The Best of 70’s Country Music
A blog dedicated to the best country music of the 1970’s. Featuring artist bios, album reviews, and more.
The Outlaws
The Outlaws are a country rock band, formed in Tampa, Florida in 1972 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Hughie Thomasson and drummer David Dix. The Outlaws are best known for their hit songs “There Goes Another Love Song” and “Green Grass and High Tides”. The Outlaws released their self-titled debut album in 1975, which reached number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
“The Outlaw”
The Outlaw movement was a subgenre of country music that began in the 1970s. The sound was defined by a mixture of rock and roll, folk, and honky-tonk, and was characterized by a rebel spirit and an outlaw image.
The outlaw movement began as a reaction to the polished sound of Nashville’s so-called “Countrypolitan” style. Outlaw artists such as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Jessi Colter were influenced by rock and roll, but still kept one foot in the traditional country camp. They rejected the slick production values of Nashville in favor of a grittier, natural sound.
The outlaw image was also a reaction to the safe, wholesome image of country music that had been cultivated in the 1950s and 1960s. Outlaws embraced an edgier, more rebellious image, complete with long hair and beards, leather jackets, and motorcycles.
The outlaw movement reached its height in the mid-1970s with the release of several landmark albums, including Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger and Waylon Jennings’ Are You Ready for the Country. The Outlaw sound began to wane in the late 1970s as country music became more polished and pop-oriented. However, many of the artists associated with the movement continued to enjoy success throughout their careers.
“There Ain’t No Way”
This ballad, sung by a forlorn woman to her lover, is one of the most gut-wrenching country music songs of all time. The woman, who is clearly in the wrong, knows it. She tries to convince her lover that she has changed and that he should take her back. But she also knows that there is no way that he will ever forgive her:
There ain’t no way you’re ever gonna change my mind
I’ve seen too much and I’m much too old
There ain’t no way
You’re ever gonna win this time
So just give up and go
And leave me alone
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings was an influential country music singer in the 1970s. He was known for his Outlaw country movement. Jennings recorded thirty-six albums and sixty-two singles during his career. He released fourteen number one hits and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
“Are You Ready for the Country”
Waylon Jennings was an American country singer, songwriter, and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential country music artists of all time. Jennings began playing guitar at eight years old and started performing at twelve on KVOW radio. He formed several bands and played with them in honky-tonks and dance halls throughout the Southwest. In 1958, he moved to Lubbock, Texas, where he found work as a DJ on KLLL.
“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)”
“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” is a 1977 country song written by Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons, and recorded by American country music artist Waylon Jennings. It was released in June 1977 as the lead single from the album Ol’ Waylon. The song became one of Jennings’ signature tunes and his fourth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in early 1978.
The song is an ode to Luckenbach, a small town located in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The town is located at the junction of Luckenbach Road and FM 1383, about 8 miles (13 km) west of Fredericksburg.
In the song, Jennings sings that “everybody’s got to have a place / To go back to / we all gotta have a place / where we can go back to.” He goes on to say that “you can be yourself in Luckenbach, Texas / Ain’t nobody gonna care if you’re being yourself or not.”
The song was recorded in March 1977 at Moman’s recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, Moman was producing records for several country artists, including Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Tompall Glaser.
The song was originally released as a single with “I’m A Ramblin’ Man” on the flip side. After it became a No., Moman and Nashville record executives decided to release a new version of the album with “Luckenbach” as the title track.
Jennings performed the song at concerts throughout his career and it remained one of his most requested tunes. In 2002, he re-recorded the song with Merle Haggard for their joint album Django & Jimmie.
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is one of the best-known and most-loved country music artists of all time. He got his start in the late 1950s, and his career has spanned more than six decades. His songs are timeless classics, and his style is unique and instantly recognizable. Willie Nelson is a true icon, and he has had a profound impact on country music.
