Top 10 Country Songs ... You Might Not Know

“Top 10 Country Songs … You Might Not Know”

Take a look at this list of songs from country singers.  They are all among my personal favorites and they all have one thing in common: they are quite older and they do not receive much air-play.
I have been a fan of country music for more than twenty years and I would like to share these songs with you.

With the plethora of music of excellence on country music radio today, many of us may have overlooked or forgotten many of these songs.  Songs from older artists such as Randy Travis and The Charlie Daniels Band may have slipped from our memory or have passed our attention with the rich tradition of country music.

Artists, such as Confederate Railroad and Travis Tritt may have been eclipsed from country music by more mainstream artists.  Although their time on country music radio may be behind us, their music lives on.

The vastness of quality country music cannot be captured with any one list of greats; however, it will hopefully open all of your ears to music which you may have neglected.  As your music library expands, it should include older music as well as music from contemporary artists.

Number 10:        Change of Heart by The Judds

                                Wynonna Official Fan Page Link

                                Change of Heart Video Link

Wynonna Judd’s powerful voice captures the essence of the emotional lyrics in this song.  This country classic represents one of the best of song selections from the duet from the 80s with Wynonna singing at lead.  She also had a very successful solo career.  The emotive strength of her voice accentuates all of the music she recorded.

Number 9:          Jesus and Mama by Confederate Railroad

                                Confederate Railroad Fan Page Link

                                Jesus and Mama Video Link

                               

This song from the early 90s is written and performed in a very traditional style.  The group reached its brief hay-day on country radio around this time, but they released and made the charts with many memorable songs including this one.  With many contemporary singers opting for country that crosses over onto the pop spectrum, the music by this group holds up with impressive distinction.

Number 8:          The Legend of Wooly Swamp by The Charlie Daniels Band

                                The Charlie Daniel’s Band Fan Page Link

                                The Legend of Wooley Swamp Video Link

When the group “The Charlie Daniels Band” is mentioned the song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” automatically comes to mind to both country fans and pop fans alike.  However, they also released many other songs of substance.  This song by “The Charlie Daniels Band” is indicative of the outlaw movement of the 70s and represents some of their best work with a masterful musical orchestration.

Number 7:          In a Different Light by Doug Stone

                                Doug Stone Fan Page Link

                                In a Different Light Video Link

Doug Stone was a country music singer who surfaced around the same time as Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson.  Although, his career was not nearly as momentous, he released many songs which fans of the time considered to be among their favorites.  He is among the most under-rated country singers with vocal talents which cross from ballads to honky-tonk. 

Number 6:          If I Know Me by George Strait

                                George Strait Fan Page Link

                                If I Know Me Video Link

When compiling any list of top country lists, George Strait should never be neglected.  His has released a string of hits from the early 80s to today.  His strong voice and emotive style coupled with a prime selection of material is what has made him the everlasting icon to country music that he will always be.  The selected song highlights his strong voice and is a strong lyrical ballad which strikes passions in the hearts of his listeners.

Number 5:          It’s Just a Matter of Time by Randy Travis

                                Randy Travis Fan Page Link

                                It’s Just a Matter of Time Video Link

Long before there was a Garth Brooks, Randy Travis was the singer who dominated the country music scene.  Beginning In the early 80s before the emergence of country music as a force on the American music stage, Randy Travis was releasing material that brought pop listeners to country music radio.  His career includes a number of ballads which feature his strong vocal talents.

Number 4:          Hotel Whiskey by Hank Williams Jr.

                                Hank Williams Jr. Fan Page Link

                                Hotel Whiskey Video Link

Hank Williams Jr. dominated the country music scene with a nearly endless collection of honky-tonk classics.  He exemplified the outlaw movement in country shared by Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings.  His time on the country music stage may have been cut short by the rise of stars such as Garth Brooks and Clint Black, however, his legacy lives on.  This song was briefly released in the early 90s without significant air-play on country music radio.  However, it epitomizes his honkytonk; whiskey-drinking, blues inspired sense of country music and remains a little-known great.

Number 3:          The Highwayman by The Highwaymen

                                The Highwaymen Fan Page Link

                                The Highwayman Video Link

Jonny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson collaborated to form the group “The Highwaymen.”  All of them had well-established careers and a rich history of music on country music radio.  This song is mentioned frequently, by those who know it, to be one of their favorite country music songs.  The song stands as a creation of iconic excellence from these legends of the genre.

