Blue Clear Sky

Blue Clear Sky
Blue Clear Sky
Studio album by George Strait
Released	April 23, 1996
Recorded	September 1995
Studios	Emerald Studios and Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Neotraditional country
Length	35:48 (U.S Version); 39:08 (U.K. Version)
Label	MCA
Producers	Tony Brown; George Strait;
George Strait chronology
Singles from Blue Clear Sky
	"Blue Clear Sky"; Released: March 25, 1996; "Carried Away"; Released: June 3, 1996; "I Can Still Make Cheyenne"; Released: August 26, 1996; "King of the Mountain"; Released: December 16, 1996;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Chicago Tribune	link
Entertainment Weekly	A link
Q	link

Blue Clear Sky is the sixteenth studio album by American country music artist George Strait, released on April 23, 1996. The album was certified 3× Multi-Platinum in the U.S. for sales of three million copies, the album produced four singles. The title track, "Carried Away", "I Can Still Make Cheyenne", and "King of the Mountain".

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Blue Clear Sky"	Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard, Mark D. Sanders	2:52
2.	"Carried Away"	Steve Bogard, Jeff Stevens	3:19
3.	"Rockin' in the Arms of Your Memory"	Dean Dillon, Norro Wilson	4:16
4.	"She Knows When You're on My Mind"	Wayne Kemp, Mack Vickery	3:15
5.	"I Ain't Never Seen No One Like You"	Bruce Bouton, Mark Chesnutt, Roger Springer	3:13
6.	"I Can Still Make Cheyenne"	Aaron Barker, Erv Woolsey	4:15
7.	"King of the Mountain"	Larry Boone, Paul Nelson	3:28
8.	"Do the Right Thing"	Jim Lauderdale, Gary Nicholson	3:07
9.	"I'd Just as Soon Go"	Barker, Dillon	3:14
10.	"Need I Say More"	Clay Blaker, Roger Brown	4:50
11.	"Check Yes or No" (Bonus Track On UK Version Only)	Danny Wells, Dana Hunt Black	3:20

Personnel

George Strait – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Matt Rollings – acoustic piano, Wurlitzer electric piano
Biff Watson – Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic guitar
Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, gut-string guitar
Brent Mason – electric guitars, gut-string guitar
Paul Franklin – steel guitar
Glenn Worf – bass guitar
Eddie Bayers – drums
Farrell Morris – vibraphone
Stuart Duncan – fiddle
Liana Manis – backing vocals
Curtis Young – backing vocals

Production

Tony Brown – producer
George Strait – producer
Steve Tillisch – recording
Brian Hardin – second engineer
Chuck Ainlay – mixing
Graham Lewis – mix assistant
Don Cobb – digital editing
Carlos Grier – digital editing
Denny Purcell – mastering
Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee) – editing and mastering location
Jessie Noble – project coordinator
Virginia Team – art direction, additional photography
Jerry Joyner – design
Mark Tucker – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (RPM)	49
Canadian Country Albums (RPM)	3
US Billboard 200^[2]	7
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[3]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
US Billboard 200^[4]	40
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[5]	7
Chart (1997)	Position
US Billboard 200^[6]	130
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[7]	13

Certifications

Certifications for *Blue Clear Sky*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[8]	Gold	50,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[9]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r233696
↑ "George Strait Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
↑ "George Strait Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
↑ "Canadian album certifications – George Strait – Blue Clear Sky". Music Canada. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
↑ "American album certifications – George Strait – Blue Clear Sky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2025.

[amg-1] 1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r233696

[ac_Billboard200_George_Strait-2] "George Strait Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[ac_BillboardCountry_George_Strait-3] "George Strait Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[4] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[5] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[6] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[7] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

[CanadaGeorge_StraitBlue_Clear_SkyalbumCertRef-8] "Canadian album certifications – George Strait – Blue Clear Sky". Music Canada. Retrieved December 8, 2025.

[United_StatesGeorge_StraitBlue_Clear_SkyalbumCertRef-9] "American album certifications – George Strait – Blue Clear Sky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2025.

