Country music in the early 1960s is an important part of the entire decade. New sounds and styles were emerging while still maintaining some of the earlier sounds. These are three of the best country songs that came out in 1962, which every 60s kid almost definitely still knows by heart today.
“She’s Got You” by Patsy Cline
On Patsy Cline’s Sentimentally Yours album is “She’s Got You“. It was written by Hank Cochran.
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The sad song says, “I’ve got your class ring that proved you cared / And it still looks the same as when you gave it, dear / The only thing different, the only thing new / I’ve got these little things, she’s got you.”
“She’s Got You” follows “I Fall To Pieces” and “Crazy”, Cline’s two biggest hits. “She’s Got You” is her final No. 1 single. In 1977, Loretta Lynn also had a No. 1 hit with this song. Cline’s version of “She’s Got You” also became a Top 5 pop hit.
“A Girl I Used To Know” by George Jones
George Jones includes “A Girl I Used To Know” on George Jones Sings More New Favorites, a record that didn’t come out until 1964. Jack Clement is the sole writer of this song.
“A Girl I Used To Know” is a heartbreaking tune about downplaying one’s true feelings. The song says, “Just a girl, I used to spend some time with / Just a friend, from long ago, / I don’t talk about the nights I cry about her / I say she’s just a girl, I used to know.”
Jones had several other hits in 1962, including “She Thinks I Still Care”. That song became his first No. 1 single.
“Wolverton Mountain” by Claude King
“Wolverton Mountain” by Claude King is his only No. 1 single, but it’s a big one. The song stayed at the top of the country chart for an impressive nine weeks, the biggest single of 1962. King wrote “Wolverton Mountain” with Merle Kilgore.
The story song begins with, “They say don’t go on Wolverton Mountain / If you’re lookin’ for a wife / ‘Cause Clifton Clowers has a pretty young daughter / He’s mighty handy with a gun and a knife.”
“Wolverton Mountain” became a crossover hit for King, peaking in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. Numerous artists later put their own spin on this song, including Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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