Third Rock from the Sun
{{About|the Joe Diffie album|his song of the same name|Third Rock from the Sun (song)|the television show of the same name|3rd Rock from the Sun}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Third Rock from the Sun
| type = studio
| artist = Joe Diffie
| cover = Diffierock.jpg
| alt =
| released = July 26, 1994
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = SoundShop Recording Studios
| genre = Country
| length = 37:26
| label = Epic
| producer = Joe Diffie
Johnny Slate
| prev_title = Honky Tonk Attitude
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = Mr. Christmas
| next_year = 1995
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Third Rock from the Sun
| type = studio
| single1 = Third Rock from the Sun
| single1date = July 4, 1994
| single2 = Pickup Man
| single2date = October 17, 1994
| single3 = So Help Me Girl
| single3date = January 30, 1995
| single4 = I'm in Love with a Capital "U"
| single4date = May 27, 1995
| single5 = That Road Not Taken
| single5date = August 12, 1995
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r203090}}
| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly
}}
Third Rock from the Sun is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Joe Diffie. Diffie's breakthrough album, the first five tracks were all released as singles, and all charted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Of these five singles, "Pickup Man" and the title track were both Number One hits, "So Help Me Girl" reached #2, "I'm in Love with a Capital 'U'" reached #21, and "That Road Not Taken" peaked at #40. "Pickup Man" was also Diffie's longest-lasting number one, having held that position for four weeks.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed =
| headline =
| total length =
| title1 = Third Rock from the Sun
| writer1 = Sterling Whipple, Tony Martin, John Greenebaum
| length1 = 3:04
| title2 = I'm in Love with a Capital "U"
| writer2 = Paul Nelson, Craig Wiseman
| length2 = 3:17
| title3 = That Road Not Taken
| writer3 = Casey Kelly, Deborah Beasley
| length3 = 4:17
| title4 = Pickup Man
| writer4 = Howard Perdew, Kerry Kurt Phillips
| length4 = 3:36
| title5 = So Help Me Girl
| writer5 = H. Perdew, Andy Spooner
| length5 = 3:29
| title6 = Wild Blue Yonder
| writer6 = Stacey Slate, Michael Higgins
| length6 = 3:53
| title7 = I'd Like to Have a Problem Like That
| writer7 = Whipple, Martin, Greenebaum
| length7 = 3:20
| title8 = Junior's in Love
| writer8 = Dennis Linde
| length8 = 3:09
| title9 = From Here on Out
| writer9 = H. Perdew, Carol Perdew, Monica Stiles
| length9 = 3:24
| title10 = Good Brown Gravy
| writer10 = Billy Dean, Verlon Thompson, Bill Kenner
| length10 = 3:02
| title11 = The Cows Came Home
| writer11 = Joe Diffie, Lonnie Wilson, Lee Bogan
| length11 = 2:55
}}
Personnel
- Lee Bogan – background vocals (1, 11)
- Walt Cunningham – electric keyboards (1, 3, 5, 6, 9), synthesizer strings (3, 5, 9), special effects (6)
- Billy Dean – background vocals (10)
- John Dickson – cow sounds (11)
- Joe Diffie – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (all tracks), cow sounds (11)
- Stuart Duncan – fiddle (4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
- Craig "Flash" Fletcher – background vocals (1, 11)
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar (1–7, 9)
- Clay Keith – background vocals (5, 6)
- Larry Keith – background vocals (5, 6)
- Terry McMillan – harmonica (8, 10)
- Brent Mason – electric guitar (all tracks)
- Tim Mensy – acoustic guitar (5, 8)
- Larry Paxton – bass guitar (3–6, 8–11)
- Matt Rollings – piano (all tracks)
- Johnny Slate – cow sounds (11)
- Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar (all tracks)
- Lonnie Wilson – drums (all tracks), percussion (1, 2, 8, 10, 11)
- Glenn Worf – bass guitar (1, 2, 7)
Track information and credits adapted from Discogs{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Joe-Diffie-Third-Rock-From-The-Sun/release/3549523 |title=Joe Diffie – Third Rock From The Sun (Discogs) |last= |first= |date= |website= |publisher=Discogs |access-date=February 26, 2021 |quote=}} and AllMusic,{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/third-rock-from-the-sun-mw0000117846/credits |title=Joe Diffie – Third Rock From The Sun (AllMusic) |last= |first= |date= |website= |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=February 26, 2021 |quote=}} then verified from the album's liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Third Rock From The Sun |others=Joe Diffie |type=liner notes |access-date= |year=1994 |publisher=Epic |id=EK 64357}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Canadian Country Albums (RPM)
| 9 |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|53|artist=Joe Diffie|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 27, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardCountry|6|artist=Joe Diffie|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 27, 2021}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Top Country Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/top-country-albums|title=Top Country Albums – Year-End 1994|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}
| 54 |
| scope="col"| Chart (1995)
! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}
| 99 |
| scope="row"| US Top Country Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-country-albums|title=Top Country Albums – Year-End 1995|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}
| 16 |
{{col-end}}
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| Title
! Date ! Chart ! Peak |
|---|
| "Pickup Man"
| December 16, 1994 {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|1|artist=Joe Diffie|refname=BB1|accessdate=February 26, 2020}} |
| "Third Rock from the Sun"
| September 23, 1994 {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|1|artist=Joe Diffie|refname=BB2|accessdate=February 26, 2020}} |
| "So Help Me Girl"
| April 7, 1995 {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|2|artist=Joe Diffie|refname=BB3|accessdate=February 26, 2020}} |
| "I'm in Love with a Capital "U""
| July 7, 1995 {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|21|artist=Joe Diffie|refname=BB4|accessdate=February 26, 2020}} |
| "That Road Not Taken"
| October 6, 1995 {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|40|artist=Joe Diffie|refname=BB5|accessdate=February 26, 2020}} |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Joe Diffie|title=Third Rock from the Sun|award=Platinum|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Joe Diffie|title=Third Rock from the Sun|award=Platinum|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|accessdate=February 27, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
{{Joe Diffie}}
{{Authority control}}