Finally I have gotten to sit down and write my first blog on Country music. It has been a long time coming!
There were so many great artists from the 1980's, but a lot of them never got the recognition they deserved.... Then or now. So here are 15 that I think deserve better recognition:
1. The Forester Sisters- 15 top 10 songs in their career. 14 of those between 1985-1989! (The 15th was the song Men which was released in 1991.) Their harmonies blended perfectly. Their songs were sweet but not overly so. Kathy, June, Kim & Christy retired in the mid-nineties to finish raising their children. Unfortunately, I rarely hear them on the radio, even the classic country stations. Who could forget song like I Fell In Love Again Last Night, Too Much Is Not Enough (with the Bellamy Brothers) and (That's What You Do) When You're In Love. My all time favorite song (of any genre) was one of theirs. Lonely Alone which reached #2 in 1987.
2. Judy Rodman- What can I say? In the 80's she had 8 top 40 songs. As a singer, her only #1 was in 1986 with Hank Riddle's Until I Met You. Other top ten songs included She Think's That She'll Marry, Girls Ride Horses Too, and Bob Dylan's I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. As an artist, her last top 40 song was the Janis Ian/Thom Schuyler (and backing vocalists) song I Want A Love Like That. On her album Judy she covered up and coming 80's artist K.T. Oslin's Come Next Monday. The lady is a hit writing machine. To name a (very) few-- One Way Ticket (Because I Can) for LeAnn Rimes, and Girl Thang for Wynonna and Tammy Wynette. Fortunately she is active in Nashville giving vocal instruction and producing music.
3. Shelly West- The daughter of legend Dottie West and steel guitar player Bill West, had a long string of hits both alone and with duet partner David Frizzell. Between 1981-1985 she had 5 top 40 songs as a soloist including the #1 Jose Cuervo in 1983. She also had top tens with Flight 309 To Tennessee, and Another Motel Memory. With Frizzell she racked up even more top ten songs, 1981's #1 You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma is probably the most famous. The duo's other chart top 10's were A Texas State of Mind, Another Honky Tonk Night On Broadway and I Just Came Here To Dance. With the exception of Cuervo I never hear her on the radio. (F.Y.I.--In my next blog I will talk about her mother and the Country Music Hall of Fame.)
4. Steve Wariner- He is my favorite all time favorite country music artist. He has never even been nominated for entertainer of the year despite being an exceptional singer and a phenom when it comes to guitar. (It seems to me that most entertainers of the year are simply vocalists/singers, don't play an instrument and/or don't offer much showmanship. Barbara Mandrell is one exception.) At age 17, in the 1970's, he started off as a bass player for Dottie West, then played for Bob Luman and eventually caught the ear of Chet Atkins, who signed him to his first record contract in 1977. He had 26 top 40 songs in the 1980's alone, 21 of those reaching the top ten and 9 number 1's! (His first was the Kye Fleming/Dennis Morgan song All Roads Lead To You in 1981.) He made a wonderful transition into the 90's with over 12 top 40 songs and even the 2000's. He wrote the song (and did the backing vocals) for Garth Brooks Long Neck Bottle. Yet he rarely gets a mention today (unless he appears on the Grand Ole Opry.)
5. K.T. Oslin- Another great singer/songwriter. Prior to her reign on the country charts she had written songs that appeared on albums by Dottie West, Gail Davies and several others. Her breakthrough as an artist was Wall Of Tears which went to #40 in 1987. Between '87-'89 she had 9 top 40 songs, 6 which were top ten and of those, 3 went #1. Her signature song, 80's Ladies, climbed to #7 on the charts. In 1990 she scored her last #1 and top 10 with her self penned Come Next Monday. Her last chart entry was 1991's #28 song Mary & Willie. Since her last single she has written many songs (including Wanda by the Forester Sisters and Moving Out by Amie Comeaux) acted on the TV show Evening Shade (with Tammy Wynette) and in movies including The Thing Called Love.
6. The McCarter Sisters- This trio of sisters (Jennifer, Lisa & Teresa) were only on the charts for two years in the 1980's, but much like the Forester Sisters, their harmony was unmistakable. In their short chart career they scored 5 top 40 songs, three of those top 10. Their first single was Timeless & True Love which peaked at #5 in 1988. Their most successful single was 1988's The Gift which peaked at #4.
