3 Tried-and-True Country Songs That Unexpectedly Became Crossover Hits

An uncommon occurrence on the most popular chart in the world, the Billboard Hot 100, is when a tried-and-true country song makes its way near the top of the chart and becomes a crossover success. Also, when we say “tried-and-true,” we mean country songs without a pop, hip-hop, or other genre twist. We’re talking bare-bones, simple melodies, and hard-hitting lyrics. With that in mind, here are three tried-and-true country songs that unexpectedly became crossover hits.

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“Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash

Released by Johnny Cash in 1969, this song is one of the biggest hits in his catalog. On the country charts, the song went on to peak at No. 1 and remained in that spot for a total of five weeks. This song is great, undoubtedly, but does it have mainstream and widespread appeal? Seemingly, not, but that didn’t matter in this instance.

Impressively, this Johnny Cash single ended up landing at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. This might not seem like that big a deal, but how many country songs that meet the criteria we mentioned above have you seen become crossover successes? Think about it, you’ll find out it’s pretty hard, but then again, that is why there is this article.

“Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson

Unlike Cash’s single, Willie Nelson‘s sound on “Always On My Mind” is not country-sharp, if you know what we mean. It’s soothing, easy to listen to, and ultimately, a non-country music fan could still be able to listen to it and believe it to be phenomenal. Well, it is, and its crossover chart history proves just that.

On the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, this single went on to peak at No. 1 on the chart, surprising, right? On the Hot 100, it landed at No. 5 and spent a total of 23 weeks on the chart. Of all the songs released by Willie Nelson, this is one of two to reach the top five on the chart.

“Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” by Charley Pride

One of the most successful singles of Charley Pride‘s career is, without a doubt, his 1971 song, “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’”. The song has an enduring legacy and has remained a staple in country music ever since its release. Well, it was also a staple in mainstream music during the early 1970s, as it had a pretty good showing on the Hot 100.

Yes, this song was a No. 1 hit on the country charts, but more importantly, it managed to reach No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. With Pride’s baritone voice, the use of the fiddle, and the implementation of a simple bass line, this is a country song through and through. Hence, we find it rather surprising it was such a crossover success.

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