukes, Billy. "Tim McGraw — "Better Than I Used to Be" review". Taste of Country. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
^ Bjorke, Matt (1 December 2011). "Tim McGraw — "Better Than I Used to Be"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
^ Coyne, Kevin John (23 December 2011). "Tim McGraw — "Better Than I Used to Be"". Country Universe. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
^ Morris, Edward (December 10, 2011). "Sweet Harmony: Lady Antebellum Claim Both Top Album and Song". Country Music Television. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
^ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Best of 2012: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
^ "American single certifications – Tim Mc Graw – Better Than I Used to Be". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 15, 2012.

[1] "Better Than I Used to Be". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 December 2011.

[2] Dukes, Billy. "Tim McGraw — "Better Than I Used to Be" review". Taste of Country. Retrieved 15 December 2011.

[3] Bjorke, Matt (1 December 2011). "Tim McGraw — "Better Than I Used to Be"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.

[4] Coyne, Kevin John (23 December 2011). "Tim McGraw — "Better Than I Used to Be"". Country Universe. Retrieved 24 December 2011.

[5] Morris, Edward (December 10, 2011). "Sweet Harmony: Lady Antebellum Claim Both Top Album and Song". Country Music Television. Retrieved December 15, 2011.

[sc_Canada_Tim_McGraw-6] "Tim McGraw Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Tim_McGraw-7] "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Tim_McGraw-8] "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

[9] "Best of 2012: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.

[United_StatesTim_Mc_GrawBetter_Than_I_Used_to_BesingleCertRef-10] "American single certifications – Tim Mc Graw – Better Than I Used to Be". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 15, 2012.

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show v t Sammy Kershaw
Studio albums	Don't Go Near the Water Haunted Heart Feelin' Good Train Politics, Religion and Her Labor of Love Maybe Not Tonight I Finally Found Someone I Want My Money Back Honky Tonk Boots Better Than I Used to Be
Holiday albums	Christmas Time's A-Comin'
Compilation albums	The Hits Chapter 1 Covers the Hits The Hits Chapter 2
Notable singles	"Cadillac Style" "Don't Go Near the Water" "Yard Sale" "Anywhere but Here" "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" "Haunted Heart" "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer" "I Can't Reach Her Anymore" "National Working Woman's Holiday" "Third Rate Romance" "Southbound" "If You're Gonna Walk, I'm Gonna Crawl" "Meant to Be" "Vidalia" "Politics, Religion and Her" "Fit to Be Tied Down" "Love of My Life" "Matches" "Honky Tonk America" "One Day Left to Live" "Maybe Not Tonight" (with Lorrie Morgan) "When You Love Someone" "Me and Maxine" "I Want My Money Back" "Better Than I Used to Be"
Related articles	Discography Doug Kershaw Rusty Kershaw

show v t Tim McGraw singles
Discography
Tim McGraw	"What Room Was the Holiday In" "Welcome to the Club" "Memory Lane" "Two Steppin' Mind"
Not a Moment Too Soon	"Indian Outlaw" "Don't Take the Girl" "Down on the Farm" "Not a Moment Too Soon" "Refried Dreams"
All I Want	"I Like It, I Love It" "Can't Be Really Gone" "All I Want Is a Life" "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It"
Everywhere	"It's Your Love" "Everywhere" "Just to See You Smile" "One of These Days" "Where the Green Grass Grows" "For a Little While"
A Place in the Sun	"Please Remember Me" "Something Like That" "My Best Friend" "Some Things Never Change" "My Next Thirty Years"
Set This Circus Down	"Grown Men Don't Cry" "Angry All the Time" "The Cowboy in Me" "Unbroken"
Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors	"Red Rag Top" "Tiny Dancer" "She's My Kind of Rain" "Real Good Man" "Watch the Wind Blow By"
Live Like You Were Dying	"Live Like You Were Dying" "Back When" "Drugs or Jesus" "Do You Want Fries with That" "My Old Friend"
Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2	"When the Stars Go Blue" "My Little Girl"
Let It Go	"Last Dollar (Fly Away)" "I Need You" "If You're Reading This" "Suspicions" "Kristofferson" "Let It Go" "Nothin' to Die For"
Southern Voice	"It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You" "Southern Voice" "Still"
Number One Hits	"Felt Good on My Lips"
Country Strong	"Me and Tennessee"
Emotional Traffic	"Better Than I Used to Be"
Two Lanes of Freedom	"Truck Yeah" "One of Those Nights" "Highway Don't Care" "Southern Girl"
Sundown Heaven Town	"Lookin' for That Girl" "Meanwhile Back at Mama's" "Shotgun Rider" "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools"
Damn Country Music	"Top of the World" "Humble and Kind" "How I'll Always Be"
The Rest of Our Life	"Speak to a Girl" "The Rest of Our Life"
Here on Earth	"I Called Mama" "Undivided"
Other songs	"Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me" "Let's Make Love" "Bring On the Rain" "Over and Over" "Like We Never Loved at All" "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" "Nine Lives" "Feel Like a Rock Star" "Lovin' Lately" "May We All" "The Ride" "California" "Neon Church" "Thought About You"