Country music has spent the last few decades trying to recapture the magic of the 80s. An era that is often remembered nostalgically as one of the best, numerous hit songs emerged from that era.
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We picked three forgotten country songs from the 80s that definitely deserve a comeback.
1. “Can’t Even Get the Blues” by Reba McEntire
When Reba McEntire released “Can’t Even Get The Blues ” in 1982, she was just beginning to hit her stride as a country music hitmaker. Written by Tom Damphier and Rick Carnes, the song is McEntire’s 17th single, and her first No. 1 hit.
The song is about a woman who was left, which would be a sad song, except she no longer cares. In “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” McEntire sings, “I toss and turn, but then, I fall asleep / I’m going under, but it’s not too deep / You wanna hurt me, but it’s just no use / I can’t even get the blues.“
McEntire also proved her business fortitude with this song. Her producer, Jerry Kennedy, reportedly played it for McEntire, but for Jacky Ward instead. McEntire asked why Kennedy didn’t play those songs for her, with him replying that she was meant for ballads. McEntire won, she released the song, and the rest is history. “Can’t Even Get The Blues” remains a country music classic.
2. “I’ll Still Be Loving You” by Restless Heart
Love songs are often timeless, especially when they are songs as romantic as Restless Heart’s “I’ll Still Be Loving You.” Written by hit songwriters Todd Cerney, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pam Rose, and Pat Bunch, Restless Heart released “I’ll Still Be Loving You” in 1987, on their Wheels album.
The song says in part, “I’ll be yours until the sun doesn’t shine / Till time stands still / Until the winds don’t blow / When today is just a memory to me / I know / I’ll still be loving, I’ll still be loving you.”
“I’ll Still Be Loving You” was also a Top 5 hit for Restless Heart at pop radio, although the band members were initially hesitant to record the song.
“If you really examine the lyrics – ‘I’ll be yours until the sun doesn’t shine, Til’ time stands still;’ Really, we were going to cut this?” guitarist Greg Jennings recalls (via Songfacts). “But, he pushed us to do it, and it worked.”
3. “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait
George Strait has released hundreds of songs, with 60 No. 1 singles, yet “Amarillo by Morning” remains a favorite. The song, written by Paul Fraser and Terry Stafford, was released by Strait in 1983, on his sophomore Strait from the Heart album.
“Amarillo by mornin‘,” Strait sings. “Up from San Antone / Everything that I got / Is just what I’ve got on / When that sun is high / In that Texas sky / I’ll be buckin’ at the county fair / Amarillo by mornin’ / Amarillo, I’ll be there.”
Interestingly, “Amarillo by Morning” is not one of Strait’s chart-topping singles. In fact, the song peaked at No. 4 on the country charts. But it is still timeless enough that, more than 40 years later, it still works at country radio.
Photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images
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