I Wish Grandpas Never Died

"I Wish Grandpas Never Died"
Single by Riley Green
from the album Different 'Round Here
Released	September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)
Genre	Country
Length	4:08
Label	BMLG
Songwriter(s)	Riley Green Buford Green Lendon Bonds
Producer(s)	Dann Huff
Riley Green singles chronology
"In Love by Now" (2019) "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" (2019) "If It Wasn't for Trucks" (2020)

"I Wish Grandpas Never Died" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Riley Green. It is the third single from his debut studio album Different 'Round Here.

History

Green had written the song and performed it on tour before adding it to the tracklist of his debut album. According to him, he was persuaded to record the song by Brad Paisley.^[1] The song caused waves on country radio, for the lyric "I wish country music still got played on country radio." A radio edit was created to edit out the jab towards pop country, and the lyric was replaced with "I wish George Jones still got played on country radio."^[2]

The song is a tribute to Green's grandfathers, both of whom are also credited as co-writers on the song.^[3]

Commercial performance

The song has sold 123,000 copies in the United States as of March 2020.^[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019–2020)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5]	95
Canada Country (Billboard)[6]	11
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	66
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[8]	12
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9]	12

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)	Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10]	91

Chart (2020)	Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[11]	54
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12]	47

Certifications

Certifications for "I Wish Grandpas Never Died"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[13]	Gold	35,000^‡
Canada (Music Canada)[14]	2× Platinum	160,000^‡
United States (RIAA)[15]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Ryan Reichard (January 6, 2020). "Brad Paisley was ready to release his own 'I Wish Grandpas Never Died' if Riley Green didn't release his". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
2. Gazibara, Steve (August 27, 2019). "Country Radio Didn't Like A Line In Riley Green's "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," So The Lyrics Were Changed". Whiskey Riff. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
3. "Riley Green Says He Wrote "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" As a Way to Cope, Explains Why He Gave Both His Grandpas Writers Credit, & MORE". The Ty Bentli Show. August 16, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
4. Bjorke, Matt (March 4, 2020). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: March 2, 2020". Rough Stock. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
5. "Riley Green Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
6. "Riley Green Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
7. "Riley Green Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
8. "Riley Green Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
9. "Riley Green Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
10. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
11. "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
12. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
13. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
14. "Canadian single certifications – Riley Green – I Wish Grandpas Never Died". Music Canada. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
15. "American single certifications – Riley Green – I Wish Grandpas Never Died". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 6, 2024.