Country Songs From the 1940s That Are Classics for a Reason

Some songs become hits but will fall out of the memory of the public as quickly as they vacate the charts. Sometimes, though, songs come along that stand the test of time. They get passed down from one generation to the next. Those tunes become classics. For instance, a handful of country songs from the 1940s are still favorites among genre fans more than seven decades after their release.

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The songs below came from the minds of some best country songwriters and artists of the 1940s, Recorded by originators, pioneers, and legendary figures, these tracks have more than stood the test of time, they became classics. They’ve inspired covers, influenced generations of artists, and are still loved by genre fans all these years later

1. “Blue Moon of Kentucky” by Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (1947)

Bluegrass has deep roots in the folk tunes and old-time music of the Appalachian region. However, the genre as we know it today didn’t take shape until a Kentucky-born country singer named Bill Monroe came along in the 1940s. He and his Blue Grass Boys, named for Monroe’s home state, codified the genre’s sound with tracks like “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”

The waltz, penned by Monroe, is a bluegrass and country music standard 78 years after its initial release. Over the years, countless artists have recorded covers of the song. The long list of artists who covered the song includes Jerry Reed, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and many more.

2. “Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams (1949)

Nearly any song from Hank Williams would be at home in a list of enduring country classics from the 1940s. However, “Lovesick Blues” holds a special place in Williams’ discography because it was his first No. 1 single. Co-written by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills, the song first appeared in the 1922 musical, Oh, Ernest. So, it was already a classic when he released it in 1949.

Williams’ version of the song topped the Billboard country chart for 16 weeks. More importantly, it helped establish one of the most influential artists in country music history. Since its release in 1949, artists including Glen Campbell, Buddy Holly & the Crickets, George Strait, Patsy Cline, and countless others have recorded the song. More than that, it set the standard for heartbroken country songs.

3. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by Roy Acuff (1947)

Many country fans think of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” as a Willie Nelson song. He released his version in 1975, and it became his first No. 1 hit as a performer. However, the song has a much longer history than that. Roy Acuff, one of the biggest country stars of the 1940s, cut it before Nelson, and he wasn’t the first. Elton Britt released the original version in 1946, a year before Acuff popularized the song among country fans.

“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” is undeniably an enduring part of Nelson’s legacy. However, the Fred Rose-penned classic has been recorded by several other country legends since Rose released it in the 1940s. Charley Pride, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and other iconic performers have put their stamp on the tune over the years.

4. “Walking the Floor Over You” by Ernest Tubb (1941)

“Walking the Floor Over You” is more than a country song that became a hit for Ernest Tubb in the early 1940s. It’s also one of a handful of historically significant songs to be released in the early days of the genre. The song is credited with being the inception of honky tonk music.

Tubb and “Walking the Floor Over You” influenced countless artists, including Hank Williams. It helped lay the blueprint for the music that would fill dance halls across Texas, the rest of the United States, and around the world for generations to come.

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