Back in the 1960s, many country tunes were so well-loved that they crossed over to the pop charts. The following country-pop songs from 1968, specifically, managed to reach the coveted Billboard Hot 100. And they still have that sharp Southern twang. Let’s look at a few very successful 60s country songs, shall we?
“Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley from ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’
This is probably one of the biggest country-pop crossover hits of all time, and Jeannie C. Riley’s Texas twang resonates from the beginning of the song to the end. Despite being very much a country song, “Harper Valley PTA” became a classic that was massively popular with pop music listeners. This country pop storytelling tune was a No. 1 hit on both the Hot Country Singles chart and the Hot 100 chart. It also did fairly well on the Easy Listening chart, where it peaked at No. 4.
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“Folsom Prison Blues (Live)” by Johnny Cash from ‘At Folsom Prison’
The original version of Johnny Cash’s signature song came out way back in 1955. However, the version of the song that most people know is the live version, recorded straight from Folsom State Prison in California in 1968. That version was a pop chart smash in ways the original song didn’t even touch. The live 1968 version of “Folsom Prison Blues” topped both the US and Canadian country charts and crossed over to the Hot 100 chart at No. 32. The original version didn’t make it to the Hot 100 at all and peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US. Sometimes, the live version is just superior.
“Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette from ‘Stand By Your Man’
Tammy Wynette had the prettiest Mississippi accent, one that rang beautifully throughout her hit song “Stand By Your Man”. Those vocal bends and the instrumentation of the song are irrevocably country, but that didn’t stop “Stand By Your Man” from becoming one of the biggest country-pop songs of 1968. This lovely Wynette original topped both the US and Canadian country charts and peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 chart in 1968.
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