# Life at Best

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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Life at Best
| type       = studio
| artist     = [Eli Young Band](/source/Eli_Young_Band)
| cover      = lifeatbest.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|2011|08|16}}
| recorded   =
| studio     = Dark Horse Recording <small>(Franklin, TN)</small> <br> Wrucke's House <small>(Nashville, TN)</small>
| genre      = [Country](/source/Country_music)
| length     = {{Duration|m=50|s=19}}
| label      = [Republic Nashville](/source/Republic_Nashville)
| producer   = {{flatlist|
* [Frank Liddell](/source/Frank_Liddell_(record_producer))
* Mike Wrucke
}}
| prev_title = [Jet Black & Jealous](/source/Jet_Black_%26_Jealous)
| prev_year  = 2008
| next_title = [10,000 Towns](/source/10%2C000_Towns)
| next_year  = 2014
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Life at Best
 | type        = Studio
 | single1     = [Crazy Girl](/source/Crazy_Girl)
 | single1date = March 7, 2011
 | single2     = [Even If It Breaks Your Heart](/source/Even_If_It_Breaks_Your_Heart)
 | single2date = January 23, 2012
 | single3     = [Say Goodnight](/source/Say_Goodnight)
 | single3date = August 27, 2012<ref>{{cite news|last=Wyland|first=Sarah|title=Eli Young Band's Crowds Get Loud|url=http://blog.gactv.com/blog/2012/08/04/eli-young-bands-crowds-get-loud/|access-date=August 5, 2012|newspaper=[Great American Country](/source/Great_American_Country)|date=August 4, 2012}}</ref>
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic" />
| rev2 = ''[Country Weekly](/source/Country_Weekly)''
| rev2Score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="cw" />
}}

'''''Life at Best''''' is the third studio album by American [country music](/source/country_music) group [Eli Young Band](/source/Eli_Young_Band). It was released on August 16, 2011 via [Republic Nashville](/source/Republic_Nashville). The album includes the number one singles "[Crazy Girl](/source/Crazy_Girl)" and "[Even If It Breaks Your Heart](/source/Even_If_It_Breaks_Your_Heart)" as well as "[Say Goodnight](/source/Say_Goodnight)", which peaked at number 22 on the [Country Airplay](/source/Country_Airplay) Chart. According to HITS Daily Double, the album sold 348,000 copies as of February 2014. A "15 Years Deluxe" reissue was released on May 15, 2026.

==Reception==
===Critical===
Giving it four stars out of five, Steve Morley of [Country Weekly](/source/Country_Weekly) said that the album "rings with roots-rock guitars and meaty, often melancholy themes".<ref name="cw">{{cite web|url=http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/life-best-eli-young-band|title=''Life at Best'' review|last=Morley|first=Steve|date=August 10, 2011|work=[Country Weekly](/source/Country_Weekly)|access-date=August 17, 2011}}</ref> A less favorable review came from Andrew Leahey of [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic), who thought that it was a "step backwards" because he did not consider its songs as memorable as those on ''[Jet Black & Jealous](/source/Jet_Black_%26_Jealous)''.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/album/life-at-best-r2228839/review|title=''Life at Best'' review|last=Leahey|first=Andrew|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=August 19, 2011}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| total_length    = 50:19

| title1          = [Even If It Breaks Your Heart](/source/Even_If_It_Breaks_Your_Heart)
| writer1         = {{hlist|[Will Hoge](/source/Will_Hoge)|[Eric Paslay](/source/Eric_Paslay)}}
| length1         = 3:40

| title2          = [Crazy Girl](/source/Crazy_Girl)
| writer2         = {{hlist|[Lee Brice](/source/Lee_Brice)|[Liz Rose](/source/Liz_Rose)}}
| length2         = 3:20

| title3          = Every Other Memory
| writer3         = {{hlist|[Chris DeStefano](/source/Chris_DeStefano)|[Catt Gravitt](/source/Catt_Gravitt)|[Josh Kear](/source/Josh_Kear)}}
| length3         = 4:44

| title4          = On My Way
| writer4         = {{hlist|Scooter Carusoe|Jon Jones|James Young}}
| length4         = 3:26

| title5          = Skeletons
| writer5         = {{hlist|Mike Eli|[Sean McConnell](/source/Sean_McConnell)|Young}}
| length5         = 3:21

| title6          = I Love You
| writer6         = {{hlist|Brice|[Kyle Jacobs](/source/Kyle_Jacobs_(songwriter))|Jones|Chris Thompson}}
| length6         = 3:20

| title7          = The Fight
| writer7         = {{hlist|[Natalie Hemby](/source/Natalie_Hemby)|Tim Putnam}}
| length7         = 4:25

| title8          = My Old Man's Son
| writer8         = {{hlist|Lance W. Adkins|Eli|Blu Sanders}}
| length8         = 3:42

| title9          = Recover
| writer9         = {{hlist|Eli|Young|Jacobs}}
| length9         = 2:58

| title10         = The Falling
| writer10        = {{hlist|Eli|Ryan James}}
| length10        = 3:38

| title11         = War on a Desperate Man
| writer11        = {{hlist|Eli|Sanders}}
| length11        = 4:06

| title12         = [Say Goodnight](/source/Say_Goodnight)
| writer12        = {{hlist|[Katrina Elam](/source/Katrina_Elam)|[Melissa Peirce](/source/Melissa_Peirce)|[John Paul White](/source/John_Paul_White)}}
| length12        = 3:08

| title13         = How Quickly You Forget
| writer13        = {{hlist|Eli|Hemby|Daniel Tashian}}
| length13        = 3:40

