4 Country Songs from the 1980s That Became Classics Despite Zero Radio Play

Not all country songs grace the charts, win awards, get extensive radio play, and sell on a commercially astounding level. However, when a song is great, it will be heard, and when a great country song is heard, it will automatically be added to the genre’s classics. A song that can withstand the test of time not because of the frequency of play, but because of the song’s sheer quality—and the 1980s were a perfect example of this.

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The songs featured on today’s list weren’t enormous chart success and got little to no radio play. However, some of the songs were made famous by other artists. And on the other hand, some of them remain as hidden gems within their somewhat niche fanbases. With all that in mind, here are four country songs from the 1980s that became classics despite having minimal radio play.

“Speed of The Sound of Loneliness” by John Prine 

John Prine seemingly never cared about chart records, airplay, or record sales. For Prine, it was all about the fans, the music, and the feelings the two created. That being so, Prine wrote and released music with seemingly no expectation other than to make good music. And he did just that on his 1986 tune, “Speed of The Sound of Loneliness.”

Released on his album, German Afternoons, “Speed of The Sound of Loneliness” never charted. However, in the world of songwriting, it is one of the most beloved country songs from a laundry list of 1980s classics— and arguably one of the most iconic tunes in Prine’s expansive catalog.

“Heartbroke” by Guy Clark

Guy Clark is known for writing and releasing songs such as “L.A. Freeway” and “The Cape,” but the man never became a domestic commercial success. However, that doesn’t matter, as the world of country music and its musicians recognize Clark for his songwriting talents. Especially on the song, “Heartbroke.”

Released by Clark in 1981, “Heartbroke,” never scored astounding chart success nor was it played on the radio around the country. Although, when Ricky Skaggs covered the song in 1982, it became a No. 1 hit and is now synonymous with Skaggs’ commercially successful career. Though, remember, this classic was written by the underrated pensman, Guy Clark.

“Snowin’ On Raton” by Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt was never concerned with anything that could be deemed as “phony.” Hence, a lot of his music has successfully outlived him and ingrained itself in the country music canon given that it never participated in a fad. Countless of his songs have done so, though “Snowin’ On Raton” is one sleeper from his 1987 album, At My Window.

Unsurprisingly, Van Zandt’s single didn’t appear on any major music charts and didn’t get a whole lot of radio time. However, thanks to the song’s sheer merit, it has been covered by popular country musicians such as Emmylou Harris, Robert Earl Keen, Town Mountain, and Jimmy LaFave.

“Clay Pigeons” by Blaze Foley

To this day, everybody thinks “Clay Pigeons” was written by John Prine, but it wasn’t. Rather, it was originally written by the obscure country artist and friend of Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley. Originally released in 1989, Foley’s single never garnered any chart success or radio play. Instead, it lived in the country folk world as a piece of musical folklore.

Blaze Foley’s single finally became a classic when John Prine released a cover of “Clay Pigeons” in 2005. In addition, to the Prine’s cover, Yellowstone star, Luke Grimes released a cover of the song in 2023. Thus, further solidifying its status as a bonified country folk classic.

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