Rodney Atkins Tops the Charts With ‘Take a Back Road’

This week, Rodney Atkins scores his sixth career No. 1 single with his latest release, 'Take a Back Road.' The tune is the first single from Atkins' forthcoming album of the same name, set to hit stores on October 4.

'Take a Back Road' was penned by hit singer-songwriter Rhett Akins, along with Luke Laird. The song was the first time Akins and Laird have collaborated on a co-write, which hopefully won't be the last time after the huge success of 'Take a Back Road.'

"The song is really fun," Laird told Taste of Country soon after the song's release to country radio. "I love that it related to where both Rhett and I grew up. Plus, it doesn’t sound like everything else out there. Sometimes you write these songs and it really gets people’s attention. It’s kind of a different song, but one that has something to it."

With 'Take a Back Road' reaching No. 1, it is the seventh trip to the top for both Laird and Akins. In the past few years, Akins has scored other successes with Atkins recording his songs. On the singer's 'It's America' album, he cut 'Friends With Tractors,' which Akins co-wrote with his fellow Peach Pickers, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip. Atkins then went on to cut 'Farmer's Daughter,' which Akins co-wrote with Marv Green, later making it a Top 5 hit.

Previous chart-topping songs for Atkins include 'If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows),' 'Watching You,' 'These Are My People,' 'Cleaning This Gun (Come On in Boy)'  and 'It's America.'