3 Country Songs From the 1970s That Don’t Get Enough Praise

Some of the most notable singles from the 1970s country music scene include Willie Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger”, Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”, Waylon Jennings’ “Luckenbach, Texas”, Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, and many more. Needless to say, an abundance of country music songs have been able to carry on decade after decade.

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However, just as many have not. Here are three country songs from the 1970s that we think don’t get enough praise.

“These Are My People” by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was still a country music icon in the 1970s. He was The Man in Black, who released 70s hits including “Man in Black”, “Sunday Morning Coming Down”, and “One Piece At A Time”. However, among those hit songs is the quaint, wholesome, and patriotically hopeful anthem, “These Are My People”.

Released in 1972, this highly underrated Cash song doesn’t often grace his marketing deck nowadays. Rather, it appears in random car commercials and graces the ears of only the most devout listeners. Solidarity and a mutual yet contrasting love for country are the notions Cash articulates in this song. It might not be heavily listened to, but it is, in fact, timeless as can be.

“Sweet Revenge” by John Prine

John Prine was not the type of artist to have a Broadway bar or a country-wide stadium tour, even as he propelled to his own kind of stardom in the 1970s. His legacy exists in the cult followers who absolutely love and adore his music and his message. A cult following is arguably more valuable than a mass following. But this relatively limited fandom means a lot of Prine’s music is unfairly overlooked by the masses, including Prine’s 1973 single “Sweet Revenge”.

Lyrically, the single is a fine piece of poetry. Musically, it’s a downright country-rock song that matches the sonic tone of The Rolling Stones and Hank Williams Jr, but with John Prine’s unique and nuanced twist. Do yourself a favor and listen to this John Prine song, and others if you have the time.

“I Gotta Get Drunk” by Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is a country music institution, and no era exemplifies that quite like the 1970s. While a lot of his songs get worthwhile praise, a lot of them don’t, simply because people have yet to discover them. A song that seemingly falls victim to this lack of discovery is Willie Nelson’s 1970s country song “I Gotta Get Drunk”.

Nelson’s 1970 single is everything we, you, and everybody else loves about Willie Nelson. It’s playful and upbeat, yet dramatic and clever, and in essence, one of the many tunes that marked Willie Nelson’s metamorphosis.

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