Music
The Judds turned the end of a long workweek into a country celebration with “Girls’ Night Out,” a lively anthem that became one of the mother-and-daughter duo’s earliest No. 1 hits. Written by Brent Maher and Jeffrey Bullock, “Girls’ Night Out” tells the story of a hardworking woman who has spent the entire week waiting […]
Lorrie Morgan found the perfect combination of heartbreak, humor and attitude with “Except for Monday,” one of the standout hits from her 1991 album Something in Red. Written by Reed Nielsen, the song offered a clever variation on the familiar country theme of trying to recover after a breakup. Instead of simply admitting that she […]
Martina McBride’s “Valentine” has become a favorite at weddings, anniversaries and romantic celebrations, but the song originally began as a collaboration with pianist and composer Jim Brickman. Brickman co-wrote “Valentine” with songwriter Jack Kugell after recognizing that there were surprisingly few contemporary songs written specifically for Valentine’s Day. His goal was to create a simple, […]
Few songs in country music history capture heartbreak as honestly and beautifully as Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces.” Released in 1961, the song became one of Cline’s signature recordings and helped establish her as one of the most influential voices in country music. “I Fall to Pieces” was written by Hank Cochran and Harlan […]
Loretta Lynn built her career singing about real life, especially the parts of women’s lives that country music didn’t always talk about. But one of her funniest—and smartest—songs wasn’t written by Loretta at all. “One’s on the Way” came from the wonderfully offbeat mind of Shel Silverstein. Yes, that Shel Silverstein—the poet, cartoonist and author […]
There may not be a more perfectly ’90s country love story than Joe Diffie’s “John Deere Green.” It has everything: two small-town kids, a water tower, a can of green paint and a declaration of love that apparently can’t be painted over. Released in November 1993, “John Deere Green” was the third single from Diffie’s […]
By the time Hank Williams Jr. recorded “Family Tradition,” he had spent much of his life dealing with a problem almost no other country singer could fully understand: how do you build your own identity when your father is Hank Williams? Released in May 1979, “Family Tradition” was written by Hank Jr. himself and became […]
Few country songs blend faith, hope and traditional country music quite like Ferlin Husky’s “Wings of a Dove.” Released in 1960, the song became one of Husky’s signature recordings and one of the biggest country crossover hits of its era. “Wings of a Dove” was written by Bob Ferguson, who would go on to become […]
By 1970, Ray Price had already helped define the sound of country music. His earlier records, including “Crazy Arms,” “Heartaches by the Number” and “City Lights,” were rooted in honky-tonk and the Texas shuffle. But with “For the Good Times,” Price showed another side of his voice—and scored one of the biggest songs of his […]
When Kitty Wells recorded “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” in 1952, she had no idea she was about to change the course of country music history. The song not only became the first No. 1 country hit by a female solo artist on the Billboard charts, but it also opened doors for […]
Few songs have become as closely identified with an artist as Hank Williams Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive.” Released in January 1982 as the second single from his album The Pressure Is On, the song quickly became more than just another country hit—it evolved into an anthem celebrating self-reliance, rural values, and the resilience […]
When Brooks & Dunn released “My Maria” in 1996, many fans assumed it was a brand-new song. In reality, the duo was putting their own spin on a rock classic that had already enjoyed success more than two decades earlier. Their version not only introduced the song to a new generation but also became one […]