Three country songs from 1965 exemplify the genre's enduring appeal and continued evolution during that transformative decade.

– "Make The World Go Away" was a three-week No. 1 hit for Eddy Arnold, written by Hank Cochran and previously released as a Top 5 hit by Ray Price in 1963.
– "Before You Go", co-written by Buck Owens and Don Rich, topped the charts for six weeks, making it 1965's longest-running country No. 1; Owens also achieved another No. 1 that year with "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail" (five weeks).
– "Is It Really Over?" was written and performed by Jim Reeves, who had died in 1964; it became the first of five posthumous No. 1 hits for Reeves.