If there is a definitive country voice from the 1980s, it might be Earl Thomas Conley. It’s Conley who dominated the charts throughout much of the decade, with plenty of hits, including these three songs, which still sound just as incredible as when they were released.
“We Believe in Happy Endings” with Emmylou Harris
Conley is joined by Emmylou Harris on “We Believe In Happy Endings”. The song, written by Bob McDill, is on Conley’s The Heart Of It All record.
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Conley and Harris received a CMA Awards nomination for Vocal Event of the Year for this song. Ironically, Harris won in the category, but not for this song. Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt took home the CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year in 1988 for their Trio record.
Before Conley and Harris released “We Believe In Happy Endings”, Johnny Rodriguez released this song in 1978, which became a Top 10 hit for him.
“Love Don’t Care (Whose Heart It Breaks)”
Conley wrote “Love Don’t Care (Whose Heart It Breaks)” with Randy Scruggs. It is part of Conley’s Treadin’ Water project.
A song about an incredibly painful breakup, “Love Don’t Care (Whose Heart It Breaks)” says, “Oh, but love don’t care whose heart it breaks / It don’t care who gets blown away / If it all falls through as a bad mistake / Love don’t care whose heart it breaks.”
Two other singles from Treadin’ Water, both “Chance Of Lovin’ You” and “Honor Bound”, also reached No. 1. “Honor Bound” is the only song on Treadin’ Water that Conley didn’t write or co-write. Scruggs wrote seven of the tracks on the record with Conley.
“Holding Her And Loving You”
There might not be a sadder song than “Holding Her And Loving You”. Written by Walt Aldridge and Tom Brasfield, “Holding Her And Loving You” is part of Conley’s Don’t Make It Easy For Me album.
“Holding Her And Loving You”, as the title suggests, is a song about a man staying in a committed relationship, even though he’s in love with someone else. The song says in part, “She’s been good to me / When things weren’t going right / She made my days long before you made my nights / So the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do / Is holding her and loving you.”
In 1998, Clay Walker released a live version of “Holding Her And Loving You”.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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