Every Mile a Memory

"Every Mile a Memory" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. It was released in July 2006 as the first single from his 2006 album Long Trip Alone. It became Bentley's fourth number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in November 2006, the same week that the album was at number one on the Top Country Albums chart.^[1] Bentley wrote this song with Steve Bogard and Brett Beavers.

"Every Mile a Memory"
Single by Dierks Bentley
from the album Long Trip Alone
Released	July 17, 2006
Recorded	2006
Genre	Country
Length	3:52
Label	Capitol Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Brett Beavers Steve Bogard Dierks Bentley
Producer(s)	Brett Beavers
Dierks Bentley singles chronology
"Settle for a Slowdown" (2006) "Every Mile a Memory" (2006) "Long Trip Alone" (2006)

Content

This song tells the story of a man missing a woman and how everything he sees and hears evokes her memory.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "potent single that continues to demonstrate the irresistible chemistry that occurs when a great singer meets a memorable tune." She goes on to say that Bentley "really knows how to sell a song, and he gets the job done on this well-written track." On the production, she calls it "deft" and states that it "underscores the ache in each word."^[2] In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin put "Every Mile a Memory" at number five on his top 10 list of Bentley's best songs.^[3]

Music video

The music video was directed by Russell Thomas and premiered on August 3, 2006. It was made to promote his live 2006 TV special, "Live & Loud At The Filmore". Shot in a grainy texture, it features black-and-white footage of Dierks in concert, and yellow footage of him driving a truck and motorcycle down a highway with the sun in his face.

The music video reached number 1 on CMT's Top Twenty Countdown for the week of October 19, 2006.

Chart performance

"Every Mile a Memory" debuted at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs for the week of July 15, 2006.^[4]

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Canada Country (Billboard)[5]	2
US Billboard Hot 100[6]	48
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8]	32

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Gilbert, Calvin (October 28, 2006). "Dierks Bentley hits chart milestone". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
2. Billboard, August 5, 2006
3. Dauphin, Chuck (July 14, 2017). "Dierks Bentley's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
4. "Hot Country Songs: July 15, 2006". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
5. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
6. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
7. "Dierks Bentley Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
8. "Best of 2006: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
9. "American single certifications – Dierks Bentley – Every Mile a Memory". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.