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v t e George Strait
Ace in the Hole Band Mike Daily - Gene Elders - Terry Hale - Wes Hightower - Ron Huckaby Bobby Jarzombek - Joe Manuel - Benny McArthur - Rick McRae - Marty Slayton - John Michael Whitby
Studio albums	Strait Country Strait from the Heart Right or Wrong Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind Something Special #7 Ocean Front Property If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' Beyond the Blue Neon Livin' It Up Chill of an Early Fall Holding My Own Pure Country Easy Come Easy Go Lead On Blue Clear Sky Carrying Your Love with Me One Step at a Time Always Never the Same George Strait The Road Less Traveled Honkytonkville Somewhere Down in Texas It Just Comes Natural Troubadour Twang Here for a Good Time Love Is Everything Cold Beer Conversation Honky Tonk Time Machine Cowboys and Dreamers
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits Greatest Hits Volume Two Ten Strait Hits Strait Out of the Box Latest Greatest Straitest Hits 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of George Strait 20th Century Masters – The Christmas Collection: The Best of George Strait 50 Number Ones 22 More Hits Icon Icon 2 Strait Out of the Box: Part 2
Christmas albums	Merry Christmas Strait to You! Merry Christmas Wherever You Are Fresh Cut Christmas Classic Christmas
Live albums	For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome Live at Texas Stadium The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium
Related articles	Singles discography Albums discography Ace in the Hole Band The Cowboy Rides Away Tour

v t e CMA Album of the Year
1967−1970	There Goes My Everything – Jack Greene (1967) Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash (1968) Johnny Cash At San Quentin – Johnny Cash (1969) Okie from Muskogee – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1970)
1971−1980	I Won't Mention It Again – Ray Price (1971) Let Me Tell You About a Song – Merle Haggard and the Strangers (1972) Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich (1973) A Very Special Love Song – Charlie Rich (1974) A Legend in My Time – Ronnie Milsap (1975) Wanted! The Outlaws – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser (1976) Ronnie Milsap Live – Ronnie Milsap (1977) It Was Almost Like a Song – Ronnie Milsap (1978) The Gambler – Kenny Rogers (1979) Coal Miner's Daughter – Various artists (1980)
1981−1990	I Believe in You – Don Williams (1981) Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson (1982) The Closer You Get – Alabama (1983) A Little Good News – Anne Murray (1984) Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind – George Strait (1985) Lost in the Fifties Tonight – Ronnie Milsap (1986) Always And Forever – Randy Travis (1987) Born to Boogie – Hank Williams Jr. (1988) Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1989) Pickin' on Nashville – The Kentucky Headhunters (1990)
1991−2000	No Fences – Garth Brooks (1991) Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks (1992) I Still Believe in You – Vince Gill (1993) Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles – Various artists (1994) When Fallen Angels Fly – Patty Loveless (1995) Blue Clear Sky – George Strait (1996) Carrying Your Love with Me – George Strait (1997) Everywhere – Tim McGraw (1998) A Place in the Sun – Tim McGraw (1999) Fly – The Dixie Chicks (2000)
2001−2010	O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various artists (2001) Drive – Alan Jackson (2002) American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (2003) When the Sun Goes Down – Kenny Chesney (2004) There's More Where That Came From – Lee Ann Womack (2005) Time Well Wasted – Brad Paisley (2006) It Just Comes Natural – George Strait (2007) Troubadour – George Strait (2008) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2009) Revolution – Miranda Lambert (2010)
2011−2020	My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean (2011) Chief – Eric Church (2012) Based on a True Story... – Blake Shelton (2013) Platinum – Miranda Lambert (2014) Traveller – Chris Stapleton (2015) Mr. Misunderstood – Eric Church (2016) From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton (2017) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2018) Girl – Maren Morris (2019) What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs (2020)
2021−2030	Starting Over – Chris Stapleton (2021) Growin' Up – Luke Combs (2022) Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson (2023) Leather – Cody Johnson (2024) Whirlwind – Lainey Wilson (2025)