Was there a better era for country songs than the 1970s, specifically 1971? So many great country and western tunes came out that year and, frankly, that whole decade. I happen to love the following country songs that debuted in 1971. And they’ve managed to age quite well through the years. Let’s take a gander, shall we? You might just remember all three of these solid tunes!
“How Much More Can She Stand” by Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty was dishing out a lot of great music in the early 1970s. One example has to be the 1971 hit country tune “How Much More Can She Stand”. This heartwrenching song about infidelity and shame was originally written by Harry Compton, but I can’t imagine anyone other than Twitty singing it. The title track of Twitty’s album of the same name, “How Much More Can She Stand” was a massive charting hit, peaking at No. 1 and remaining on the Hot Country Songs chart for 15 whole weeks.
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“I’m Just Me” by Charley Pride
I had to throw at least one Charley Pride hit on here. “I’m Just Me” was written by Glenn Martin and first recorded by Pride in 1971. Like Conway Twitty’s “How Much More Can She Stand”, “I’m Just Me” was a hit title track from a similarly amazing country album that topped the Hot Country Songs chart. “I’m Just Me” stayed on that coveted chart for 14 weeks and even made it to the Hot 100 chart as well. This gem is about accepting yourself and your place in life, and it’s quite an inspiring song.
“How Can I Unlove You” by Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson’s music is a little bit underrated, in my opinion. I rarely hear her music on classic country radio. That’s wild, considering she produced one of the finest country songs of 1971. “How Can I Unlove You” is a famous example of a “countrypolitan” song, a genre rooted in the Nashville sound with some orchestral elements. “How Can I Unlove You” is one of the finest examples of that subgenre, and this Grammy-nominated tune hit No. 1 on the US and Canadian country charts back in the day. Personally, I prefer Anderson’s bluegrass version of this tune from 2004.
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