Sometimes, even the best country songs don’t hit your ears correctly on the first listen. At least, that has been my experience over the years. It was especially true when I was much younger, listening to one of the several country radio stations available in my hometown. There are plenty of songs that I love today that, upon first listen, made me want to change the station or turn off the radio.
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These songs are all classics that regularly appear in my playlists. Upon first listen, though, I couldn’t stand them for one reason or another.
[RELATED: 4 Nostalgic Country Classics That Never Hit No. 1, but Hold a Special Place in My Heart]
1. “Maybe It Was Memphis” by Pam Tillis
Penned by Michael Anderson, Pam Tillis released “Maybe It Was Memphis” as the fourth single from her 1991 album Put Yourself in My Place. It was a No. 3 hit for Tillis and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female and a CMA Award nomination for Song of the Year. Today, this is a go-to for my ’90s country playlists. However, that wasn’t always the case.
It didn’t just take a second listen for this song to grow on me. I heard this song on country radio as a kid and hated it. Years later, I heard it again as an adult and it was like listening to a new song. Maybe it was nostalgia, maybe it was decades of life experience, maybe it was my improved taste in music, maybe it was context, but it sure sounded good.
2. “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks & Dunn
Penned by Ronnie Dunn, Brooks & Dunn released “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” as the fourth single from their debut album Brand New Man in 1992. When I heard this song on country radio for the first time as a kid, I was pretty sure it was the corniest song ever recorded and it was seemingly on at least one station in my area every hour. As a result, my radio saw many eye rolls and heard a truckload of sighs.
Like “Maybe It Was Memphis,” I was an adult before I enjoyed the song. To be completely honest, it wasn’t Brooks & Dunn’s version that changed my mind on it. Instead, it was the original version recorded by Western Swing giants Asleep at the Wheel that made me change my mind about this ’90s banger.
3. “Daydreams About Night Things” by Ronnie Milsap
Written by John Schweers, Ronnie Milsap released “Daydreams About Night Things” as the lead single from Night Things in 1975. However, I didn’t hear it until about 20 years later when it made its way into rotation on one of my local radio stations. At the time, I was getting into heavy metal and hip-hop, which both feature more explicit lyrics and approach topics bluntly. Hearing Milsap coyly sing about having daydreams about getting his wife in bed was probably the lamest thing I had ever heard.
Years later, I was listening to a classic radio station when “Daydreams About Night Things” came on. At the time I was a newlywed and had to spend long hours every day away from my wife. With that new perspective, I realized just how good this song really is.
4. “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” by The Judds
Penned by Jamie O’Hara, The Judds released “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” in 1986 as the second single from their album Rockin’ with the Rhythm. When I heard it for the first time, I wondered how anyone could enjoy this overly-sentimental saccharine-sweet nonsense.
Years later, I had lived some life and lost some loved ones. With some new perspective, this classic country song hit me like an emotional sledgehammer. It’s still hard to listen to this song with dry eyes. As a result, this one doesn’t make it into my playlists very often. However, it is among my favorite songs from The Judds.
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