Country music in the late 1980s will likely always be timeless. A unique blend of sounds, styles, and influences, these are four of the best country songs that came out in 1988. They are so good, they might sound even better today than when they were first released.
“Runaway Train” by Rosanne Cash
One of Rosanne Cash’s biggest hits, “Runaway Train” is part of her King’s Record Shop project. Written by John Stewart, “Runaway Train” is the ninth song Cash released that hit No. 1.
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“Runaway Train” says, “I’m worried about you / I’m worried about me / The curves around midnight / Aren’t easy to see / Flashing red warnings / Unseen in the rain / This thing has turned into / A runaway train.”
After “Runaway Train”, Cash only had one more No. 1 single, with “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”.
“What She Is (Is A Woman In Love)” by Earl Thomas Conley
On Earl Thomas Conley’s The Heart Of It All album is “What She Is (Is A Woman In Love)”. The song was written by Bob McDill and Paul Harrison.
“What She Is (Is A Woman In Love)” says, “And he’s just an ordinary guy / Like you and I / And she’s looking at him with her heart / And not her eyes / What she sees is only what she wants to / What she has, she thinks is enough / What she does / Is just look at the good things and what she is / Is a woman in love.”
“I Still Believe In You” by The Desert Rose Band
“I Still Believe In You” is on Running, The Desert Rose Band’s sophomore album. Written by band members Chris Hillman and Steve Hill, “I Still Believe In You” is The Desert Rose Band’s second and final No. 1 single.
The song says, “We’ve been together a year and forever / You should know me by now / There’s trouble in my mind / I can’t find the right lines to get to you somehow / I still believe in you now somehow / I still believe in you now.“
“When You Say Nothing At All”
It’s impossible to create any list of country songs from 1988 and not include Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All”. Written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, the sweet love song is on Don’t Close Your Eyes, Whitley’s second album.
A two-week No. 1 single for Whitley, “When You Say Nothing At All” says, “The smile on your face lets me know that you need me / There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me / A touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall / Now you say it best, when you say nothing at all.”
“When You Say Nothing At All” has been covered multiple times, including by Alison Krauss & Union Station. They had a Top 5 hit with the song in 1995. That version appears on Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album.
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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