7. Schuyler, Knobloch & Overstreet (SKO)/Schuyler, Knobloch & Bickhardt (SKB)- Before Chord Overstreet appeared on Glee, his dad Paul and Paul's fellow songwriters Thom Schuyler & J. Fred Knobloch were cranking out hits for The Judds, George Jones, Michael Martin Murphey, Keith Whitley and many many many more. Together as SKO they had 3 top 40 songs, 2 of those top 10, and their #1 Baby's Got A New Baby. When Paul Overstreet left in 1987 to pursue a solo career, Craig Bickhardt was added to the group. As SKB they had three more top 40 songs including No Easy Horses & Givers and Takers. As songwriters I hear these 4 gentlemen on a regular basis, unfortunately I hardly ever hear them on the radio.
8. Rosanne Cash- Between 1979-1990, Rosanne Cash had 21 top 40 singles, 15 top ten and 11 #1's! She stopped hitting the charts in 1990. She continues to tour and make albums, yet it's rare to hear her on the radio. In my opinion her best album was King's Record Shop which was released in 1987, and contained some of her best music ever. I think she tends to be in the shadow of her equally talented father.
9. Rodney Crowell- Between 1981 -1989 he had 9 top 40 songs, 7 top ten, 5 of those were #1's. Many of these were self penned. He also wrote 'Til I Gain Control Again, (by Crystal Gayle) Leavin' Louisiana In the Broad Day Light (Oak Ridge Boys) I Ain't Livin Long Like This (Waylon Jennings) & An American Dream (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.) Along with several songs for his ex-wife Rosanne Cash. Early in his career he worked as a staff writer for Jerry Reed.
10. The Girls Next Door- They started off as a group called Belle and consisted of Doris King, Diane Williams, Cindy Nixon, and Tammy Stephens. They had only 4 top 40 songs, 1 top ten Slow Boat To China, which peaked at #8 in 1986. (Interesting story--In 1986 I went to see the Judds and The Girls Next Door were to be the opening act. It poured so long and hard that they never got to go onstage. A fact that did not thrill my parents.) They had harmonies similar to those of the Forester Sisters. Unfortunately they disbanded in 1991, and I have NEVER heard them on the radio since the glory days of the 1980's.
11. Earl Thomas Conley- He had 27 top 40 songs between 1980-1989, of those 24 were top 10 and 18 were #1's. (This does not include his wonderful duet Brotherly Love with Keith Whitley which was recorded in the 1980's, but did not reach the charts until 1991.) He has written songs for Mel Street and Conway Twitty and more recently co-wrote All Over Me for Blake Shelton. He continues to tour.
12. Foster & Lloyd- Songwriters Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd made up this duo. Prior to their tenure as artists they penned the song Love Someone Like Me for Holly Dunn. Between '87-'89 they garnered five top 40 songs, all five were top 20, four were top ten and the highest was Crazy Over You which peaked at #4 in 1987.
13. The O'Kanes - Consisted of Jamie O'Hara & Kieran Kane. Prior to their paring as artists, they wrote (among others) Grandpa, Tell Me About The Good Old Days for the Judds. You could barely turn on the radio in the 1980's without hearing one of their songs. As a country singing team, they had six top 0 songs, all of which were top 10 and one #1which was Can't Stop My Heart From Lovin' You. Kieran Kane tried a solo career after they disbanded.
14. Juice Newton- Between 1980 -1989, she had sixteen top 40 songs, nine top 10's 4 #1's. Interestingly enough two of her songs (Angel Of The Morning & Queen of Hearts) both were certified gold as singles but only went to 22 & 14 (respectively) on the charts. She wrote songs that were recorded by (among others) pop group The Carpenters. She continues to tour today.
15. Desert Rose Band- They seemed to be the least likely country group. After all, Chris Hillman, was a founding member of the pop groups The Byrds & The Flying Burrito Brothers, and fellow Californians John Jorgenson (who played with-among others- Elton John, Bob Seger, Bob Dylan and Luciano Pavarotti) , and Herb Pederson (who played with Jackson Browne, Dan Fogelberg, and Stephen Stills to name a few.) Together they had a wonderful country sound. They had nine top 40 songs between 1987 and 1989. Seven of those were top 10 and two were #1. They officially disbanded in 1994, but have none of them have ever retired.
Here are some 80's country artists that are also often overlooked on classic radio and in the country music history books:
Skip Ewing
John Conlee
Ed Bruce
Michael Martin Murphey
Dan Seals
Eddie Raven
Holly Dunn
Razzy Bailey
T. Graham Brown
Baillie & The Boys
Southern Pacific
Another note of interest on about 4 of these artists. Judy Rodman, SKO/SKB, The Girls Next Door & Holly Dunn all recorded for the same record label, MTM, in the 1980's. I believe the label went south in the late 80's or early 90's, and it's entirely possible that the break-ups of some of these bands had to do with issues like that.
-Stephanie