Number 2:          Dixie Chicken by Garth Brooks

                                Garth Brooks Fan Page Link

                                Dixie Chicken Video Link

The stature of Garth Brooks in American music is almost unsurpassed by his contemporaries in country as well as pop music.  With nearly all of his albums listed among the best sellers of all-time in any genre of music, he is renowned in the music world like few others.  Most of the songs that he released reached number one on the country music charts.  However, one song in particular which was never released as a single is among my favorites from Garth Brooks or by any other country music artist.   The song captures the best of the bar-room greatness that made him a star with originality of lyrics which has made it a classic among its listeners.

Number 1:          Anymore by Travis Tritt

                                Travis Tritt Fan Page Link

Travis Tritt had a very successful career in the early 90s with a brief resurrection at the beginning of the millennium.   He has a strong collection of hits that not only fared well on the charts, but remain epic classics unequalled by most other artists.  He mixes a sound of southern rock and country with blues and bluegrass which help to make him standout as a genius in the world of country music.  While many other artists have many commercially successful hits on the radio, much of his work is also epic in scope and brilliance.  His ballads are lyrically brilliant as well as strongly orchestrated and his honkytonk inspired songs are a shining example of country mixed with blues and southern rock.  His strong, powerful vocals also enhance his music to make his music stand the test of time.

Travis Tritt emerged onto the country scene in the early nineties where he left a legacy of hits of classic stature.  His powerful voice with its impassioned appeal has earned popular success, respect from peers, and critical acclaim.

The song I have chosen to head up this list of country music classics represents the best of ballads by the singer.  Its appeal rings true emotionally in a way that all of us can identify.  It is sung with the singer’s vocal strength and integrity that makes it a favorite of those of us who enjoy the artist.  The feeling with which it is sung is highlighted with blues guitar riffs and drum beats enhancing the emotional appeal of the song.

I hope you have enjoyed this list of my personal favorite “Top 10 Country Songs … You May Not Know.”   Feel free to leave comments and to share songs which are favorites in your collection.  Keep an eye open for future “Top 10 Country Song …” collections.

Thank you.

A Night of Respite

As I gazed out the window, I noticed the cold days of winter were here.   I could see snowdrifts more than five feet high.

I sipped my hot cocoa.

Susan was checking in on me right about now.  “What is it?” I asked.

“I don’t want to trouble you,” she responded, “But, it is my job to make sure you are taken care of.”

I responded all was well and asked, “Could you please hand me my picture?”

Graciously, she handed it to me.  “Why do you look at this picture every night?” she asked with honest curiosity.

She had never asked before, so I had never told her.  I simply stated, “I don’t want to bother you about a boring story from an old man.”

Yet she pleaded, “No, it’s no bother.  I would like to know.”

I took another sip of hot cocoa and began sharing the story with her.

“I was barely in my twenties,” I began.  It seemed like a trite exercise, yet I continued.  “It was during the war.  My battalion was stationed in Italy to keep the peace.”

Susan listened attentively as I continued to share with her the story.

“It must have been in early 1943.  I had met a girl; a girl from the USO.  It was a gathering meant to boost the morale of the soldiers.”

The story continued.  I mentioned to her the music of the day and the party.  “Me and my friends enjoyed the peace that could be found at such an event.”

“The USO girl that I met at the dance was named Harmony,” I continued. 

Susan listened.

“It was the first night I had met her, but the warmth that I felt as we danced touched me deep.  Our battalion, after a brief respite from heavy combat, would be back on the front lines in less than two weeks.  I danced with her slowly while we listened to a selection of the most moving lyrical ballads of my day.”

The story and the memories also caused my own affectations to surface.  “My friends and I were going to be sent to the German front in less than two weeks.  Harmony promised to write me letters so I would have somebody to talk to.  At least, it would help me overcome the emptiness of heart also accompanied by the war.”

“We held each other closely as we danced.  The pain and the loneliness of the war almost vanished as I was struck by a feeling close to love.  She was a beautiful blonde in her early twenties.  At the time, I had no wife or kids.  Her letters would be all I had to accompany me on the long, lonely nights.  Before the evening was over, as was customary, the photographer took a picture of her and I standing close.”

