How Brooks & Dunn’s Cover of “My Maria” Became One of Their Most Defining Hits

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In 1996, the known country duo Brooks & Dunn released their cover of the hit country love song “My Maria” as part of their album, Borderline. 

The song was originally released by B.W. Stevenson in 1973. As it secured a spot on the charts, “My Maria” became an anthem for those hearts throbbing because of love. Becoming one of the greatest hits of all time, the song eventually started getting covered by known country singers like Brooks & Dunn – ultimately becoming a standard among country artists. 

Upon its release, Brooks & Dunn’s cover immediately landed a spot on the charts, landing at no.1 on both US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) and Canada Country Tracks (RPM), making it one of Brooks & Dunn’s greatest hits.  

But this success wasn’t achieved overnight. It took years of planning and deciding before they achieved such an amazing feat. As we dive into the story behind Brooks & Dunn’s cover of “My Maria,” we’ll eventually find out how it became one of their most defining hits. 

Brooks & Dunn’s Cover of “My Maria”

Surprisingly, “My Maria” almost didn’t make the cut for the country duo when it was first presented to them. Although it was such a hit, Dunn felt like it wasn’t fit for them because of how “rock” the song is. 

But as they started listening to it, they immediately fell for its beautifully put-together lyrics and catchy tune. Despite its release in the 1970s, the song was rather advanced for its time. 

Just like Stevenson’s version, the duo wanted to seamlessly combine rock and country, and they did a great job of achieving this. Their baritone voices also added extra twang to the song without overshadowing the retro radio vibes that the original wanted listeners to feel. 

Their version was so good as the original that listeners mistook it to be one of their own, calling it one of the duo’s most defining songs. 

So if you haven’t checked it out yet, you can listen to Brooks & Dunn’s amazing cover of “My Maria” below. 

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