‘Old Town Road’ Made Billy Ray Cyrus Want to Retire

At its juiciest, country music is full of surprises. For example, the success of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” made the latter want to leave the music industry. Here’s why that didn’t happen.

Billy Ray Cyrus didn’t think something like ‘Old Town Road’ was possible

To many, Cyrus was known for two things: his 1990s country novelty “Achy Breaky Heart” and the 2000s Disney sitcom Hannah Montana. Nobody was expecting a new smash single from him in 2019. Somehow, he defied the odds by appearing on a remix of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” that became a juggernaut.

During a 2019 interview with the New York Post, Cyrus was asked if the success of “Old Town Road” made him want to collaborate with other young artists. “I was thinking about retiring, because to me this is the perfect way for me to go out,” he replied. “For years and years, I said, ‘Man, if I could ever just make it back to the top, I think I’d love to just retire and quit at the top,’ never dreaming it could ever even be close to possible. 

“Lo and behold, this ride happens and … there’s been so many great ideas coming at me,” he added. “That’s why I’m not gonna retire, because I now have a whole ‘nother album of some ideas with some people I’d love to make some music with.” The country star said that the new era of his career turned him on. Since “Old Town Road” came out, Cyrus has not put out any new albums but hasn’t retired either.

How Billy Ray Cyrus got on the song

Cyrus also revealed how he ended up on a remix of “Old Town Road.” First, Lil Nas X signed to Columbia Records. Second, the “Industry Baby” rapper asked if someone knew how to get the song in Cyrus’ hands.

“I got a message from Columbia Records that a young man by the name of Lil Nas X wanted me to hear his song ‘Old Town Road,’ and would I consider singing on it,” he recalled. “And so I said, ‘Well, who is Lil Nas X?’ But I fell in love with it just like everybody else did.”

‘Old Town Road’ was mind-bogglingly big

“Old Town Road” went on to become one of the biggest songs in the history of the American charts. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping 16 weeks. “Old Town Road” charted for 45 weeks in total. Commercially, the tune blew Cyrus’ previous smash, “Achy Breaky Heart,” out of the water.

“Old Town Road” appeared on Lil Nas X’s EP 7. That record peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 71 weeks. So far, “Old Town Road” has not appeared on any of Cyrus’ records. Hopefully, it will appear on one of his greatest hits collections one day. It better! Aside from “Achy Breaky Heart,” none of his other tunes reached a pop audience.

“Old Town Road” is one of the defining songs of the 2010s and it wouldn’t be quite the same without Cyrus’ contribution to the remix.