3 Country Songs From the 1960s That Sound More Relevant Now Than When They Were Released

Country music in the 1960s opened eyes and ears. But that was the point. The genre was known as “three chords and the truth”. With a legacy like that, it’s incumbent upon country artists to be one part-entertainment and one part-news organization.

Here below, we wanted to dive into three tracks from back in the day that did just that. Indeed, these are three country songs from the 1960s that sound more relevant now than when they were released.

“Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley from ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ (1968)

Censorship. The idea has been around, well, forever. It’s a topic society has to grapple with all of the time. What is proper and what isn’t? The question gets even trickier when it comes to schools and young people. Sometimes a person can go too far, but then again, sometimes institutions can too. That balance, that tug-of-war, is at the center of this classic country song from Jeannie C. Riley.

“Dumb Blonde” by Dolly Parton from ‘Hello, I’m Dolly’ (1967)

From a very young age, we’re taught not to judge a book by its cover. Similarly, we are told not to judge people by how they look. Sadly, too often, we fall into the trap of doing just the opposite. But on this 1967 country song, songwriting legend Dolly Parton reminds us that we shouldn’t lean into our predispositions or stereotypes when we meet someone new. Instead, we should judge a person by their character, by what they say, and how they act.

“Flowers On The Wall” by The Statler Brothers from ‘Flowers On The Wall’ (1966)

These days, people are isolated more than ever. They are in their rooms, bored in some way or another. The TV is on, playing some silly program. Maybe they’re at their computer, even playing solitaire (as the lyrics on this country song describe). Indeed, anyone listening to this track can relate. Isolation and boredom are prevalent today. With all of the “connections” our devices are supposed to give us, we are actually more distant than ever. That’s why hearing this 1966 song some 60 years later feels so eerily familiar.

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