View source for When the Stars Go Blue

{{short description|2001 song by Ryan Adams}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox song
| name     = When the Stars Go Blue
| cover    =
| alt      =
| type     =
| artist   = [[Ryan Adams]]
| album    = [[Gold (Ryan Adams album)|Gold]]
| released = September 25, 2001
| format   =
| recorded =
| studio   =
| venue    =
| genre    = {{flatlist|
* [[Alternative country]]
* [[rock music|rock]]
}}
| length   = 3:31
| label    = [[Lost Highway Records|Lost Highway]]
| writer   = [[Ryan Adams]]
| producer = [[Ethan Johns]]
}}

"'''When the Stars Go Blue'''" is a popular [[alternative country]] song composed and originally recorded by solo artist and former [[Whiskeytown]] band member [[Ryan Adams]]. It was first released on his album ''[[Gold (Ryan Adams album)|Gold]]'' on September 25, 2001, and has been described as the "most gorgeous [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]]" on that album.<ref>{{cite book|last=Orshoski|first=Wes|title=Ryan Adams Finds 'Gold' On Lost Highway|date=September 2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xEEAAAAMBAJ|publisher=Billboard|access-date=8 April 2012}}</ref> "When the Stars Go Blue" has been covered by many artists, including Irish band [[the Corrs]] (featuring [[Bono]] of [[U2]]), [[country music]] singer [[Tim McGraw]], and Norwegian artists [[Venke Knutson]] and [[Kurt Nilsen]] as a duo.

==Personnel==
*Ryan Adams - vocals, acoustic guitar
*Richard Causon - piano
*Ethan Johns - 12 string guitar, harmonium, electric piano, mandocello, Chamberlain strings, drums
*[[Julianna Raye]] - background vocals

==The Corrs version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = When the Stars Go Blue
| cover      =
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[the Corrs]] featuring [[Bono]]
| album      = [[VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin]]
| released   = {{start date|2002|4|15}}
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres -->
| length     = 4:19
| label      = {{hlist|[[143 Records|143]]|[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]|[[Lava Records|Lava]]}}
| writer     = [[Ryan Adams]]
| producer   = Mitchell Froom
| chronology = [[The Corrs]]
| prev_title = [[Would You Be Happier?#Live version|Would You Be Happier (Live)]]
| prev_year  = 2002
| next_title = [[Summer Sunshine]]
| next_year  = 2004
}}

Irish band [[the Corrs]] recorded the song on their album ''[[VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin]]'', featuring [[U2]]'s [[Bono]]. The cover was released on April 15, 2002, in the United States, reaching number 11 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Adult Alternative Airplay]] chart and number 18 on the [[Adult Top 40]]. The song was remixed for their album ''[[Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection]]'' in 2006.

===Charts===
====Weekly charts====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (2002)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Spanish Airplay ([[PROMUSICAE]])<ref name="acharts">[http://promusicae.org--%3E]{{dead link|date=October 2019}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|11|artist=The Corrs|access-date=June 7, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|18|artist=The Corrs|access-date=June 7, 2021}}
|}
<!--NOTE: Please don't add chart information on iTunes, Brazil Hot 100, APC Charts (Euro200, Portugal, Poland), Bulgaria, United World Chart or other unreliable charts listed at [[WP:BADCHARTS]].-->

====Year-end charts====
{|class="wikitable"
!Chart (2002)
!Position
|-
|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002|magazine=[[Airplay Monitor]]|volume=10|issue=51|page=16|date=December 20, 2002}}</ref>
|align="center"|46
|-
|US Triple-A (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The 2002 Allstars: Most-Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=10|issue=51|page=52|date=December 20, 2002}}</ref>
|align="center"|30
|}

===Release history===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States
|{{start date|2002|4|15}}
|[[Adult album alternative|Triple A radio]]
|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|[[143 Records|143]]|[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]|[[Lava Records|Lava]]}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2002/RR-2002-04-12.pdf|title=Going for Adds|magazine=[[Radio & Records]]|issue=1448|page=31|date=April 12, 2002|access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref>
|-
|{{start date|2002|7|29}}
|[[Contemporary hit radio]]
|<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2002/RR-2002-07-26.pdf|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1463|page=29|date=July 26, 2002|access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref>
|}

==Tim McGraw version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = When the Stars Go Blue
| cover      = When the Stars Go Blue.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Tim McGraw]]
| album      = [[Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2|Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2]]
| released   = March 6, 2006
| format     =
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = {{flatlist|
* [[Country music|Country]]
* [[country rock]]
}}
| length     = *3:55
*3:28 (single version)
| label      = [[Curb Records|Curb]]
| writer     = [[Ryan Adams]]
| producer   = {{flatlist|
* [[Byron Gallimore]]
* Tim McGraw
* Darran Smith
}}
| prev_title = [[My Old Friend]]
| prev_year  = 2005
| next_title = [[My Little Girl (Tim McGraw song)|My Little Girl]]
| next_year  = 2006
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|fIZ-2FB5a3g|"When the Stars Go Blue"}} }}
}}

In 2006, the song was released by [[Tim McGraw]] as the first single from his compilation album ''[[Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2]]''.  Heribert Severing, creator and writer of severing.nu, included McGraw's version of "When the Stars Go Blue" on his list of the top Country singles of 2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=Severing|first=Heribert|title=The Greatest Country Single Hits of them all: The Year is 2006|url=http://severing.nu/music/c2006.html|access-date=8 April 2012}}</ref>

