4 Legendary Country Songs From the 1970s That Should Have Been Bigger Hits

Not every song that is a massive hit on the charts will stand the test of time. There are plenty of country songs that topped the charts in the 1970s that very few genre fans know today. On the other hand, not every song that misses the top of the charts fades away. Some of the most enduring songs from the era never topped the charts. In fact, some never charted but have gone on to stand the test of time.

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The songs below were all released in the 1970s and failed to reach the top of the country chart. Some of them didn’t chart at all. However, they’re still favorites among fans of the genre decades later.

[RELATED: 4 Overlooked 1970s Country Albums from Legendary Artists]

1. “Take Me Home Country Roads” (1971)

This classic song from the early 1970s perfectly showcases John Denver’s blend of country and folk. More than five decades later, most people at least know the chorus of “Take Me Home Country Roads.” It was a No. 2 hit for Denver on the Billboard Hot 100 and went to No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. However, it didn’t do as well on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it peaked at No. 50.

2. “Tennessee Stud” by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Doc Watson (1972)

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band helped Doc Watson become one of the most in-demand folk artists of the 1970s with their rendition of this classic country song. Their 1972 album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, featured Watson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Merle Travis, and many other classic country and bluegrass greats singing and playing on well-worn songs from days gone by.

They released “Tennessee Stud” as a single from the album in 1973, and it failed to chart. Today, it’s revered as a highlight of one of the most historically important albums of the decade.

3. “If I Needed You” by Townes Van Zandt (1972)

Emmylou Harris and Don Williams recorded a duet version of Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You” in 1981. Harris released it as the lead single from her debut album, Cimarron, and it was a hit, peaking at No. 3 on the country chart. However, when Van Zandt released it as a single from his 1972 debut album, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, it failed to chart.

Unfortunately, “If I Needed You” wasn’t the only song that flopped for Van Zandt that became hits for other country artists in the 1970s and ’80s. He also penned songs like “Waitin’ Around to Die” and “Pancho and Lefty.”

4. “Bloody Mary Morning” by Willie Nelson (1974)

Willie Nelson wrote “Bloody Mary Morning” and released it as a single from his iconic album, Phases and Stages. It peaked at No. 17 on the Hot Country Songs chart. More than fifty years later, this one remains a favorite among Nelson’s fans and a staple of his live shows.

Nelson played this song at a party in Nashville in 1972, and it was so good that Jerry Wexler offered him a record deal with Atlantic Records. The short-lived contract saw him record Phases and Stages and Shotgun Willie.

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