If you’re a baby boomer, you might just remember all the hit songs on the radio in 1969. And if you’re a country fan, the following four tunes will definitely ring a bell. Let’s take a look at a few country classics, out in 1969, that many a baby boomer still knows by heart.
“My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)” by Bill Anderson from ‘My Life/But You Know I Love You’
Bill Anderson enjoyed plenty of big hits in the 1960s, one of which was “My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)”. This country classic is your typical honky-tonk ballad, but it has a unique rhythm to it that made it stand out from the other offerings on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1969. “My Life” topped that very chart and also reached No. 2 on the Canadian country charts.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Hungry Eyes” by Merle Haggard and The Strangers from ‘A Portrait Of Merle Haggard’
Merle Haggard makes our list with the ultra-memorable “Hungry Eyes”. This song with The Strangers was the first single released from A Portrait Of Merle Haggard, and it remains one of the country icon’s most famous songs. If you’re from Oklahoma, you definitely remember this ode of sorts to Okies who survived the Great Depression. “Hungry Eyes” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
“Galveston” by Glen Campbell from ‘Galveston’
I couldn’t leave this hugely famous country pop song off our list of 1969 tunes that many a baby boomer still remembers. “Galveston” is still one of Glen Campbell’s most famous songs, and it was written by none other than Jimmy Webb. This soft rock-leaning country tune made it all the way to No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts in the US. It was also a hefty crossover hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Woman Of The World (Leave My World Alone)” by Loretta Lynn from ‘Woman Of The World / To Make A Man’
Loretta Lynn dropped more than a few hits in the 1960s. “Woman Of The World (Leave My World Alone)” is easily her most famous offering from 1969. This Sharon Higgins-penned tune was Lynn’s third No. 1 hit on the Hot Country Singles chart. And I bet it turned many a casual listener into a diehard Loretta Lynn fan.
Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
More The List
-
From left to right, Gary Moore, Phil Lynott (1949 – 1986) and Brian Downey of Irish rock band Thin Lizzy in London, 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
LONDON – MAY 19: (L-R) English musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist George Harrison (1943-2001), English musician, singer and drummer Ringo Starr, English singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940-1980), and English singer, songwriter and bassist Paul McCartney of the Beatles attend a press party at the home of manager Brian Epstein supporting the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, May 19, 1967 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images) -
The Beatles rehearse at the ABC Theatre, Blackpool for the group's bill-topping appearance on ABC TV's Blackpool Night Out, 1 August 1965. Left to right: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr. (Photo by Daily Mirror/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images) -
The pop group 'Pilot' pictured here beside the famous supersonic airliner Concorde at RAF Fairford near Bristol January 1975. (Photo Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1980: Photo of Dead Kennedys (Photo by Anne Fishbein/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
CANADA – OCTOBER 13: It was a family affair at Massey Hall Saturday night when Kris Kristofferson and his wife Rita Coolidge brought on a deluge of applause from the 2;716 people in the audience. Peter Goddard says everyone felt a part of the process. (Photo by Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
