In 1960, country music was going through quite the evolution. The genre was experimenting with new sounds, as country songs quickly gained popularity. These four country songs all came out in 1960, and helped shape the future of country music.
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“Please Help Me, I’m Falling” by Hank Locklin
Hank Locklin had an astounding 14-week reign at the top of the charts with “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”. The title track of Locklin’s sophomore record, it also became a crossover hit for Locklin.
By the time Locklin released “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”, he had already released more than 40 singles, with only six of them having any chart success at country radio. But with “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”, Locklin tapped into what would become known as his sound. He followed this song with several other hits, including “One Step Ahead Of My Past”, “Happy Journey”, “Followed Closely By My Teardrops”, and others.
Don Robertson and Hal Blair are the writers of “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”. The song says, “Please help me I’m falling / In love with you / Close the door to temptation / Don’t let me walk through / Turn away from me darling / I’m begging you to / Please help me I’m falling / In love with you.”
“Crazy Dreams” by Patsy Cline
“Crazy Dreams” was actually not a big hit at country radio for Patsy Cline, not that it should matter. The song, written by Charles Beam, Charles L. Jiles, and W.S. Stevenson, is the final song Cline released on 4 Star Records before moving to Decca Records, where she found success.
Decca Records actually released the song, which did not chart. Still, if not for “Crazy Dreams”, Cline may not have released “I Fall To Pieces“. Cline’s next single after “Crazy Dreams”, “I Fall To Pieces” became Cline’s first No. 1 hit.
“Crazy Dreams” says, “Crazy dreams linger on as I face an empty dawn / With no end to it all, can I see / For I’ve surely reached the end / Lost your love to a friend / Just another crazy dream for me.”
“Wings Of A Dove” by Ferlin Husky
Ferlin Husky wrapped up 1960 with an eight-week No. 1 hit with “Wings Of A Dove”. Husky returned to the No. 1 spot in February of 1961 for two more weeks. Written by Bob Ferguson, the song became a crossover hit for Husky. It is also the final No. 1 of his career.
A faith-based song, “Wings Of A Dove” begins with “On the wings of a snow-white dove He sends His pure sweet love / A sign from above / On the wings of a dove.“
“He’ll Have To Go” by Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves stayed at the top of the charts for 14 consecutive weeks with “He’ll Have To Go”. The title track of an album that was also released in 1960, “He’ll Have To Go” is written by Joe Allison and Audrey Allison.
“He’ll Have To Go” says, “Whisper to me, tell me do you love me true / Or is he holding you the way I do? / Though love is blind, make up your mind, I’ve got to know / Should I hang up or will you tell him, he’ll have to go?“
A husband-and-wife songwriting duo, “He’ll Have To Go” is reportedly inspired by a phone conversation they had.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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