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When the Stars Go Blue

2001 song by Ryan Adams

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"When the Stars Go Blue" is a popular alternative country song composed and originally recorded by solo artist and former Whiskeytown band member Ryan Adams. It was first released on his album Gold on September 25, 2001, and has been described as the "most gorgeous ballad" on that album.^[1] "When the Stars Go Blue" has been covered by many artists, including Irish band the Corrs (featuring BonoofU2), country music singer Tim McGraw, and Norwegian artists Venke Knutson and Kurt Nilsen as a duo.

Personnel[edit]

• Ryan Adams - vocals, acoustic guitar
• Richard Causon - piano
• Ethan Johns - 12 string guitar, harmonium, electric piano, mandocello, Chamberlain strings, drums
• Julianna Raye - background vocals

The Corrs version[edit]

Irish band the Corrs recorded the song on their album VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin, featuring U2's Bono. The cover was released on April 15, 2002, in the United States, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and number 18 on the Adult Top 40. The song was remixed for their album Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection in 2006.

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Year-end charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

Tim McGraw version[edit]

"When the Stars Go Blue"
SinglebyTim McGraw
from the album Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2
Released	March 6, 2006
Genre	Country country rock
Length	3:55 3:28 (single version)
Label	Curb
Songwriter(s)	Ryan Adams
Producer(s)	Byron Gallimore Tim McGraw Darran Smith
Tim McGraw singles chronology
"My Old Friend" (2005) "When the Stars Go Blue" (2006) "My Little Girl" (2006)
Music video
"When the Stars Go Blue"onYouTube

In 2006, the song was released by Tim McGraw as the first single from his compilation album Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2. Heribert Severing, creator and writer of severing.nu, included McGraw's version of "When the Stars Go Blue" on his list of the top Country singles of 2006.^[9]

Chart performance[edit]

"When the Stars Go Blue" debuted at number 35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of March 18, 2006.

Certifications[edit]

Venke Knutson and Kurt Nilsen version[edit]

"When the Stars Go Blue"
SinglebyVenke Knutson and Kurt Nilsen
from the album Places I Have Been
Released	February 2006
Recorded	2005
Genre	Pop
Label	Universal
Songwriter(s)	Ryan Adams
Venke Knutson singles chronology
"Just a Minute" (2006) "When the Stars Go Blue" (2006) "Holiday" (2006)
Kurt Nilsen singles chronology
"Just a Minute" (2005) "When the Stars Go Blue" (2006) "Push Push" (2006)
Music video
"When the Stars Go Blue"onYouTube

Norwegian singers Venke Knutson and World Idol Kurt Nilsen recorded a duet that appears in Venke Knutson's album 2005 Places I Have Been. The song was released as a single in Norway in February 2006, reaching number 14 on the Norwegian Singles Chart.^[18]

Other versions[edit]

Irish/British girlband Wonderland performed the track for their debut performance on television in Ireland. The recorded studio version was included the band's debut album Wonderland.^{[citation needed]}

It was also featured in One Tree Hill as a hit song by fictional characters Haley James Scott and Chris Keller (real life singers Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hilton) and features on the One Tree Hill Soundtrack.^[20]

The song was performed by Blake Lewis on American Idol Season 6, originally airing on April 17, 2007.^[21] His cover of the song made it to #92 of the pop charts in 2007.^[22]

On July 16, 2006, Phil Lesh covered the song in the first set of a show at Charter One Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.^{[citation needed]} The show was made available for purchase via compact disc by Phil Lesh and Friends.^{[citation needed]} On April 5, 2014, Lesh covered the song in the first set of a show at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture[edit]

The song inspired a novel of the same name.

References[edit]