Not all major hits are meant for all voices, and that’s okay. When it comes to these old country ballads, we’ll leave the vocals to the professionals.
“He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones
Even though this is easily one of the saddest songs in George Jones‘ catalog, it actually helped the singer have a comeback in 1980. At the time, Jones hadn’t had a No. 1 single in six years. Following his divorce from Tammy Wynette, he was, both professionally and personally, on the struggle bus. When Billy Sherill, the song’s producer, first showed him the song, Jones didn’t see its potential.
Videos by American Songwriter
“He thought it was too long, too sad, too depressing, and that nobody would ever play it,” Sherill once explained. “He hated the melody and wouldn’t learn it.”
Since its release, this track has become one of Jones’ most enduring hits, even reentering the charts after he died in 2013. To this day, there’s no one who sings it quite like the country music legend.
“Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” by Willie Nelson
Yeah, this one’s a little depressing. Written by Fred Rose, this song was actually recorded by several artists, including Hank Williams Jr., before it reached Nelson.
Vocally, singing this one is a task. As Nelson said in an interview, though, the real challenge for him when singing this one is not letting his emotions get in the way.
“It’s really difficult to sing ‘Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain’ or ‘Always On My Mind’ without getting emotionally involved, especially when the audience gets emotionally involved and you feel their feelings,” he explained. “You can only wallow in your own misery for so long without saying, ‘Wait a minute, I want a drink!’”
“For The Good Times” by Ray Price
In 1970, songwriter Kris Kristofferson had a moment with both this song and “Sunday Morning Coming Down”, which was named Song of the Year at the CMAs that year. “For The Good Times” won that same award during the ACMs. There’s another thing these two songs have in common, though—they’re both pretty challenging to sing. That’s why we leave them to pros like Johnny Cash and Ray Price.
Photo: Getty Images
Most Viewed
-
British guitarist, singer and songwriter Mark Knopfler (left) plays a Schecter Stratocaster as his band, Dire Straits, including Hal Lindes (right), performs live in concert at Wembley Arena in London, England, July 1985. Dire Straits played twelve dates (between 4th July and 16th July) at the venue as part of their 'Brothers in Arms' Tour. (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images) -
1990 MTV Video Music Awards (L-R) American musicians Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler and Joey Kramer, of the American rock band Aerosmith, pose with their Moonman award backstage during the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California, September 6, 1990. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images) -
Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple, who recorded a classic rock album any dad would love to have. -
Queen – Freddie Mercury, Queen – Freddie Mercury (Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images) -
(Photo by John Lynn Kirk/Redferns/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
Phil Collins (born in 1951), British actor and singer-songwriter, during a concert at Bercy. Paris (12th arrondissement), March 5, 1985. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet via Getty Images)
