On 31 August 1977, Crystal Gayle topped the US country songs chart with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", a milestone that helped her step out from the shadow of her older sister, country legend Loretta Lynn. The song also reached number two on the pop chart, cementing Gayle as a crossover star and earning her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, part of a career that has since produced more than 20 number-one hits.

Written by Richard Leigh, the song was originally intended for Welsh singer Shirley Bassey before producer Allen Reynolds secured it for Gayle, recording it in October 1976 at Nashville's Jack's Tracks studio. Released in June 1977 as the lead single from her album We Must Believe in Magic, it spent four weeks at number one and marked Gayle's second chart-topper that year. The album itself sold more than a million copies, becoming the first platinum-certified record by a female country artist, and the song remains regarded as one of the era's greatest country hits.