Some songs just don’t work on paper. Like all art, sometimes songs need to be heard rather than conceptualized. The three country songs from the 70s below all worked out better in practice than initially thought. On paper, these songs should’ve been niche listens or even full-on failures. Nevertheless, the audience helped them earn massive success.
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“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” — The Charlie Daniels Band
The Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” easily could’ve been a cult classic with niche fandom rather than a stop-selling hit. This fiddle-laden track has almost nothing conventional about it. It defies radio expectations, running way longer than most hits do. It’s complicated and spoken word, adding even more difficulty to the success of this song.
Nevertheless, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” completely defied any and all potential pitfalls. It is not only Daniels’ calling card, but one of the most famous 70s country songs. On paper, this song would strike fear into any radio programmer’s heart. In practice, it’s a thrilling hit with no shortage of mainstream appeal.
“You Never Even Called Me By My Name” — David Allan Coe
David Allen Coe’s “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” is a satirical look at country music. Steve Goodman and John Prine penned this 70s country song as a tongue-in-cheek jab at their genre. “You don’t have to call me Waylon Jennings / And you don’t have to call me Charlie Pride / And you don’t have to call me Merle Haggard anymore / Even though you’re on my fighting’ side,” the lyrics read.
Given that this song slightly makes fun of country music in a meta way, one would think this song could’ve easily been cast aside as a parody and nothing more.
“Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” — Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Outlaw country wasn’t conceived as a hit-making sub-genre. Instead, outlaws were meant to be the counter-culture’s answer to country music. So the idea of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson’s “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” being a top-selling hit isn’t something many country fans could’ve predicted in the 70s.
On paper, this 70s country song should’ve been an anti-Nashville, niche fan favorite. However, upon its release, this song became something bigger than previously thought.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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