26 Cents

"26 Cents"
Single by The Wilkinsons
from the album Nothing but Love
ReleasedJune 16, 1998
GenreCountry
Length3:51
LabelGiant
Songwriter(s)William Wallace
Steve Wilkinson
Producer(s)Tony Haselden
Doug Johnson
Russ Zavitson
The Wilkinsons singles chronology
"26 Cents"
(1998) 		"Fly (The Angel Song)"
(1998)

"26 Cents", also written as "26¢", is the debut single of the Canadian country music group the Wilkinsons. Written by group member Steve Wilkinson and William Wallace, it was released in June 1998 as the first single from their album Nothing but Love. The song reached number one on the RPM Country Tracks chart in August 1998[1] and number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[2] It was named both Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the 1999 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.[3]

Content

The song is about a girl who has just turned 18 and is moving away to her own place. The song's title comes from the "penny for your thoughts, a quarter for the call" that her mother gives her before she leaves.

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Shea and premiered in mid-1998.

Chart performance

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 55
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1998) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7] 3
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 25

Awards and nominations

Association Category Result
41st Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance[9] Nominated
Academy of Country Music Single Record of the Year[10] Nominated
Canadian Country Music Association Single of the Year[11] Won
SOCAN Song of the Year[11] Won
Video of the Year[12] Nominated

References

  1. ^ "RPM Country Tracks". Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  2. ^ The Wilkinsons Chart History
  3. ^ "CCMA Awards Archives". Archived from the original on 2010-06-12. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  4. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3660." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 17, 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  5. ^ "The Wilkinsons Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "The Wilkinsons Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  7. ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1998". RPM. December 14, 1998. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  8. ^ "Best of 1998: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  9. ^ Patterson, Jim (February 19, 1999). "Family act The Wilkinsons earn a Grammy nomination". The Daily Courier. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  10. ^ Gray, Michael (March 8, 1999). "Faith Hill Leads ACM Pack". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  11. ^ a b LeBlanc, Larry (September 25, 1999). "The Wilkinsons Sweep Canadian Country Music Awards Show". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  12. ^ "The Wilkinsons, Terri Clark, Prairie Oyster and Shania Twain Lead Nominations For Canadian Country Music Awards". Country Music Television. August 10, 1999. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.