| title14         = Life at Best
| writer14        = {{hlist|Eli|Young}}
| length14        = 2:51
}}{{Track listing
| headline      = 15-year anniversary deluxe edition bonus tracks
| title15       = Go Outside and Dance
| note15        = Unreleased Track
| length15      = 2:32
| writer15      = {{hlist|Adam Hood|Brent Cobb}}
| title16       = Room Goes Dark
| note16        = Demo
| length16      = 3:13
| writer16      = {{hlist|Eli|Mando Saenz|Young}}
| title17       = Me and Jack
| note17        = Demo
| length17      = 3:23
| writer17      = {{hlist|Eli|Bryan Tyler|Young}}
| title18       = Crazy Girl
| note18        = Acoustic
| length18      = 3:08
| writer18      = {{hlist|Rose|Paslay}}
| title19       = Say Goodnight
| note19        = Radio Edit
| length19      = 2:57
| writer19      = {{hlist|Elam|Peirce|White}}
| title20       = The Fight
| note20        = Single Edit
| length20      = 3:54
| writer20      = {{hlist|Hemby|Putnam}}
}}

==Personnel==
Adapted from the ''Life at Best'' liner notes.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Life at Best|others=Eli Young Band|publisher=Republic Nashville|year=2011|type=booklet|id=B001585602}}</ref>

;Eli Young Band
*Mike Eli – guitar, lead vocals
*Jon Jones – bass guitar, background vocals
*Chris Thompson – drums, percussion
*James Young – lead guitar, harmonica, background vocals

;Production
*Eric Tonkin – assistant engineer
*Nick Kallstrom – assistant engineer
*Mark Dobson – digital editing
*Mike Wrucke – mixing
*Richard Dodd – mastering

;Additional musicians
*[Eric Darken](/source/Eric_Darken) – percussion
*Fred Eltringham – percussion 
*[Kree Harrison](/source/Kree_Harrison) – background vocals 
*[Natalie Hemby](/source/Natalie_Hemby) – background vocals
*[Greg Leisz](/source/Greg_Leisz) – [steel guitar](/source/steel_guitar)
*Tony Obrohta – guitar
*Russ Pahl – steel guitar
*Oran Thornton – guitar
*Michael Webb – [Hammond B-3 organ](/source/Hammond_B-3_organ), [keyboards](/source/Keyboard_instrument)
*Mike Wrucke – guitar, steel guitar, harmonica, [mandolin](/source/mandolin), background vocals

==Chart performance==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Chart (2011–12)
! Peak<br>position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|75|artist=Eli Young Band|album=Life at Best}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|6|artist=Eli Young Band|access-date=April 7, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardCountry|3|artist=Eli Young Band|access-date=April 7, 2021}}
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Chart (2011)
! Position
|-
| US Top Country Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2011/top-country-albums|title=Top Country Albums – Year-End 2011|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301174545/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2011/top-country-albums|archive-date=March 1, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center"|55
|-
! Chart (2012)
! Position
|-
| US Top Country Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-country-albums|title=Top Country Albums – Year-End 2012|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124214554/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-country-albums|archive-date=November 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center"|33
|}
{{col-end}}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Single
! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| [Certifications](/source/Music_recording_sales_certifications)<br><small>([sales threshold](/source/List_of_best_selling_music_artists))</small>
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="45"| [US Country](/source/Hot_Country_Songs)<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eli young band|chart=Country Songs}} |title=Eli Young Band Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs |magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=August 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/628q51XQN?url=http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/Rihanna/chart-history/658897?f=793&g=Singles |archivedate=October 2, 2011 }}</ref>
! style="width:45px;"| [US Country Airplay](/source/Country_Airplay)<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eli young band|chart=Country Airplay}} |title=Eli Young Band Album & Song Chart History - Country Airplay |magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=November 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/628q51XQN?url=http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/Rihanna/chart-history/658897?f=793&g=Singles |archivedate=October 2, 2011 }}</ref>
! width="45"| [US](/source/Billboard_Hot_100)<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eli young band|chart=all}}|title=Eli Young Band Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100|magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))|publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media)|accessdate=August 17, 2011}}</ref>
! width="45"| [CAN](/source/Canadian_Hot_100)<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eli young band|chart=Country Songs}} |title=Eli Young Band Album & Song Chart History - Canadian Hot 100 |magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media) |accessdate=October 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/628q51XQN?url=http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/Rihanna/chart-history/658897?f=793&g=Singles |archivedate=October 2, 2011 }}</ref>
|-
| 2011
! scope="row"| "[Crazy Girl](/source/Crazy_Girl)"
| 1
| —
| 30
| 66
| 
* [CAN](/source/Music_Canada): Gold{{Certification Cite Ref|region=Canada|type=digital|title=Crazy Girl|artist=Eli Young Band}}
* [US](/source/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America): 5× Platinum{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=single|title=Crazy Girl|artist=Eli Young Band}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2012
! scope="row"| "[Even If It Breaks Your Heart](/source/Even_If_It_Breaks_Your_Heart)"
| 1
| —
| 29
| 56
| 
* US: 3× Platinum{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|type=single|title=Even If It Breaks Your Heart|artist=Eli Young Band}}
|-
! scope="row"| "[Say Goodnight](/source/Say_Goodnight)"
| 31
| 22
| 110
| —
| 
|-
| colspan="7" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart
|-
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Eli Young Band|title=Life at Best|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2011|certyear=2024|accessdate=June 14, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=yes|noshipments=yes}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Eli Young Band}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:2011 albums
Category:Eli Young Band albums
Category:Republic Records albums
Category:Albums produced by Frank Liddell

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Life at Best](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_at_Best) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_at_Best?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.