Happy Anniversary: Faith Hill, BREATHE

18 years ago today, Faith Hill released her fourth studio album, an LP which transformed her from a country music superstar into a phenomenon on the pop charts as well.

Produced variously by Byron Gallimore, Dann Huff, and Hill herself, BREATHE may have technically still been promoted as a country album, but it didn’t take listeners very long to come to the conclusion that it was an unabashed bid for across-the-board success. Not that it was all that difficult for Hill to charm mainstream audiences – she’s gorgeous, she’s sweet, and she’s married to a man who’s a superstar in his own right (Tim McGraw) – but it never would’ve worked if she hadn’t had the tunes and been able to deliver them well. But she did…and, boy, did she!

The title track of BREATHE was a #1 country hit as well as a #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and the follow-up single, “The Way You Love Me,” which was also a country chart-topper, turned into a #6 pop smash. A few other singles followed – first “Let’s Make Love,” followed by “If My Heart Had Wings,” both of which were top-10 country hits – but let’s cut to the chase: BREATHE has, at this point, gone platinum 6X over, and given that its singles continue to be played regularly, it’s only going to keep selling.