The 1960s featured some standout, singular country songs—songs that were unlike anything in the moment and, well, anything ever since. And that’s just what we wanted to explore here below.
We wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that still stand out for their unique qualities. Indeed, these are three country songs from the 1960s that sounded like nothing else on the radio.
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“Mr. Custer” by Larry Verne from ‘Mr. Larry Verne’ (1960)
This song is unique for two obvious reasons. First, the subject matter. Normally, country songs project a bold and strong persona. The listener is led to believe the singer is often superhuman. But not on this song. The singer is weepy, scared. Second, the song’s delivery is just odd. As soon as Larry Verne comes on the radio, you know it’s him, brittle voice and all. Indeed, this song was special in the moment, and it remains so even now.
“Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley from ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ (1968)
Sometimes a song just needs to express an idea. Sometimes a singer has had enough, and she has to get something important off her chest. Well, that’s just what happened with “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley. The 1968 offering was a protest tune, decrying not some far-off war but some strange social norms in the singer’s community. It’s not often you hear such a bold track waving a finger at society. But Riley did it and did it well on this tune, which has since stood the test of time.
“Funny How Time Slips Away” by Jimmy Elledge (Single, 1961)
This song sounded unlike anything on the radio at the time because it was written by a songwriter who hadn’t yet broken through. Performed by Jimmy Elledge, “Funny How Time Slips Away” was written by Willie Nelson before Nelson became a household name in his own right. So, while the radio would soon sound like this offering, it didn’t quite yet. But it wouldn’t take long. A year after this song was released by Elledge, Nelson released his debut solo LP, …And Then I Wrote. The rest, as they say, is history.
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