On This Day in 1973, Loretta Lynn Released One of the Most Underrated No. 1 Albums of Her Career

On this day (August 13) in 1973, Loretta Lynn released her 23^rd studio album, Love Is the Foundation. The record topped the chart in late October of the same year, giving the country legend her fifth No. 1 album. It was also her second LP to top the Billboard Top Country Albums chart that year.

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Many conversations about Lynn center on her songwriting or a handful of her hit songs. Tracks like “The Pill,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” or “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)” often come up. Additionally, hit LPs like You Ain’t Woman Enough and Fist City, and her multiple duet albums with Conway Twitty, often get mentioned. However, many overlook Love Is the Foundation.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1968, Loretta Lynn Started a Long Line of Hit Records with ‘Fist City’]

Lynn is lauded as one of the best and most prolific songwriters in country music history. However, like this album, many tend to overlook how skilled she was at taking someone else’s songs and making them feel like her own. She only penned one song, “Five Fingers Left,” on Love Is the Foundation. That song wasn’t part of the recording session for the album. She recorded it in 1969 during the sessions for her 1970 album, Loretta Lynn Writes ‘Em and Sings ‘Em.

Loretta Lynn Showcases Her Song Selection Skill

Loretta Lynn and her producer, Owen Bradley, picked 10 incredible songs for Love Is the Foundation. She released the William Cody Hall-penned title track as the lead single, and it topped the country chart. The second single, “Hey Loretta,” was penned by the legendary Shel Silverstein. It was a top-five country hit.

The singles were top-notch. However, they were far from the best tracks on the album. That honor goes to the Carl Knight-penned “What Sundown Does to You.” Lynn also took on songs written by other country legends, including “Why Me” by Kris Kristofferson and “I Gave Everything (That a Girl in Love Should Never Give)” written by Marty Robbins.

In short, Love Is the Foundation stands as proof that no matter who wrote the song, Loretta Lynn could sing it and make listeners believe every syllable.

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