3 Underrated Classic Country Songwriters Who Are Responsible for Some of Your Favorite Hits

Every genre of music heavily leans into its songwriters, but country music arguably does it the most. We will spare you the details as to just how vital songwriters are to the genre, but just know that without this rather uncelebrated role, you wouldn’t have some of your favorite hits. That being said, here are three underrated classic country songwriters who are responsible for some of your favorite hits.

Videos by American Songwriter

Billy Sherrill

One of the many unsung heroes of the country music industry is the premier songwriter and producer for George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Billy Sherrill. Devout country fans and historians know Sherrill as the archetype of the “countrypolitan” sound, and he designed the subgenre through his work with Jones, Wynette, and more.

For Jones and Wynette, Sherrill wrote classic hits such as “I Don’t Wanna Play House”, “Woman To Woman”, “The Door”, and “We Can Make It”. In addition to his work with Jones and Wynette, Sherrill also wrote songs for classic country artists such as Tanya Tucker, Johnny Paycheck, and Charlie Rich.

Dean Dillion

As a songwriter, Dean Dillon‘s most reputable accomplishment is being George Strait’s right-hand songwriter. For Strait, Dillion wrote classic hits such as “The Chair,” “Unwound,” and “Ocean Front Property”. Without Dean Dillon, there is a high likelihood that George Strait’s career could have panned out a little differently.

In the field of classic country, Dillon also penned hits for Keith Whitley, Vern Gosdin, and Pam Tillis. In the contemporary scene, Dillon has written tracks for Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Brooks & Dunn. Needless to say, Dean Dillon has been a major player in this game for a long time, and if you don’t believe us, then look at the credits list on just about any George Strait song.

Cindy Walker

Cindy Walker was not just a songwriting force in country music, but in all of music. Her credits are extensive and reside in genres such as rock, pop, R&B, Western swing, and certainly, many, many more. In country music, Walker’s biggest impact came with hit songs such as “You Don’t Know Me”, “Cherokee Maiden”, and “Distant Drums”.

Outside of country music, some prolific acts that have covered Walker’s work include Ray Charles, Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, The Byrds, and even Cher. Due to this laundry list of credits, Cindy Walker should without a doubt be viewed as one of the most successful songwriters of all time.

Photo: Courtesy of Cindy Walker Foundation and Fletcher Foster