Keith Urban is known for hit country tracks like “Somebody Like You” and “You’ll Think of Me”—but the song that propelled his career into country icon status might surprise you.
In 1991, Urban released a self-titled album in Australia that didn’t really move the needle chart-wise, per The Boot. He eventually scored a record deal with Capitol Records in Nashville as the lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter of the band Ranch, a rock-country group. Ranch saw minor success with two of its singles, “Just Some Love” and “Walkin’ the Country.”
After that, Urban signed a solo record deal with Capitol Records in 1997. He released another, completely different album titled Keith Urban in 1999. Finally, his singles started gaining traction.
“It’s a Love Thing,” released in May 1999, made it to the Top 20 on Billboard’s Hot Singles & Tracks chart. A second track, “Your Everything,” climbed within the Top 5 on the same chart, reaching No. 4.
Finally, Urban’s song “But For the Grace of God” topped the charts in 2001, two years after it was released. He co-wrote the track with Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go‘s. “But For the Grace of God” climbed to No. 1 for the week of Feb. 24 on the Billboard’s Hot Singles & Tracks chart.
“It was surreal to be told that ‘Grace of God’ had gone to number one,” Urban said of the feat during an interview published on Dailymotion. “Because you’re just thinking, ‘No. 1 where? Not in the States…I mean, out of all the songs on the charts, that one’s sitting at the top?'”
Urban continued, “My want was just to make records and get on the radio, and I wasn’t really thinking about charts. And then of course you have a song that enters the charts in the 50s, and you can’t believe you’re on the charts. That’s an amazing feeling because they’re not getting any higher.”
Urban followed up his success with “But For the Grace of God” with a fourth single from his U.S. debut album titled “Where the Blacktop Ends,” which topped out at No. 3.
In 2001, the country singer won Top New Male Vocalist honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards. He additionally snagged the 2001 CMA Horizon Award.
Today, Urban, 57, has amassed four Grammy Awards, 13 CMA Awards, 15 ACM Awards and countless other accolades. He is married to Nicole Kidman, and they share two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
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This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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