Reba #1's is a double-disc compilation album by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released on November 22, 2005, via MCA Nashville to celebrate her thirty years in the music industry. Unlike previous compilation albums, Reba #1's is the first to include material from both her MCA catalog along with her early time at Mercury Records. The compilation includes 33 of McEntire's singles, of which 22 topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
The compilation received widespread acclaim from music critics, with critics noting McEntire's vast catalog. This compilation was a big success, debuting at number three on the Top Country Albums chart and number 12 on the Billboard 200. As of April 2017, the compilation has sold 1,195,800 copies in the United States, having gone on to be certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA due to it being a double-disc project.[2]
Two new songs were specifically recorded for this compilation. "You're Gonna Be" (re-titled as "You're Gonna Be (Always Loved By Me)" for its single release) was a moderate hit, peaking at number 33 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The Tim Menzies and Tony Haselden-penned track, "Love Needs a Holiday", peaked at number 60, becoming McEntire's worst performing single since the 1970s. Both singles were accompanied with music videos.
Two new songs were specifically recorded. The first is "You're Gonna Be (Always Loved by Me)", written by Danny Orton and Dennis Matkosky. Lyrically, the song is "saturated with mother-to-child devotion" and is about a first-time mom looking to her baby. Although she is scared of making mistakes, she guarantees to her child that they'll always be loved by her.[3][4] The other is "Love Needs a Holiday", an up-tempo track that "treats romantic doldrums with just a dash of humor."[5][6]
"You're Gonna Be (Always Loved by Me)" was released on August 29, 2005 as the lead single from the compilation. It debuted on the US Hot Country Songs chart the week of September 17, 2005, at number 52, the second highest debut of the week. It reached the top forty for the week of October 15, 2005, becoming McEntire's 79th consecutive top forty hit. It reached a peak position of number 33 on the chart the week of November 19, 2005, becoming her lowest charting single since her rendition of "Sweet Music Man" reached number 33 in 2002. It spent 14 weeks in total. "Love Needs a Holiday" would be released on January 30, 2006, as the second and final single. It spent a single week on the Hot Country Songs chart, debuting and peaking at number 60 on February 4, 2006; it not only broke McEntire's record of top-forty hits but also became her first single to chart outside the top-forty since "Glad I Waited Just for You" from her eponymous debut album only peaked at number 88 in 1977.[5]
Reba #1's debuted at number three on the US Top Country Albums chart behind Kenny Chesney's The Road and the Radio (2005) and Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts (2005), selling 117,000 copies in its first week.[7] It is her highest charting project since her previous compilation album Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor (2001) debuted at number one. In that same week, it debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, marking her highest charting album since If You See Him (1998) debuted at number eight. In total, the compilation would spend 102 weeks on the former chart and 21 weeks on the latter.
