3 Country Songs From 1961 That Still Make Me Smile Today
A retrospective picks out three country recordings from 1961 that the writer still enjoys: Johnny Cash’s “Tennessee Flat Top Box”, Floyd Cramer’s “San Antonio Rose” and Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces”. The songs show different sides of the era, from a story about an aspiring musician to a wistful standard and a heartbreak ballad.
Cash wrote “Tennessee Flat Top Box”, which reached the Top 15; 26 years later, his daughter Rosanne had a No. 1 hit with it. Bob Wills wrote “San Antonio Rose” and first released it in 1939; Cramer’s 1961 version was his second Top 10 hit and reached the Adult Contemporary chart’s Top 5. “I Fall to Pieces”, written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard, became Cline’s first No. 1 single after Brenda Lee declined to record it.
- Three country songs from 1961 remain popular with the writer.
- Johnny Cash’s song later became a No. 1 hit for Rosanne Cash.
- Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces” was her first No. 1 single.