Every No. 1 Single of the 2000s: Tim McGraw, “Real Good Man”

“Real Good Man”

Tim McGraw

Written by Rivers Rutherford and George Teren

Radio & Records

#1 (2 weeks)

October 3 – October 10, 2003

Billboard

#1 (2 weeks)

October 11 – October 18, 2003

Tim McGraw is bound for the Country Music Hall of Fam for one reason alone: his excellent taste in material.

The hits that will outlive him are the ones where the songwriting is beyond reproach, and the melodies are simple to deliver.

“Real Good Man” doesn’t meet either standard. I could imagine someone like Keith Urban making the “real bad boy” / “real good man” hook sound both playful and sincere. But McGraw simply isn’t strong enough of a vocalist to bridge the distance between a mediocre song and a good record.

It’s the least convincing machismo this side of Rascal Flatts.

“Real Good Man” gets a C.

Every No. 1 Single of the 2000s

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