Staff Picks
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John Anderson’s “Swingin’” Breaks the Mold and Puts Country Swagger Back on the Map in 1983
Now this is true country music, it's what we need now.
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Randy Travis’s “Diggin’ Up Bones” Resurrects Traditional Country and Reignites a Genre in 1986
This song was released in 1986 and became one of the most deep and regretful songs of the late '80s.…
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Johnny Horton’s “North to Alaska” Merges Country, Folk, and Frontier Lore into a Chart-Topping, Era-Defining Anthem (1960)
I’m 70 now — it was a lot more fun being 20 in the ’70s than it is being 70…
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Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “16 Tons” Shaped Postwar America’s Voice of Labor and Became a Timeless Working-Class Anthem in 1955
‘When we were kids in the 1950's..we used to walk around snapping our fingers, singing this song’
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Bobby Bare’s “Detroit City” Gave a Voice to the Lonely Working Man and Redefined Country-Pop Crossover in 1963
This song was sung by M.A.S.H units in vietnam....God bless those nurses and doctors...
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Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” Breaks the Mold and Becomes a Monumental Crossover Smash in 1961
This song, released in 1961, proves that you can’t beat the old country songs when it comes to storytelling. When…
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Marty Robbins’ “Am I That Easy to Forget” Redefined Heartbreak Ballads and Cemented His Cross-Genre Brilliance in the Late 1960s
‘’The older I get the better he sounds. I have been listening to him since I was about 10 and…
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Faron Young’s “Hello Walls” Opens the Door to Country-Pop Crossover and Emotional Storytelling in 1961
This song was released in 1961 and became one of the most lonely and poetic songs of the early '60s.…
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Ray Price’s “For the Good Times” Brings Country Sophistication and Crossover Elegance in 1970
This song was released in 1970 and became one of the most elegant and sorrowful songs of the early '70s.…
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Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” Breaks Hearts and Boundaries in 1968, Cementing Her Status as Country Music’s Queen of Emotion
This song was released in 1968 and became one of the most heartbreaking and raw songs of the late '60s.…
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Kitty Wells Gave an Unforgettable and Emotionally Timeless Rendition of “Making Believe”
She is the first lady of country music. Timeless country, delivered with the grace and heart that defined a generation.…
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Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” Redefines Outlaw Country and Shakes Nashville in 1975
This song released in 1975 just sounds like freedom.
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George Jones & Tammy Wynette’s “Golden Ring” Tops Country Charts in 1976 and Redefines the Power of the Story-Song Duet
‘’One of the greatest IF NOT the greatest duets in country music history. You could tell that they still loved…
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He Didn’t Just Take the Stage — Elvis Presley Commanded It, From Honolulu to the Comeback Special
If you’ve only got two and a half minutes to spare today, use them here—because Elvis will make you feel…
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Ronnie Milsap’s “Smoky Mountain Rain” Redefined Country-Pop Storytelling and Reigned Supreme in 1980
His songs takes us back in the 70's memories never forgotten.
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Etta James Transformed “At Last” into a Soul-Stirring Masterpiece That Still Echoes Through Time
Hands down one of the greatest song ever. Her voice is unmatched, and the arraignment is perfection👌🏾 Check the 1st…
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Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” Redefined Country Cool and Took Over the Charts in 1965
We wish modern “country” music would sound like this classic.
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Merle Haggard’s ‘If We Make It Through December’ Delivers a Poignant Portrait of Struggle and Reshapes Country Music’s Grit in 1973
One of the greatest songs ever written. Truly amazing how he could tell such a story in under 3 minutes.…
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George Jones’s “The Grand Tour” Redefined Country Heartbreak in 1974
George Jones set a standard in country music with that 1974 song that will never be reached again. Full video…
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“Dream a Little Dream of Me”: A Classic That Continues to Enchant Every Generation
This might be the most stunning version of this song I've ever heard—just pure, heartfelt vocals with no over-the-top theatrics.…
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