Released on October 1, 1991
Produced by Tony Brown, Reba McEntire

US CD: MCAD-10400
US Columbia House LP: 1P 8162
UK CD: MCAD-13946
US Cassette: MCAC-10400
Canada CD: MCASD-10400
Canada Cassette: CMCAC-10400
Canada Cassette: CMCAD-10400
UK CD: MCLD 19346
US CD Longbox: MCAD-10400
Germany CD: MCD 10400 MCAD 10400
US DCC Album: MCAX-10400
US Vinyl Me, Please 2021 LP Reissue: VMP-CW005
US 2026 LP Reissue: 881061370215

For My Broken Heart, Reba McEntire’s seventeenth studio album, was released on October 1, 1991. It marked her first studio recording following the tragic March 1991 airplane crash that claimed the lives of seven members of her touring band and her tour manager. The album became a deeply personal project for Reba, who described it in the liner notes as “a form of healing for all our broken hearts.” Its songs were carefully selected to reflect the grief, resilience, and emotional journey that followed the tragedy.

The album's first two singles, the title track and “Is There Life Out There,” both reached No. 1 on the Billboard country charts. They were followed by “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” a reinterpretation of Vicki Lawrence’s 1972 hit, which was accompanied by a memorable music video. For My Broken Heart became Reba’s highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 at the time, reaching No. 13, and went on to become one of the best-selling studio albums of her career, with more than four million copies sold.

On the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, For My Broken Heart debuted at No. 4 for the week of October 19, 1991, before climbing to No. 3 on November 2. It remained at No. 3 for seven consecutive weeks and spent an impressive 20 consecutive weeks in the Top 10. The album also made history as the first album by a female country artist to receive a double-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Much of the preparation for For My Broken Heart took place while Reba was filming The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw in California. Between scenes, she devoted countless hours to listening to potential material, both in her trailer on set and at the apartment she had rented during production. Her selection process was remarkably demanding, with Reba estimating that she recorded approximately one song for every 100 she considered. Among the songs she encountered was an uptempo number titled “L.A. to the Moon,” which she ultimately passed on because it did not fit the emotional direction she envisioned for the album.

The recording schedule was equally demanding. After completing filming, Reba met with producer Tony Brown on a Friday to review the material. Recording began at noon the following Saturday and continued into the next week. By Tuesday and Wednesday, representatives from MCA Records were visiting the studio to hear the project, and by Thursday, Reba was back on tour. The weeks that followed were filled with additional recording sessions, concert dates, private performances, promotional appearances, an album photo shoot, and the many responsibilities surrounding the release.

In a July 1991 interview with country music journalist Chet Flippo, Reba revealed that she had initially envisioned For My Broken Heart as a more traditional country album. However, once she entered the studio, the musicians helped shape the arrangements and overall sound. One example was “Buying Her Roses,” which had originally been presented at a much slower tempo. Reba asked drummer Larry London to pick up the pace, giving the recording a livelier feel with what she described as more of a Mexican shuffle.

During that same interview, Reba also mentioned that she was searching for material for a potential gospel album. Although that project never came to fruition, it offered another glimpse into the creative directions she was considering during this particularly significant period of her career.

More than three decades after its release, For My Broken Heart remains one of the most meaningful and commercially successful albums in Reba’s catalog. Born out of an unimaginable tragedy, the project transformed personal grief into music that resonated with millions of listeners, becoming an enduring testament to healing, perseverance, and the power of a great song.