Did you grow up in a small or rural town in the 1980s? If so, you probably listened to quite a bit of local AM radio. And even if you weren’t listening to big-city FM stations, you definitely heard the following three songs quite a bit on your local stations. Let’s dive into a few 1980s hit songs that were constantly playing on small-town radio stations.
“9 To 5” by Dolly Parton from ‘9 To 5 And Odd Jobs’ (1980)
This ode to working hard and making it through tough jobs and times is still beloved today. But back in 1980, “9 To 5” by Dolly Parton was an enormous hit, and there was no escaping it on AM or FM radio well through 1981. This hit song from Parton gained significant fame for being featured in the comedy film of the same name, in which Parton also stars. “9 To 5” was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the Top 40 around the world. Parton would also win two Grammy Awards for this delightful country pop disco tune.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I Love A Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt from ‘Horizon’ (1980)
In the 1980s, adding a little bit of rockabilly flair to country songs was quite popular. One shining example would be “I Love A Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt, out in 1980. This song was a smash hit on the charts. It peaked at No. 1 on both the Hot Country Songs chart and the Hot 100 chart. I have to say, this song is pretty unique, complete with finger snaps and claps making up the core percussion of the track.
“Queen Of Hearts” by Juice Newton from ‘Juice’ (1981)
Juice Newton turned this country pop gem among popular songs into a smash hit suitable for any small-town radio station in the 1980s. However, she wasn’t the first to record it. “Queen Of Hearts” was originally written by Hank DeVito and recorded by Dave Edmunds in 1979. Newton’s version, though, dominated the charts. It peaked at No. 14 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart. And according to Newton, it almost didn’t happen.
“I did [‘Queen Of Hearts’] live for about a year,” she said. “Then I brought it to [producer] Richard Landis when we started the ‘Juice’ album. He wasn’t convinced at that point that it was a breakout song but I told him I think this is a real cool song. […] So we cut it.”
(Photo by Ron Wolfson/WireImage)