The Best of 60s Country Music

Take a trip down memory lane with the best country hits of the 1960s. From Johnny Cash to Patsy Cline, we’ve got all your favorites covered.

The Origins of 60s Country Music

The origins of 60s country music can be traced back to the early days of country music itself. The sound of 60s country music was a departure from the previous decade’s country music, which had been defined by the Nashville Sound. The new sound of 60s country music was a more traditional, honky-tonk sound. The Best of 60s Country Music features some of the most popular and influential country music of the decade.

The Nashville Sound

The Nashville Sound is a style of country music that emerged from Nashville, Tennessee, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was characterized by string sections, smooth vocals, and a more polished production than previous forms of country music.

The Nashville Sound arose from a desire to compete with the popular productions coming out of Nashville’s rival, Memphis. Producers like Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley began creating recordings that featured sophisticated arrangements and cleaner production values. This new sound helped to make country music more commercially successful and helped to establish Nashville as the center of the country music industry.

In the 1960s, the Nashville Sound became increasingly popular with country fans outside of the South. At the same time, it began to evolve into a new style known as the “countrypolitan sound,” which featured even more polished production values and often incorporated pop or folk influences. The countrypolitan sound would come to dominate Nashville in the 1970s and 1980s, before being supplanted by newer styles in the 1990s and 2000s.

The Bakersfield Sound

The Bakersfield Sound is a subgenre of country music developed in the mid-1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The sound—which incorporated elements of honky tonk, Western swing, and pop—was defined by artists such as Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.

The Bakersfield Sound was characterized by its own distinctive twang, a hard-edged honky-tonk sound that owed more to Western swing than to the Nashville sound popular at the time. Influenced by artists such as Bob Wills and Hank Williams, the Bakersfield Sound was developed by a group of musicians who came to be known as the “Bakersfield Boys.” These musicians—including Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Tommy Collins, Ferlin Husky, and Wynn Stewart—embraced a back-to-basics approach to country music that eschewed the polished production values of Nashville in favor of a more stripped-down sound.

The Bakersfield sound helped to reinspire country music in the 1960s after it had fallen out of favor with listeners. The hard-edged honky-tonk sound of the Bakersfield boys revitalized country music and influencing artists such as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.

The Stars of 60s Country Music

The 1960s was a decade of many changes in the world of country music. At the beginning of the decade, country music was mostly divided between the honky tonk and the Nashville sound. However, by the end of the 1960s, country music had become more unified and had begun to experiment with different sounds and styles. This article will explore the best of 60s country music, highlighting the artists and songs that defined the decade.

George Jones

George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.

Born in Saratoga, Texas, Jones first heard country music when he was seven and was given a guitar at the age of nine. He married his first wife Dorothy Bonvillion in 1950 and was divorced in 1951. He served in the United States Marine Corps and was discharged in 1953. He married Shirley Ann Corley in 1954. In 1959, Jones recorded “White Lightning”, which was his first #1 hit on the Billboard country charts. His 1960 hit “He Stopped Loving Her Today” topped both the country and pop charts, making him the second artist (after Bing Crosby) to achieve this feat.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Jones had over 150 hits, including “Tender Years” (1961), “Walk Through This World with Me” (1967), “We Can Make It” (1971), “The Grand Tour” (1974), and “He Don’t Love You” (1979). His notoriety for alcoholism often prevented him from fulfilling promotional commitments; in turn it sometimes prevented him from appearing live onstage at all. His wife Tammy Wynette stood by him through multiple occasions of domestic violence.

After drying out in the 1980s, Jones made a successful comeback as a more mellow performer with songs such as “I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair” (1991). His final recordings were made during a recording session that took place two weeks before his death on April 26, 2013 from respiratory failure at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tammy Wynette

Widely considered to be one of the genre’s greatest female vocalists, Tammy Wynette was born Virginia Wynette Pugh in May 1942 in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Her first exposure to music came from her mother, who sold CDs out of her home; Wynette would often listen to country artists such as Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. As a teenager, she began writing songs with a friend; one of their compositions, “Apartment No. 9,” would later be recorded by Johnny Cash. In 1959, Wynette married Euple Byrd; the following year, she had her first child, Tammy Tara Byrd. (She and Byrd would eventually have three children together.) Also in 1960, she began working as a receptionist for entertainment lawyer George Richey; it was through Richey that Wynette met producer Billy Sherrill and secured a recording contract with Epic Records.

Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard was born in Bakersfield, California in 1937. Haggard’s father died when he was nine, and his family struggled financially. At age 15, Haggard ran away from home and began hitchhiking. He ended up in juvenile detention after stealing a car and was sent to prison at age 20. While in prison, Haggard learned to play guitar and began writing songs.

After his release from prison, Haggard moved to Oklahoma where he met his future wife, singer Bonnie Owens. The two married in 1965 and had two children together. that same year, Haggard signed with Capitol Records and released his first single, “Sing Me Back Home”. The song was a hit and helped to launch Haggard’s successful country music career.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Haggard released a string of successful albums and singles. He was known for his traditional country sound as well as his outlaw image. Haggard continued to release new music throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1994, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Haggard passed away in 2016 at the age of 79.

The Songs of 60s Country Music

The 1960s was a great decade for country music. Some of the best songs of all time were released during this era. This decade saw the rise of country music legends like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. If you’re a fan of country music, then you’ll love this list of the best songs of the 60s.

“He Stopped Loving Her Today”

He Stopped Loving Her Today is a song recorded by American country music artist George Jones. The song was released in April 1980 as the lead single from the album I Am What I Am. The song was written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, and produced by Billy Sherrill.

“He Stopped Loving Her Today” is widely considered to be one of country music’s greatest recordings, and is certainly one of George Jones’ most recognizable hits. It has appeared on numerous lists of the greatest country songs of all time, including those compiled by CMT, Complex, and Taste of Country. In 2008, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

“Stand by Your Man”

Written by Tammy Wynette and Billy Sherrill, “Stand by Your Man” was released as a single in 1968 and quickly became a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard country charts. The song has since been covered by many artists, including Nancy Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Reba McEntire.

The lyrics of “Stand by Your Man” tell the story of a woman who is standing by her man through thick and thin, despite his faults. The song has been praised for its simple, yet powerful message of loyalty and unconditional love. In spite of the song’s controversial subject matter, it has become one of the most iconic country songs of all time.

“Okie from Muskogee”

“Okie from Muskogee” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in September 1969 as the lead single from the album A Portrait of Merle Haggard. The song became one of the most controversial country songs of all time, as its lyrics are a pointed commentary on the counterculture movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Legacy of 60s Country Music

The 1960s was a decade of change in country music. Artists like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton paved the way for female artists in country music. The 60s also saw the rise of the Outlaw Country movement with artists like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Country music was never the same after the 60s and these artists left a lasting legacy.

The Outlaw Country Movement

The Outlaw Country Movement was a group of country musicians who rejected the Nashville sound and developed their own style in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The movement was started by artists like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, who were frustrated with the way that country music was being produced in Nashville. They decided to move away from the polished, pop-influenced sound that was becoming popular and return to a more traditional, roots-based sound.

The Outlaw Country Movement had a major impact on country music, and its influence can still be heard in the music of today. The movement helped to bring country music back to its roots, and it also inspired future generations of country musicians.

The Urban Cowboy Movement

In the late 1970s, a new breed of country music emerged from the bars and dancehalls of Texas and Oklahoma. This so-called “Urban Cowboy” sound was defined by a new generation of singers, songwriters and producers who blended the traditional country sounds of honky-tonk and Western swing with the contemporary pop and rock of the day.

The Urban Cowboy movement reached its height in 1980 with the release of the film “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta. The soundtrack to the film, which featured such artists as Charlie Daniels, Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley and Bonnie Raitt, became one of the best-selling albums of all time.

The Urban Cowboy sound would go on to define country music in the 1980s, with artists like George Strait, Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam carrying the torch for traditional country music. While the Urban Cowboy movement may have faded from prominence in recent years, its legacy can still be heard in today’s country music.