There’s no denying that country music is currently having a moment. Some of the genre’s biggest stars are landing massive crossover hits. At the same time, big names from the worlds of pop and hip-hop are putting on boots and adding twang to their songs. So, it stands to reason that there are plenty of new country fans out there looking for their new favorite songs.
Modern country music is a great introduction to the genre. However, there is almost a century of music and artists that laid the foundation for today’s big hits. With that in mind, here are five classic country songs for new fans.
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[RELATED: 5 Country Songs That Even Country Haters Can’t Help But (Secretly) Love]
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams—A Timeless Tune from an Early Legend
Country music is full of songs about heartbreak. This classic, penned by Hank Williams and released in 1949 stands as an inspiration for countless sad songs. Additionally, it is the signature song of one of the most influential artists in the genre’s history.
Between lyrics that paint a picture of heartbreak so heavy it reverberates throughout nature and Williams’ mournful vocal delivery, few songs in the genre’s history have been sadder or more beautiful.
“There Stands the Glass” by Webb Pierce—A Classic Country Drinking Song
Today’s country music is full of songs about drinking. Some are about going out and having fun, some are about one-night stands, and others are about drinking away a broken heart. “There Stands the Glass” is a classic example of the latter. This tune about a man who knows alcohol will numb his hurt is proof that drinking songs are not new to the genre.
Written by Russ Hull, Mary Jean Shurtz, and Audrey Grisham, Webb Pierce had a No. 1 hit with “There Stands the Glass” in 1953. It was Pierce’s fifth chart-topping hit and stayed in the No. 1 spot for 12 weeks.
“Act Naturally” by Buck Owens—Having Fun with Heartache
Few country artists are as entertaining as Buck Owens and this song is a perfect example of why. “Act Naturally” is about a man who has had his heart broken. However, he’s not sitting around dwelling on his pain. Nor is he trying to drink his heartache away. Instead, he’s going to let that pain make him a big star.
They’re gonna put me in the movies. / They’re gonna make a big star out of me. / We’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonely. / And all I gotta do is act naturally.
Penned by Johnny Russell, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos released “Act Naturally” in 1963. It went on to be the first of many No. 1 singles for Owens and remains one of his most popular songs.
“You Ask Me To” by Waylon Jennings—A Love Song from Country Music’s Favorite Outlaw
Waylon Jennings was one of the artists who spearheaded the Outlaw Country movement in the ‘70s. While that term still gets tossed around today, there are few better examples of the subgenre than Jennings’ 1972 album Honky Tonk Heroes.
“You Ask Me To” is proof that Outlaw Country wasn’t all about doing drugs, living fast, and breaking the law. It’s a tender love song in which the narrator promises his lover that he’d do anything she asked him to—he’d even walk away from her for good—just to make her happy.
Co-penned by Jennings and fellow Texan and Outlaw legend Billy Joe Shaver, “You Ask Me To” was a No. 8 hit for Jennings. More importantly, it was a standout track on an album full of near-perfect country songs.
“Diggin’ Up Bones” by Randy Travis—Your Favorite Country Singer’s Favorite Country Singer
Pop production and arrangements dominated country music in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Then, a small group of artists helped to push the genre back toward its traditional roots. Randy Travis was among those artists.
This song sees the narrator lamenting the loss of a relationship that’s “dead and gone” by going through old mementos in his empty home. Travis’ butter-smooth baritone voice drives home the pain behind the words and makes this a perfect country breakup song.
Penned by Paul Overstreet, Nat Stuckey, and Al Gore, Travis released “Diggin’ Up Bones” as the third single from his 1986 debut album Storms of Life. It was the second No. 1 single the album produced.
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