3 Country Songs From 1979 That Every 70s Kid Still Knows Today
An American Songwriter feature highlights three country hits from 1979 that remain widely recognised by people who grew up in the 1970s. The piece looks back at the songwriters and stories behind each track, underlining how strong the genre's output was by the end of that decade.
The songs featured are Conway Twitty's "Happy Birthday Darlin'", a three-week No. 1 written by Chuck Howard that nods to his earlier hit "Hello Darlin'"; The Bellamy Brothers' "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me?", written by David Bellamy and inspired by a Groucho Marx line, which was the duo's first country chart-topper; and Larry Gatlin's "All The Gold in California", written solely by Gatlin after being inspired while stuck in Los Angeles traffic.
- Article revisits three memorable 1979 country hits.
- Conway Twitty's "Happy Birthday Darlin'" was a three-week No. 1.
- Bellamy Brothers and Larry Gatlin songs also profiled with writing backstories.
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Country music had a strong run through the 1970s, and 1979 in particular produced several hits that have stayed familiar decades later, even to people who weren't paying attention to the charts at the time. American Songwriter, a publication focused on the craft and stories behind popular songs, has put together a piece revisiting three of these tracks and the people who wrote them.
The songs in question are by three well-known country acts of the era: Conway Twitty, a major star of the genre known for numerous number one hits; The Bellamy Brothers, a sibling duo who became known for blending country with pop-friendly hooks; and Larry Gatlin, a singer-songwriter who often performed with his brothers as the Gatlin Brothers. Each song has its own backstory involving the writer's inspiration, from a nod to an earlier hit to a chance moment stuck in traffic.
The piece matters mainly as a piece of music history and nostalgia, showing how songwriters translated everyday moments and personal references into lasting hits, and reflecting on why these particular songs have remained recognisable to those who grew up listening to country radio in the 1970s.