Chief (album)

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title: "Chief (album)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2011-albums", "eric-church-albums", "emi-records-albums", "albums-produced-by-jay-joyce"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_(album)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameChief
typestudio
artistEric Church
coverEric Church Chief.jpg
released
recorded2010–2011
studioTragedy Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
genre
length39:39
labelEMI Nashville
producerJay Joyce
prev_titleCarolina
prev_year2009
next_titleThe Outsiders
next_year2014
misc{{Singles
nameChief
typestudio
single1Homeboy
single1dateFebruary 28, 2011
single2Drink in My Hand
single2dateAugust 15, 2011
single3Springsteen
single3dateFebruary 21, 2012
single4Creepin'
single4dateJuly 16, 2012
single5Like Jesus Does
single5dateJanuary 28, 2013
::

| name = Chief | type = studio | artist = Eric Church | cover = Eric Church Chief.jpg | alt = | released = | recorded = 2010–2011 | studio = Tragedy Studios, Nashville, Tennessee | genre = | length = 39:39 | label = EMI Nashville | producer = Jay Joyce | prev_title = Carolina | prev_year = 2009 | next_title = The Outsiders | next_year = 2014 | misc = {{Singles | name = Chief | type = studio | single1 = Homeboy | single1date = February 28, 2011 | single2 = Drink in My Hand | single2date = August 15, 2011 | single3 = Springsteen | single3date = February 21, 2012 | single4 = Creepin' | single4date = July 16, 2012 | single5 = Like Jesus Does | single5date = January 28, 2013

Chief is the third studio album by American country music artist Eric Church. It was released on July 26, 2011, via EMI Nashville. The album produced five singles, including Church's first two number one hits on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart—"Drink in My Hand" and "Springsteen", as well as the Top 10 hits "Creepin'" and "Like Jesus Does" and the Top 20 "Homeboy". In November 2024, the album was certified four-times Platinum by the RIAA, for having shipped over 4,000,000 records.

The album received a nomination for Best Country Album at the 54th Grammy Awards and won Album of the Year at the CMA Awards and ACM Awards. In 2020, the album was ranked at 419 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Critical reception

| MC = 77/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = Engine 145 | rev2Score = | rev3 = Slant Magazine | rev3Score =

Upon its release, Chief received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 9 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".

AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek gave it 5 stars out of 5, saying that it is "defiant, well-conceived, and more carefully executed than it sounds, with some excellent songs". In a review for Slant Magazine, critic Jonathan Keefe stated that "It just doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense to champion traditional country music while singing over hard-rock arrangements and occasionally Auto-Tuned vocal tracks. That's not to say he doesn't do a lot of things, particularly with his songwriting and with some risky production choices, awfully well here. Chief doesn't make him a country music Jesus, but it does back up a good deal of his braggadocio."

Rolling Stone placed the album at number 19 on its Best Albums of 2011 list.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart, selling 145,000 copies in its first week of release. In its second week, the album fell to number two on the Billboard 200 while still remaining at number one on the Top Country Albums chart. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 20, 2012, and triple platinum on August 31, 2016 for combined sales and streams of over three million units in the United States.

Track listing

| title1 = Creepin' | writer1 = | length1 = 3:52 | title2 = Drink in My Hand | writer2 = | length2 = 3:11 | title3 = Keep On | writer3 = | length3 = 2:38 | title4 = Like Jesus Does | writer4 = | length4 = 3:18 | title5 = Hungover & Hard Up | writer5 = | length5 = 2:53 | title6 = Homeboy | writer6 = | length6 = 3:47 | title7 = Country Music Jesus | writer7 = | length7 = 3:52 | title8 = Jack Daniels | writer8 = | length8 = 5:04 | title9 = Springsteen | writer9 = | length9 = 4:23 | title10 = I'm Gettin' Stoned | writer10 = | length10 = 4:02 | title11 = Over When It's Over | writer11 = | length11 = 2:39 | title12 = Lovin' Me Anyway | note12 = bonus track download | writer12 = | length12 = 3:29

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.

Musicians

Technical

  • Arturo Buenahora, Jr. – executive production
  • Joanna Carter – art direction
  • Jason Hall – assistant, engineer
  • Michelle Hall – art production
  • Scott Johnson – production assistant
  • Jay Joyce – production, engineer, mixing
  • Andrew Mendelson – mastering
  • John Peets – photography
  • Matt Wheeler – assistant

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2011–13) | Peak position | Australian Country Albums (ARIA) | UK Country Albums (OCC) | US Billboard 200 | US Billboard Top Country Albums | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 13 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2011)PositionUS Billboard 200US Top Country Albums (Billboard)Chart (2012)PositionUS Billboard 200US Top Country Albums (Billboard)Chart (2013)PositionUS Billboard 200US Top Country Albums (Billboard)Chart (2017)PositionUS Top Country Albums (Billboard)Chart (2018)PositionUS Top Country Albums (Billboard)Chart (2019)PositionUS Top Country Albums (Billboard)
66
15
23
7
47
11
42
100
89
::

Decade-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2010–2019)PositionUS Billboard 200US Top Country Albums (Billboard)
74
10
::

Certifications

References

References

  1. "Chief".
  2. "Amazon.com: Chief: Eric Church: Music".
  3. Bjorke, Matt. (April 18, 2017). "Top Country Catalog Album Sales Chart: April 18, 2017". Roughstock.
  4. (2020-09-22). "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
  5. "Chief by Eric Church {{!}} Reviews and Tracks". [[Metacritic]].
  6. Jurek, Thom. "Chief - Eric Church {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits". [[AllMusic]].
  7. Justus, Karlie. (July 20, 2011). "''Chief'' review". Engine 145.
  8. Keefe, Jonathan. (July 25, 2011). "Eric Church ''Chief''. Album Review". [[Slant Magazine]].
  9. (December 7, 2011). "50 Best Albums of 2011".
  10. "Eric Church's 'Desperate Man' Dominates Top Country Albums, Florida Georgia Line Crown Country Airplay".
  11. "Credits". Allmusic.
  12. "ARIA Australian Top 40 Country Albums | Australia's Official Top 40 Country Album Chart - ARIA Charts".
  13. "Archive Chart". [[Official Charts Company]].
  14. "Eric Church Lands First No. 1 Album, Amy Winehouse Climbs Into Top 5".
  15. "Billboard 200 Albums: Year-End top-selling albums across all genres".
  16. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End".
  17. "2013 Year-End Charts – Billboard 200 Albums".
  18. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017".
  19. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2018".
  20. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019".
  21. "Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200".
  22. "Decade-End Charts: Top Country Albums".

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