The 1970s gave us some of the most memorable hit songs in country music history. Tracks like “Take This Job and Shove It,” “Jolene,” “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” and many more topped the country charts throughout the decade and remain favorites among genre fans. However, not every song that hit No. 1 became an enduring country hit. That doesn’t mean they’re not worth revisiting.
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Today, we’re going to look back at some nearly forgotten No. 1 hit country songs from the 1970s that genre fans need to revisit. Some come from icons that remain popular today while others come from stars who, like their songs, are often overlooked by modern listeners.
1. “The Pool Shark” by Dave Dudley (1970)
Country music has long been known for its storytelling. While so-called “story songs” have lost their popularity in the modern age, they were all the rage in the ’70s. Penned by Tom T. Hall, one of the greatest storytellers the genre has seen, was a No. 1 hit for Dave Dudley in 1970. It topped the country chart for a week and gave him his only chart-topper.
“The Pool Shark” and Dudley have been largely forgotten by many country fans but this hit song truly encapsulates what was so great about the genre in the 1970s. Dudley delivers the song almost like a talking blues over air-tight classic country instrumentation. It tells the story of a man who loses it all on the pool table but still pulls out a win at the bar.
2. “I Can Help” by Billy Swan (1974)
Billy Swan wrote “I Can Help” and released it as a single in July 1974. It became a massive hit for Swan, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart. While Swan went on to have success as a songwriter and a long career as a session player, “I Can Help” is his only big chart hit.
Several artists have covered this song over the years. Those who are fans of Charley Crockett may have heard the version of the song he released in 2024. However, nothing tops the rockabilly-leaning original by Swan.
3. “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)” by Tom T. Hall (1975)
As mentioned above, Tom T. Hall is one of the greatest storytellers to ever grace country music. He earned his nickname “The Storyteller” a thousand times over with songs like “The Pool Shark,” and “Faster Horses” among others. He had a way of painting a picture and making a listener live in a different world for a few minutes at a time. This is a great example of that.
“Faster Horses” sees two great archetypes–the philosopher/poet and the work-worn cowboy–coming together in a smoke-filled barroom. The poet believes that he has life figured out but the cowboy teaches him differently. Overall, this is a fun song that deserves more love than it gets. The same could be said about most of Hall’s catalog.
4. “Just Good Ol’ Boys” by Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley (1979)
Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley both had successful solo careers. Bandy had several hit country songs throughout the 1970s. Stampley partnered with Merle Kilgore at a young age and had some regional hits. Then, he became the lead singer of a ’60s rock band called The Uniques before going back to country music in the ’70s.
Both artists were known for their honky tonk hits and country music standards. However, when they started working together, they recorded mostly novelty songs. “Just Good Ol’ Boys” is a perfect example of the tongue-in-cheek humor “Moe and Joe” injected into their duet recordings.
Bandy and Stampley are both artists who deserve to be re-discovered by modern listeners whether separately or together.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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