A Look Back at 5 Unforgettable Songs That Changed Nashville Forever

If we look back through country history, we can find watershed moments that completely changed the genre. There are choice songs that flip conventions on their head, like the tracks below. These four country songs were massively influential, changing Nashville forever.

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[RELATED: On This Day in 1969, Glen Campbell Released a No. 1 Hit That Became an Unintentional Counterculture Anthem and Protest Song]

“I Fall To Pieces” — Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces” gave Nashville a crossover edge. Though the genre was increasingly finding a home in the mainstream before this song, “I Fall To Pieces” firmly solidified country’s place in the pop market. Cline’s vocals bordered on easy listening, helping to establish the smooth, polished “Nashville sound.”

Cline was an influential force in country music. Her sound still influences today—not to mention the doors she opened for women in the genre. “I Fall To Pieces,” as well as Cline’s many other hits, completely changed Music City for the better.

“Mama Tried” — Merle Haggard

While Cline represented the pop-crossover crowd in the 60s, other artists dared to carry different sentiments and styles. Merle Haggard was one of these musicians. Haggard bucked the polished “Nashville sound” for something grittier and creatively free. “Mama Tried” is an early but integral example of a subgenre Haggard helped create: outlaw country.

Though outlaw country was set apart from Nashville, the growing popularity of that sound eventually led many artists in Tennessee to adopt a rougher image. This alternative point of view is still perpetuated today, creating a new generation of outlaws fashioned in Haggard’s image.

“Boot Scootin’ Boogie” — Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn represent a generation of country artists who knew the strength of a good honky-tonk. Though honky tonk is more closely linked to Texas, there is a tradition in Nashville that has been built around songs like “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.”

Like Cline’s earlier track, this Brooks & Dunn hit gave country a pop crossover moment. You don’t need to be a country superfan to know this song. It has made its way into every corner of pop culture, thanks to the country heyday Brooks & Dunn (amongst others) helped establish in the 90s.

“Cruise” — Florida Georgia Line

Flashing forward a bit, we have to talk about the direction modern country has taken. Though the genre seems to be pivoting back towards older styles, a hip-hop-influenced sound has dominated country radio for decades. This sub-genre, largely defined as bro-country, was started by Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise.”

This song set country music in a completely different direction. Almost every major male country artist has tried their hand at this genre-bending sound since it was established in 2012.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)