The 1980s were an interesting time in country music. The decade’s early years saw the Outlaw Country movement start to decline. At the same time, those artists who had been cornerstones of the country charts in the 1970s were still making high-quality music but were being edged out of the upper regions of the charts by more modern-sounding acts. By the end of the decade, some artists were leaning into the twang-heavy rock-infused sound that dominated the airwaves in the 1990s,
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Due in part to the transitory nature of the 1980s, plenty of country songs that had the potential to be chart-toppers fell short. The list below contains four examples of extraordinary songs that should have been bigger but didn’t get the radio love or chart success they deserved. Some almost made it, charting in the top 10 or top five. On the other hand, some barely made it to the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
[RELATED: 4 Country Songs from the 1980s That Became Classics Despite Zero Radio Play]
1. ”Hard Candy Christmas” by Dolly Parton (1982)
Carol hall wrote “Hard Candy Christmas” for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and country legend Dolly Parton turned it into a timeless tune. It peaked at No. 8 on the country chart upon release. More than a decade later, it re-entered the chart at No. 73 in 1998.
The song got airplay during the Christmas season. However, it never became a staple of the season or country radio.
“Hard Candy Christmas” is a beautiful song that has everything you could want from a holiday-adjacent Parton song. In the play and film, each of the ladies in the brothel sings a verse about what they’ll do after they leave. In the film, Parton’s character sings the chorus solo. The lyrics combine hope and hardship to make a wonderfully bittersweet song that is packed to the brim with emotion.
2. “Me and Paul” by Willie Nelson (1985)
Willie Nelson wrote “Me and Paul” and originally released it in 1971 as a B-side to the sole single and title track from Yesterday’s Wine. More than a decade later, Nelson re-recorded the song and released it as the second single and title track from his 1985 album. The song peaked at No. 14 but should have been a major hit for Nelson.
“Me and Paul” tells the story of the friendship between Nelson and his longtime drummer, the late Paul English. Throughout the song, Nelson recounts the rough spots and good times the two shared on the road. That’s not all the song offers, though. It’s a time capsule of the country music industry of the early 1970s and Nelson’s place in it. The song predates the Outlaw Country movement and Nelson’s iconic albums like Red Headed Stranger and Shotgun Willie. However, his frustration with the Nashville system is evident in the lyrics.
3. “Just a Woman” by Loretta Lynn (1986)
Loretta Lynn didn’t get the love she deserved from country radio in the 1980s. Nearly any of the singles she released during the decade would fit perfectly on this list. “Just a Woman” is as good an example as any. Written by Stewart Harris and Carlotta McGee, it was the title track and peaked at No. 81. It spent a total of five weeks on the chart.
This is a top-notch song that fits with many of Lynn’s other hits that discuss the issues faced by women in society. In this track, the Coal Miner’s Daughter takes on the objectification of women, asking her new lover if he really wants her or if it’s “just a woman” he’s looking for. It’s a great tune that deserved more attention than it got.
4. “Guitars, Cadillacs” by Dwight Yoakam (1986)
The fact that Dwight Yoakam didn’t find his first No. 1 until his third album could be a commentary on what was popular in country music in the early 1980s. Songs like “Honky Tonk Man,” “It Won’t Hurt,” “Little Ways,” and maybe most egregious of them all, “Guitars, Cadillacs” are classics that didn’t reach the top of the chart.
“Guitars, Cadillacs” came close to topping the chart, peaking at No. 4, but deserved more.
What’s not to love here? That twangy Telecaster lead that has been sticking in listeners’ heads for decades, the heatbroken twang in Yoakam’s voice, and the smoking-hot fiddle are enough to put this song in the top 10. Then, there are the lyrics. It’s a song about being heartbroken and turning to classic cars, guitars, and country music to fill the void. In short, Yoakam is a national treasure, and this tune should have been a No. 1 hit.
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