===Chart performance===
"When the Stars Go Blue" debuted at number 35 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs for the week of March 18, 2006.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart (2006)
!align="center"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Canada [[Canada Country|Country]] (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref>{{cite web |title=Canada Country Top 30 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2006/RR-2006-05-19.pdf |website=[[Radio & Records]] |date=May 19, 2006|accessdate=December 30, 2019 |page=43}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|4|artist=Tim McGraw|artistid=32771}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|37|artist=Tim McGraw|artistid=32771}}
|-
|align="left"|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Pop 100]]
|align="center"|50
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|12|artist=Tim McGraw|artistid=32771}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|35|artist=Tim McGraw|artistid=32771}}
|}
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Year-end chart (2006)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
| US [[Hot Country Songs|Country Songs]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/hot-country-songs| title=Best of 2006: Country Songs | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] | year=2006| access-date=July 10, 2012}}</ref>
| align="center" | 20
|-
| US [[Adult Contemporary]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/adult-contemporary-songs|title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2006|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref>
| align="center" | 20
|}

===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''When the Stars Go Blue''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Tim McGraw|title=When the Stars Go Blue|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2006|certyear=2019|access-date=August 12, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}

==Venke Knutson and Kurt Nilsen version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = When the Stars Go Blue
| cover      = When-the-stars-go-blue-knutsen-nilsen.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Venke Knutson]] and [[Kurt Nilsen]]
| album      = Places I Have Been
| released   = February 2006
| format     =
| recorded   = 2005
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| length     =
| label      = [[Universal Music Group|Universal]]
| writer     = [[Ryan Adams]]
| producer   =
| chronology = [[Venke Knutson]]
| prev_title = Just a Minute
| prev_year  = 2006
| next_title = Holiday
| next_year  = 2006
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Kurt Nilsen]]
 | type       = singles
 | prev_title = Just a Minute
 | prev_year  = 2005
 | title      = When the Stars Go Blue
 | year       = 2006
 | next_title = Push Push
 | next_year  = 2006
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|8kkPpfm0vpU|"When the Stars Go Blue"}} }}
}}

Norwegian singers [[Venke Knutson]] and ''[[World Idol]]'' [[Kurt Nilsen]] recorded a duet that appears in Venke Knutson's album 2005 ''Places I Have Been''. The song was released as a single in Norway in February 2006, reaching number 14 on the [[Norwegian Singles Chart]].<ref>[http://acharts.us/song/7781 aCharts.us: Venke Knutson and Kurt Nilsen's "When the Stars Go Blue" page]</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (2006)
!align="center"|Peak<br />position
|-
|{{single chart|Norway|14|artist=Venke Knutson and Kurt Nilsen|song=When the Stars Go Blue}}
|}

==Other versions==
[[Irish people|Irish]]/[[United Kingdom|British]] girlband [[Wonderland (band)|Wonderland]] performed the track for their debut performance on television in [[Ireland]]. The recorded studio version was included the band's debut album ''[[Wonderland (Wonderland album)|Wonderland]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

It was also featured in ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'' as a hit song by fictional characters [[Haley James Scott]] and [[List of One Tree Hill characters#Chris Keller|Chris Keller]] (real life singers [[Bethany Joy Lenz]] and [[Tyler Hilton]]) and features on the ''One Tree Hill'' Soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|title=One Tree Hill Music|url=http://www.oth-music.com/soundtracks.html|work=Official Soundtracks}}</ref> 

Irish band [[The Corrs]] performed the song during their [[VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin|Live in Dublin]] VH1 Special with [[Bono]] of [[U2]]. The song later appeared in a studio version on their [[Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection]]. The song was also performed on select dates throughout their [[Borrowed Heaven tour]].

The song was performed by Blake Lewis on American Idol Season 6, originally airing on April 17, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lamb|first=Bill|title=When the Stars Go Blue|url=http://top40.about.com/od/songprofiles/a/aisongstarsb.htm|work=American Idol Season 6 - The Songs|publisher=About.com - The New York Times Company|access-date=25 March 2012|archive-date=5 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305133941/http://top40.about.com/od/songprofiles/a/aisongstarsb.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> His cover of the song made it to #92 of the pop charts in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lamb|first=Bill|title=American Idols on the Charts - A Complete Record|url=http://top40.about.com/od/americanidol/ss/aidolcharts_10.htm|publisher=About.com - The New York Times Company|access-date=25 March 2012|archive-date=5 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305141148/http://top40.about.com/od/americanidol/ss/aidolcharts_10.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On July 16, 2006, Phil Lesh covered the song in the first set of a show at Charter One Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} The show was made available for purchase via compact disc by [[Phil Lesh and Friends]].{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} On April 5, 2014, Lesh covered the song in the first set of a show at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

==In popular culture==
The song inspired a [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/7990393-when-the-stars-go-blue novel of the same name].

The song was also covered by actress Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hilton in the second season of The CW's 
One Tree Hill 
#One Tree Hill [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Hill_(TV_series)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Ryan Adams}}
{{Tim McGraw singles}}
{{The Corrs}}

[[Category:2001 songs]]
[[Category:2002 singles]]
[[Category:2006 singles]]
[[Category:Ryan Adams songs]]
[[Category:Tim McGraw songs]]
[[Category:The Corrs songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Mitchell Froom]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Byron Gallimore]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Tim McGraw]]
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Rock ballads]]
[[Category:Country ballads]]
[[Category:143 Records singles]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records singles]]
[[Category:Curb Records singles]]
[[Category:Lava Records singles]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Sherman Halsey]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ryan Adams]]