Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Must-Hear Country Ballads From 1966

Who doesn’t love some solid country ballads from the 1960s? That was such a gorgeous era for the tender honky-tonk ballad. And if you’re a baby boomer, I bet the following country ballads from the year 1966 will ring a bell instantly.

“Almost Persuaded” by David Houston from ‘Almost Persuaded’

This ballad is about a man coming close to temptation. While dancing with a pretty young thing at a bar, he sees the reflection of his wedding ring in her eyes and remembers his vows. It’s your classic old-school country song about remembering what truly matters, and David Houston really had a hit on his hands with this one.

“Almost Persuaded” by David Houston was a No. 1 hit on the Hot Country Singles chart and a crossover hit at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Distant Drums” by Jim Reeves from ‘Distant Drums’

This hit for Jim Reeves was actually originally a pop song à la Roy Orbison, written by Cindy Walker in 1963. Reeves’ version has a more obvious country ballad sound. Both songs were hits, with Reeves’ version of “Distant Drums” peaking at No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart. The tune also reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom.

“Don’t Touch Me” by Jeannie Seely from ‘The Seely Style’

I couldn’t leave this gorgeous classic off our list of country ballads from 1966 that many a baby boomer still thinks about. “Don’t Touch Me” is still the late great Jeannie Seely’s most famous song, and it was a ballad for the ages when it dropped in 1966. This hit reached No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart and somehow, surprisingly, didn’t cross over to the pop Top 40. But it has been covered many times through the years by the likes of Etta James, Tammy Wynette, and others.

“I Want To Go With You” by Eddy Arnold from ‘I Want To Go With You’

Eddy Arnold turned the Hank Cochran-penned tune “I Want To Go With You” into a romantic hit in 1966. This country ballad topped both the Hot Country Singles and Easy Listening charts that year and also crossed over to the Hot 100 at No. 36. If you ever slow-danced with the object of your affection back in the 60s, you probably swayed to this song together on more than one occasion.

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