CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

In 1965, entertainers Sonny & Cher recorded and released their signature No. 1 “I Got You Babe,” which would eventually become a touchstone of the free-lovin’ ’60s. It’s cute, fuzzy, and sweet on the surface, but underneath there’s a theme of the all-encompassing, saving power of young love that informs many of music’s greatest works. (See also: “Be My Baby,” “God Only Knows”).

Fast forward to the present day, 2011. Stoney Creek Records husband-wife duo Thompson Square has scored their second CountryBreakout Chart No. 1 hit with their similarly titled “I Got You.” Sonically and melodically it’s miles away from the Sonny & Cher track, but the same starry-eyed us against the world mentality shines through in every harmony. Someone in Keifer and Shawna Thompson’s camp clearly noticed the parallels, because the song’s video is a clever sendup of the The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour program with all parts played by the two band members. And in a reality-bending twist, Thompson Square even gets to play themselves as musical guests promoting a new single on the wacky variety show.

Thompson Square will surely be counted among 2011’s great country success stories, following their breakout No. 1 hit “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.” Since then, the duo has scored CMA nominations for New Artist of the Year and Vocal Duo of the Year, as well as a whopping seven (!) nominations for the American Country Awards scheduled for December. To date, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” has sold over 1.5 million digital downloads and the pair has been out on the road with Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour. Later this Fall, they’ll join up with Darius Rucker’s tour for more live dates.

“The last year of our lives have been completely surreal,” says Keifer. “We’ve never had a dream come true before. We didn’t know what that felt like until recently.”

Kind of like having your own variety show, right?