The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home

"The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home" is a song recorded by American country music singer Justin Moore. It is the first single to his fifth studio album Late Nights and Longnecks. Moore wrote the song with Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, and Jeremy Stover, who also co- produced it with Scott Borchetta.

"The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home"
Single by Justin Moore
from the album Late Nights and Longnecks
Released	October 12, 2018 (2018-10-12)
Genre	Country[1]
Length	3:11
Songwriter(s)	Paul DiGiovanni Chase McGill Justin Moore Jeremy Stover
Producer(s)	Jeremy Stover, Scott Borchetta
Justin Moore singles chronology
"Kinda Don't Care" (2017) "The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home" (2018) "Why We Drink" (2019)

Content

Moore wrote the song with his producer, Jeremy Stover, along with Boys Like Girls member Paul DiGiovanni and songwriter Chase McGill. The song, which according to Rolling Stone features "a soaring chorus and weeping guitar work", pays tribute to soldiers who did not return from duty.^[2] Angela Stefano of the blog The Boot said of the song that "Listeners who are expecting a somber melody won't get that, though the lyrics are still devastating enough to draw a tear or two." and "The lyrics are just specific enough to paint a vivid picture, yet they're general enough to evoke the stories of any number of fallen military members."^[3] Moore said that the song's message was inspired by his paternal grandparents.^[4]

Commercial performance

The song has sold 61,000 copies in the United States as of September 2019.^[5]

Music video

The Music video premiered on February 6, 2019. The video was directed by Cody Villalobos, who is Moore's social media manager and a former emergency medical technician. Villalobos said that he was inspired to include not only soldiers, but also policemen and firefighters in the video due to it being released soon after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.^[6]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2018–2019) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100[7] 46 US Country Airplay (Billboard)[8] 1 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 7

Year-end charts Chart (2019) Position US Country Airplay (Billboard)[10] 4 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 30

Certifications

Certifications for The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home". AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
2. "Hear Justin Moore's Heartfelt New Song 'The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home'". Rolling Stone. October 12, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
3. Angela Stefano (October 12, 2018). "JUSTIN MOORE REMEMBERS 'THE ONES THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK HOME' IN NEW SINGLE [LISTEN]". The Boot. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
4. Gayle Thompson (May 22, 2019). "Justin Moore's 'The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home' Was Inspired by His Grandfathers". Pop Culture. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
5. Bjorke, Matt (September 4, 2019). "Top 30 Digital Country Downloads: September 4, 2019". Roughstock. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
6. Helen Murphy (February 5, 2019). "Justin Moore's New Music Video Honors School Shooting Victims, First Responders and the Military". People.com. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
7. "Justin Moore Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
8. "Justin Moore Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
9. "Justin Moore Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
10. "Country Airplay – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
11. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
12. "American single certifications – Justin Moore – The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 27, 2023.