Countless songs become hits and fade into the ether. They’re only considered good for a short period before, like many disposable things, they’re discarded and audiences move on to the next big hit. However, some songs stand the test of time. While countless country songs from the “classic” era fit firmly in the former category, there are plenty that are still great decades later.
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Today, we’re going to look at a few classic country songs that have done more than stand the test of time. These songs are still relatable and offer nearly limitless replay value. In short, they’re among the genre’s timeless hits.
[RELATED: 3 Forgotten Classic Country Songs To Reach No. 1 on the Charts]
1. “There Stands the Glass” by Webb Pierce (1953)
Written by Russ Hull, Mary Jean Shurtz, and Audrey Grisham, “There Stands the Glass” is a certified country classic. Blaine Smith was the first to release the song in 1952. However, the Webb Pierce version that came out the next year remains more popular. His version went to the top of the country chart and stayed there for 12 weeks.
Country music has plenty of songs about drinking away heartache, but this classic stands out. The pain in Pierce’s voice when he sings the opening line is palpable. More than that, the song sees the narrator staring down his first drink of the day. Whether he wants to pick up the glass is debatable, but he knows it will dull the pain of his broken heart.
2. “Heartaches by the Number” by Ray Price (1959)
Penned by legendary songwriter Harlan Howard, “Heartaches by the Number” is a classic country song that has been covered by several artists. Guy Mitchell released the first version of the song in August 1959 and had a No. 1 hit with it. Then, later that year, Ray Price released his rendition. His cut wasn’t as commercially successful but more than 60 years later, it’s the one that most fans of classic country are familiar with.
Price was a legend for a reason. His vocal delivery on this record is hard to match and nearly impossible to beat. At the same time, Howard was a master songwriter. The combination of the two powerhouses created a song that will continue to be a favorite for years to come.
3. “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” by Charley Pride (1971)
Written by Ben Peters, Charley Pride released “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” in 1971 as the lead single from the album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs. The classic song became his eighth to top the country chart. It also peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Pride his first and only crossover hit.
Country music is packed to the brim with love songs and this might be one of the sweetest ones. The thing that sets this apart from other love songs is that the narrator isn’t singing to his lover. Instead, he’s telling his friends and other people who ask why he’s so happy that it all starts by kissing his wife good morning.
4. “She’s All I Got” by Johnny Paycheck (1971)
Written by Gary U.S. Bonds and Jerry Williams Jr., known professionally as Swamp Dogg, “She’s All I Got” is a classic that didn’t start as a country song. R&B singer Freddie North recorded it first, releasing his version in July 1971. It broke into the top 40 on the Hot 100 chart and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. Johnny Paycheck released his version in October of that year. It reached No. 91 on the all-genre survey and No. 2 on the country chart.
“She’s All I’ve Got” lands somewhere between a love song and a heartbreak song. It sees the narrator begging someone not to steal the woman he loves, with Paycheck injecting enough emotion to make it believable. The things he says about the woman, though, are nothing short of poetic. Likes like “She’s my fingers when I want to feel” and “She could kiss the ground in the wintertime and make her flower grow” are among the sweetest ever written and Paycheck sings them with conviction.
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