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3 Country Deep Cuts From the 1980s That Belong in the Honky-Tonk Hall of Fame
Three underappreciated 1980s country songs are highlighted as deserving recognition in a notional “Honky-Tonk Hall of Fame”.
– K. T. Oslin’s “I’ll Always Come Back” topped both US and Canadian country charts in 1988, but is now rarely heard on country radio. – Merle Haggard’s “Back To The Barrooms Again”, the 1980 album’s title track, was never issued as a single despite its popularity in honky-tonks. – Judy Rodman’s “Girls Ride Horses Too” reached number seven on the US country chart in 1987, yet is often overshadowed by her better-known songs.
In short
- Three overlooked 1980s country songs are championed.
- Oslin’s song topped US and Canadian country charts.
- Haggard’s barroom favourite was never a single.
Explained simply
Honky-tonk is a style and setting within country music, associated with bars and dance halls, and songs about everyday life, relationships and hard times. A “Hall of Fame” for honky-tonk songs here is a figurative way to recognise tracks that have made a mark with listeners.
Country music charts track songs’ popularity, while radio airplay and later reputation can shape which tracks remain familiar. A chart success may become less widely heard over time, and a song that was not released as a single can still find an audience in honky-tonks.
The three songs come from different points in the 1980s country scene. K. T. Oslin and Judy Rodman had charting hits, while Merle Haggard was an established country singer whose album track found listeners in bars.