I will die on the hill that country music reached its peak in the 1970s. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton were becoming the icons we know them as today. At the same time, John Prine and Guy Clark released their debut albums. It was a time when “mainstream” artists were also making incredible music. With that in mind, let’s go back to 1971, before the rise of outlaw country, and rank some of the best songs of the year.
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While most of the songs on this list topped the Hot Country Songs chart in 1971, that has nothing to do with the order of the songs below. I didn’t figure sales or any other metric into the ranking either. Instead, I compiled a list of great tunes, cut it down to the best of the best, and struggled to put those five songs in order.
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5. “Help Me Make It Through the Night” – Sammi Smith
This Kris Kristofferson-penned song is rock solid, no matter who sings it. Personally, I prefer his take on it. However, I chose to include Sammi Smith’s because it was a big deal. It was the first of two songs penned by Kristofferson to top the country chart in 1971. Moreover, it was one of the best-selling country singles at the time. In short, it was a huge hit that put a master songwriter on the map.
While this isn’t my favorite version of the song, there’s something about Smith’s delivery that is hard to beat. It’s not as passionate as some versions, but she sounds believable.
4. “Rose Garden” – Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson had to fight to record “Rose Garden,” and I am so glad she did. The arrangement is a beautiful blend of country and pop. Usually, I prefer the Bakersfield sound to the pop-laden productions coming out of Nashville at the time. However, producer Glenn Sutton got the balance just right on this track. The strings, the backing vocals, the steel guitar, and Anderson’s voice fit together like a puzzle.
This is what it sounds like when everyone–from songwriter Joe South to guitarist Ray Edenton to the string players borrowed from Billy Sherrill to Anderson herself–brings their A-game to the studio.
3. “Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)” – Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard has been one of my favorite country singers since I heard my mom singing along to “Mama Tried” while washing dishes when I was five or six years old. As I got older and dug deeper into music in general, he became one of my favorite songwriters. This song is a perfect example of why.
“Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)” is a celebration of a couple who beat the odds and built a happy family. It’s a really sweet story. Moreover, it is Haggard proving that a song doesn’t have to be saccharine sweet to tug your heartstrings a little bit. Then, you have the Strangers with Roy Nichols’ leads and Norman Hamlet’s steel guitar weaving in and out of the mix, and a trumpet coming in near the song’s end to tie everything together.
In short, it’s 1970s Bakersfield country at its finest. If I didn’t love the next two songs so much, this would be at the top of the list.
2. “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” – Charley Pride
Charley Pride and his songs are part of the reason 1971 was such a fantastic year for country music. In my opinion, George Jones is the only country singer at the time who one could argue had a better voice than Pride, and that argument might get heated. The guy could sing circles around the entire format. That, combined with great song selection and the production prowess of Cowboy Jack Clement, is why “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” was Pride’s third multi-week No. 1 of the year.
I’m a sucker for a good love song, and this is one of my favorites. It stands out because it’s a profession of love and devotion, but it’s not directed at his lady. Instead, this whole song is just a guy bragging about how happy his wife makes him.
1. “Sam Stone” – John Prine
I knew when I went into this piece that a song from John Prine’s self-titled debut album would sit at the top of the list. There was an untold number of great songwriters turning out stellar country songs in 1971. However, with all respect to them, it is my opinion that Prine didn’t have competition in this realm until Guy Clark rose to prominence later in the decade.
The real problem was picking one song from the 13 included on the album. “Angel from Montgomery” and “Paradise” are stone-cold classics. “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” feels timely. “Pretty Good,” “Illegal Smile,” and “Spanish Pipedream” are some of my favorite songs. It was tough.
I chose “Sam Stone” because it was the first time Prine really punched me in the gut. One of the things I love about his writing is that he can make you laugh, cry, and consider your place in the world in the space of a song. This one, though, is just sad from beginning to end.
It’s the story of a veteran who comes home from the war with an opiate addiction and eventually overdoses after pulling his family into poverty to pay for his habit. “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes / Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose,” are some of the most gutting lines ever penned.
Featured Image by Bettmann/Contributor/ Getty Images
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