“Good Hearted Woman”
The song tells the story of a good-hearted woman whose man is a shiftless, good-timin’ man who is often unemployed and drunk. She faithfully loves him despite his shortcomings, and stuck by him through all the hard times. The song is a duet between Nelson and Waylon Jennings, two of the biggest country stars of the 1970s.
“My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”
Willie Nelson’s role in the country music industry cannot be understated. He is a legend, and his influence can be heard in the music of contemporary artists like Kacey Musgraves and Tyler Childers.
Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas, in 1933. He began his musical career as a singer and songwriter in the 1950s, writing such country standards as “Crazy” and “Night Life.” In the 1960s, he became one of the founders of the outlaw country movement, which flouted Nashville’s Symphony-backed sound in favor of a more rootsy, authentic approach to country music.
Nelson’s most iconic songs are undoubtedly those he recorded in the 1970s, including “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” “Good Hearted Woman,” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” These songs solidified Nelson as one of country music’s most important artists, and their themes of rugged individualism and defiance of convention continue to resonate with fans today.
In addition to his prolific musical career, Nelson is also an accomplished actor, appearing in such films as The Electric Horseman and Honeysuckle Rose. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2009.
Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson wrote some of the most iconic country songs of the 1970s. His best known song, “Me and Bobby McGee,” has been covered by dozens of artists. Kristofferson’s songs often tell stories of the down-and-out, and his own life has been full of ups and downs. Despite his success, Kristofferson has always remained true to his roots.
“Help Me Make It Through the Night”
“Help Me Make it Through the Night” is a song written and composed by Kris Kristofferson, released in October 1970 as a soundtrack single from the Sam Peckinpah film “The Last Movie”. The song was Kristofferson’s first chart hit, reaching number eight on the U.S. country singles chart in 1971. It has been recorded by more than 130 artists.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 37 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and No. 85 on its list of the 500 Greatest Country Songs of All Time. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and has been selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
“Me and Bobby McGee”
“Me and Bobby McGee” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and made famous by country music artist Janis Joplin. The song is about two lovers who are on the run from the law. Joplin’s version of the song topped the charts after her death in 1970, making it one of the posthumous number-one hits in Billboard history.
Kristofferson wrote the song in 1969 while traveling with fellow musician Mickey Newbury. He was inspired by a Don Gibson song called “Blue Monday”. Kristofferson wanted to write a song that was simple and easy to sing, with a melody that would be easy to remember. He later said that he had no idea that the song would become so popular.
The first recorded version of “Me and Bobby McGee” was by Roger Miller, who included it on his 1970 album A Trip in the Country. Miller’s version of the song was not released as a single, but it did receive some airplay on country radio stations.
Kristofferson’s friend and mentor Johnny Cash recorded his own version of “Me and Bobby McGee” in 1971. Cash’s version was released as a single and peaked at number 51 on the Billboard country chart.
In October 1970, Janis Joplin recorded “Me and Bobby McGee” with her band Big Brother and the Holding Company at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California. The sessions were produced by Paul Rothchild and they were assisted by engineer Rick Shlosser. Joplin’s version of the song was released posthumously as a single in 1971, after she died of a drug overdose at the age of 27. The single reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Cashbox Top 100 chart, making it one of the posthumous number-one hits in Billboard history.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is a country music legend who has been entertaining audiences for over 50 years. She is best known for her songs “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5.” Parton has also starred in movies like “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.” In addition to her musical and acting career, Parton is also a successful businesswoman. She is the owner of Dollywood, a theme park in Tennessee.
“Jolene”
One of Parton’s most famous songs, “Jolene” is a ballad about a housewife pleading with a beautiful woman who is flirting with and attempting to seduce her husband. The song became Parton’s second solo No. 1 country hit in 1974.
“I Will Always Love You”
One of the most popular and well-known country songs of all time, “I Will Always Love You” was penned and originally performed by Dolly Parton. The song became widely known in 1974 when Parton released it as a single, and it reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The following year, Whitney Houston recorded her own version of the song for the film “The Bodyguard.” Houston’s version went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time, and helped solidify Parton’s place as a country music legend.