Susan continued to listen to the story, captivated by the sentimentality.  “Here it is.  It was almost seventy years ago.”  I showed her the picture.  She, with sympathy, gave it back to me.”

“Me and my battalion moved to the front lines of battle in Germany.  I never saw her again,” I told Susan, awkward about sharing such a personal memory.   

“I got one letter from her.  I was in Germany fighting during the bloody last days of the war in Europe.  In the letter she said that she had to go home to America.  I sent her letter after letter, but never got a response.”

Susan looked upon the photo with new-found interest.

“When the war ended and I got back to the states I got married.  I had kept that memory hidden for more than fifty years.  If I were to be asked ‘What is the one thing you could change in your life?’ My answer would be to wish the night would not have ended.  Now, that memory is the only thing, looking back, that makes my life feel incomplete.”

I handed the photo back to Susan and she placed it on my night table.  I took another sip of hot cocoa as I prepared myself for a night of sleep.  The snowdrifts were over five feet high and I faced the prospect of a cold night.  I once again, buried the memory along with the picture deep within my soul.

A Desolate End by Hairbrush

•   Aspiring Writer’s January 2013 Short Story Contest 2^nd Place Winner

Walking through the suburbs on this New Year’s Eve, there were no celebrations to be had for Joseph.  Single, and without any close family, he spent the occasion alone.

As he walked, he felt the freedom unexpected for a man in his situation.  He looked up into the sky and began to sing a song which had recently caught his attention.

“Merriments are over, for this is the end.  The time on Earth is finished, once you find what is around the bend.”

With no knowledge of the band who sang it, it appealed to his optimistic morbidity.

As he walked through the neighborhood, completely untouched by his position of solitude, he took the long way home to savor his journey.

As he walked, he came across a homeless man; an event extremely out of place in his city of relative luxury.  To compound the perplexity, he noticed the man brushing his long locks of blonde hair with what appeared to be a dog’s hairbrush.

The obscurity turned into irrelevance until the homeless man asked Joseph, “Top pins for the poor, for I need a new hairbrush.”

Joseph looked at the man, dug into his pocket, and pulled out pocket change and went on his way.

He continued his journey through the small suburban town until he made his way back to his apartment.  As he walked he began to sing.

“Without remorse, it comes your time to go.  Without a word, it reaches a bitter close.”

He got back to his apartment, unlocked the door, and went in.  It was late, but there would be a few more hours before it was time to usher in the New Year.  He planned to stay awake for the festivities; where all he could do was watch.

It was 9:00 p.m. and he would spend the last hours of the New Year as it had begun, alone. 

A few minutes after he got back to his apartment, he heard rustling around the door.  Without the thought of caution, he opened the door to see who it might be.  No one was there.  He didn’t see any reason to be preoccupied with the thought.  He went out the door, looking around to see who it might be.  Still, nobody was apparent.  He looked deep into the night to see who he might see.  A shadowy figure loomed far off into the darkness.  He noticed, on the ground, what appeared to be a dog’s hairbrush accompanied by long locks of blond hair.

He closed the door and thought nothing of it.  He left the hairbrush where it lay.

As he turned on the television he viewed the merriment the world was enjoying.   He made himself a ham and cheese sandwich.  As he enjoyed the sandwich complete with lettuce and tomato, the song that had been rolling around his mind earlier came on the television and he sat to enjoy it as he ate.

“The working, the playing will all be gone.  Nothing left but slumber for all.”

Trivial as it was, the song had been prominent in his thoughts for weeks. 

He finished his sandwich; excellent with the tomatoes.  He even put avocado slices on it and garnished it with gourmet potato chips.

He heard rustling near the door again.  He opened the door, but it was over.  To no avail, the same homeless man that he had seen brushing his long, blonde hair with what appeared to be a dog’s brush hit him once with the hairbrush with such velocity that Joseph fell to the ground.  He kept hitting him with that same brush until, it truly was, over.

The next morning, the police arrived.  Bludgeoned to death, Joseph’s body lay on the floor next to what appeared to be a dog’s hairbrush.

The police searched his apartment to find only one anomaly.  There appeared to be no hairbrush in Joseph’s bathroom.

Late the next night, the homeless man sat in a park and brushed his long, blonde hair.