The article looks back at three country songs from 1988, arguing they still hold up well today. The selections highlight standout tracks from Tanya Tucker, Keith Whitley and Alabama, whose work that year is regarded as a high point for the genre.

The songs featured are Tanya Tucker's "If It Don't Come Easy", from her 16th studio album Love Me Like You Used To, written by Dave Gibson and Craig Karp; Keith Whitley's title track "Don't Close Your Eyes", written solely by Bob McDill and inspired by the 1978 film California Suite; and Alabama's "Song Of The South", also written by McDill, a multi-platinum hit from their Southern Star album that had previously been recorded by artists including Bobby Bare, Johnny Russell, and Tom T. Hall with Earl Scruggs.

– Tanya Tucker's "If It Don't Come Easy" (1988), a cautionary song about relationships
– Keith Whitley's "Don't Close Your Eyes" (1988), a heartbreak ballad written by Bob McDill
– Alabama's "Song Of The South", a multi-platinum McDill-penned tribute to Southern life