Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Must-Hear Country Ballads From 1965
The article highlights four country ballads released in 1965, presenting them as enduring songs from the era. It describes their chart success and the performers who helped make them memorable.
Eddy Arnold’s “Make the World Go Away”, first recorded by Ray Price in 1963, topped both US country and adult contemporary charts and reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Marty Robbins made Gordon Lightfoot’s “Ribbon of Darkness” a country No. 1; Buck Owens and Don Rich wrote “Before You Go”, which also reached No. 1 country and No. 83 on the Hot 100. Connie Smith’s “Then and Only Then”, written by Bill Anderson, peaked at No. 4 on the country chart.
- Four country ballads from 1965 are revisited.
- Eddy Arnold’s version of “Make the World Go Away” reached No. 6.
- Buck Owens, Marty Robbins and Connie Smith also feature.
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Country music in the United States has its own charts, alongside broader pop charts. In the 1960s, singers often recorded songs written by other performers, and a song could become known through a new version by a different artist.
The four songs mentioned were recorded by Eddy Arnold, Marty Robbins, Buck Owens and Don Rich, and Connie Smith. Their chart positions show how some country songs also reached listeners beyond the country audience, while others were more successful within the country charts.