Posts from — June 2008

Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette

The First Lady of Country Music scored her first of 20 Number One hits with this song, winning a Grammy for Best Female Country Performance in 1969. Co-written by Billy Sherrill, this emotional classic became Wynette’s trademark song, helping her to become the first female country act to have an album selling 1 million copies – and launching her to superstar status.

The Front Porch Country Band has released a new video for their song, “I Believe” and subsequently launched the “I Believe Campaign.” The campaign invites people to tell the world what they believe in. Here’s the video:

Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford

The best-selling crossover record of the early rock era, this unforgettable working-man’s ballad riveted listeners with the woes of being stuck working in a company mining town. The 1955 multi-million seller written by Merle Travis became Ford’s signature song, helping to land him in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler) – Alabama

This band exploded onto the country scene in 1980 and has held onto fans ever since with their string of 21 consecutive Number One hits, none more impressive than this Gold and Platinum favorite from their 1984 Album of the Year written by David Loggins. That same year they also capped consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year awards in 1982-1983-1984.

Proud Mary – Creedance Clearwater Revival

They rode their inspired country-rock sound to the top of the rock & pop charts to become the world’s biggest selling artists of the early 1970’s – so big that many of their John Fogerty-written hits like this one have since crossed over to become established American country standards.

North To Alaska – Johnny Horton

A Texan, Horton actually spent time working in Alaska as a professional fisherman, which no doubt later inspired his powerful vocals on this 1960 hit penned by M. Phillips. This was just one of a string of hits from Horton, who was on his way to country and pop dominance when he died in a car accident in 1960.