3 Country Music Songs of 1959 That Sound Even Better Today

Country songs tell stories better than almost any other genre. This aspect of the genre has drawn countless listeners over the years. While songwriters are still spinning tales today, there’s something to be said for the timeless tales told by the legends of yesteryear. For instance, 1959 saw the release of some of the best storytelling songs in country music history.

Videos by American Songwriter

The songs listed below were all released by country legends in 1959. They were also all hits at the time. More importantly, they’ve done more than stand the test of time. These ballads of love, death, and war are just as good–if not better–today as they were more than six decades ago.

“Long Black Veil” by Lefty Frizzell

Lefty Frizzell released “Long Black Veil” in March 1959, and it peaked at No. 6 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song, penned by Marijohn Wilkin and Danny Dill, was Frizzell’s biggest hit since “I’m an Old, Old Man (Tryin’ to Live While I Can)” peaked at No. 3 in 1953. More than that, it would go on to be a country standard.

The list of artists who have covered “Long Black Veil” is long and full of legends. Johnny Cash, The Band, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Cody Jinks, and many more have either recorded the song or played it during concerts. While it’s hard to find a bad version of this tune, none beat the original.

“The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton

Jimmy Driftwood, the songwriter behind “Tennessee Stud,” wrote “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1936. Twenty-three years later, in 1959, Johnny Horton released a version that would top both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts. The single also brought Horton a pair of Grammy Awards.

The song tells a humorous account of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1912. The melody is based on the melody of the fiddle tune “The 8^th of January,” named for the date of the historical battle. A long line of musicians from across multiple genres have covered the song, but none match the charm of Horton’s rendition.

“El Paso” by Marty Robbins

“The Battle of New Orleans” was the No. 1 country song of 1959. However, 66 years later, this Marty Robbins classic is more popular. The story of a man who dies for the love of a woman is timeless and has introduced countless listeners to Robbins. Unlike the other entries on this list, not many artists have recorded versions of “El Paso.”

Robbins released the country classic as a single from Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in October 1959. It was the first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart of the 1960s, reaching the summit of both surveys in the first week of January.

Featured Image by Andrew Putler/Redferns