Toby Keith almost reaches No. 1 for the first time on multiple Billboard charts as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” returns at No. 2. Toby Keith performs for his fans at an AOL Music LIVE event at The Factory in Franklin, TN. (Photo by Ed Rode/WireImage for AOL)
WireImage for AOL
Toby Keith released “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” following the September 11 attacks, and the song proved controversial from the moment it arrived. Many listeners embraced it as a patriotic anthem during a time when they felt the country needed such a thing, while others viewed its message as misguided or even xenophobic. Whatever one thinks of the track, it remains one of the late country star’s biggest and most recognizable hits.
Following the July Fourth holiday, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” returns to five Billboard charts alongside several other songs associated with the nation. The tune establishes a new peak on every ranking where it appears this frame, and on three of them, Keith misses out on reaching No. 1 by only one space.
Toby Keith Nearly Reaches No. 1 on Two Related Charts
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” reenters both the Streaming Songs and Country Streaming Songs charts in the runner-up rung. The first list ranks the most-streamed tracks of any genre in the United States, while the latter focuses only on music classified by Billboard as country.
No. 2 marks a new career high for Keith on the two rankings. The late singer-songwriter also collects his first top 10 on each roster years after his death.
As it returns, the single has now spent only two frames on the Streaming Songs chart. It first reached the tally last July, when the Fourth of July similarly drove Americans to revisit patriotic and country-themed favorites.
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” Surges in Sales
Keith’s patriotic smash also rockets from No. 14 to No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart. The ranking tracks the bestselling individual cuts in America through paid download stores such as iTunes. Purchases on physical mediums, like CD and vinyl – which have both become popular again in the past few years – do not count in its methodology.
No. 2 represents a new peak for “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” on the sales rundown. The decades-old composition comes within one rung of giving Keith another No. 1 bestseller as it climbs 12 spaces in a single frame.
Ella Langley blocks Keith from reaching the summit on all three rankings where his hit settles in second place. Her blockbuster “Choosin’ Texas” remains steady at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs, Digital Song Sales and Country Streaming Songs charts, despite tough competition from Keith’s favorite, which is once again timely.
Toby Keith Almost Earns His First Billboard Hot 100 Top 10
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” reenters the Billboard Hot 100 as well, and it almost becomes the late star’s first top 10. Instead, the track is forced to settle for a new high of No. 11. The roster – the most competitive songs list in the U.S. – uses sales, streams and radio airplay to determine the most popular compositions in the U.S. each tracking frame.
LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 07: Musician Toby Keith accepts USO award onstage during ACM Presents: An All-Star Salute To The Troops at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 7, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM)
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While it’s not a top 10 smash, that No. 11 placement becomes a new career high for the country musician – one that he reaches several years after his death.
Toby Keith Reaches a New Global Chart Peak
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” also reenters the Billboard Global 200, which ranks the most-consumed songs around the world using sales and streams. The track breaks back onto the worldwide list at No. 45, setting another new peak for both the cut and Keith. This frame marks only its second appearance on the Billboard Global 200, as it debuted last summer following the 2025 July Fourth holiday.
35 Biggest Hits Returns to the Billboard 200’s Top 10
The renewed success of “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” powers multiple Keith compilations and helps them either return to or soar up the charts. 35 Biggest Hits appears inside the top 10 on all three rankings in the U.S. where it can currently be found. The collection leaps from No. 31 to No. 10 on the Billboard 200, bolting back into the highest tier on the main albums chart in America. 35 Biggest Hits previously reached No. 1 following Keith’s passing.
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 05: Musician Toby Keith accepts the Artist of the Decade Award onstage at the American Country Awards 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 5, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christopher Polk/ACA2011/Getty Images for ACA)
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On the Top Streaming Albums chart, the compilation steps up from No. 30 to No. 8. 35 Biggest Hits also advances from No. 9 to No. 3 on the Top Country Albums roster.
Another compilation, Greatest Hits: The Show Dog Years, reenters only the Top Country Albums chart. The title sits down at No. 50, barely managing to find space on the 50-position tally.
ForbesToby Keith Posthumously Reaches A Chart LandmarkBy Hugh McIntyre