3 Wise Country Albums From the 1960s I Want To Show My Kid

Sometimes art can say the things we can’t. Sometimes it can be hard to share insights on certain topics or to even feel as if you have the authority to say a given thing. But that’s where there is more than one voice, more than one perspective in the world.

Videos by American Songwriter

Indeed, sometimes it’s best to look to a song or album to help share what’s on your mind. And that’s just what we wanted to do here below. These are three wise country albums from the 1960s I want to show my kid.

‘Showcase’ by Patsy Cline (1961)

Patsy Cline rose to the top of country music in the early 1960s when few thought she could. But her big, bold voice and her ability to sing any lyric with authority made her a necessity, a household name. The country star’s second studio LP includes timeless songs like “I Fall To Pieces”, “South Of The Border (Down Mexico Way)”, “Crazy”, and “Walkin’ After Midnight”. That’s not a release—that’s a greatest hits album! But no matter who your kid is, they will benefit from her.

‘Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’ by Loretta Lynn (1967)

This may not be an album you should play for your kid on their third birthday, but when they get to be a teenager, this is one you’ll want to show them. Loretta Lynn is one of the key figures not just in country music but in music in general. She was unabashed, willing to say what needed to be said. Just look at the title of this record! So, it’s not only the music, but it’s Lynn’s attitude you want to show off to your offspring.

‘At Folsom Prison’ by Johnny Cash (1968)

Like Lynn’s album above, this may not be a record you want to rush to show your kid, but when it’s the right time, there are few LPs better. You get to see their eyes widen when you tell them that this LP was recorded in a prison. You get to enjoy the hooting and hollering from the inmates through their eyes and ears all over again. And you get to introduce them to Johnny Cash, the Man in Black. That’s a thrill of a lifetime!

Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images