You might disagree with us, but we believe the three most popular Heartland rockers are Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, and Bob Seger. During the 1970s and 1980s, these were the sub-genre’s premier acts, poster boys, and ambassadors that spread the sub-genre of a sub-genre across the globe. That being so, they are, without a doubt, the most notable acts in the field, but they were far from the only ones. So, to expand your palette, here are three Heartland rock musicians who don’t go by the name Springsteen, Seger, or Mellencamp.
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Tom Cochrane
If you thought Rascal Flatts’ 2006 hit, “Life Is A Highway”, was an original song, you thought wrong. Originally written and released by Tom Cochrane in 1991, this single is just one of the few songs by Cochrane that prove this man is the epitome of Heartland rock ‘n’ roll.
Other than “Life Is A Highway”, some notable songs from Cochrane include “Lunatic Fringe”, “Boy Inside The Man”, and “Big League”. If you are a devout fan of the genre, then you know Cochrane’s work incredibly well. If not, then well, here you go, and you can thank us later.
Steve Earle
Unlike the rest of the musicians we’ve mentioned on this list, Steve Earle doesn’t strictly fit merely into the Heartland rock genre. However, he is still considered to be a key figure in the somewhat niche rock ‘n’ roll genre. In addition to being a key figure in this genre, Earle is also a key figure in the Americana and alt-country scene.
The majority of Earle’s catalog can be interpreted as a fusion between country and Heartland rock. A few of the songs that define that fusion include “Copperhead Road”, “Guitar Town”, “Someday”, and “The Whole Of The Moon”. Is Steve Earle a country musician? Certainly, but his work also exists in the same air as the genre fixtures we mentioned above.
John Hiatt
Like Earle, John Hiatt‘s style is a fusion of many things. However, isn’t that somewhat the point of Heartland rock? Nevertheless, Hiatt is most certainly a hidden gem in the genre and has been celebrated as such. Hiatt is a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame and has received nine Grammy nominations throughout his career.
For a crash course on Hiatt, we suggest you start with the following songs: “Have A Little Faith In Me”, “Slow Turning”, “Thing Called Love”, and “Cry Love”. So, next time you have a friend play Springsteen and Seger, you can politely flex your music knowledge and bring up John Hiatt. Trust us, you’ll thank us later.
Photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns
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