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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 22, 2020 10:24:15 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#85 - Dublin Blues - Guy Clark
This is the song that changed me from being a Guy Clark fan to having to work not to be worshipful. Dublin Blues is easily in my top ten favorite songs of all time. Likely in the top five. It simply is everything you want in a love song and everything you expect from Guy Clark. And that dobro by Jerry Douglas. I hear it and I just want to drink mad-dog margaritas in the Chili Parlor Bar.
I have seen the David, I've seen the Mona Lisa too And I have heard Doc Watson play "Columbus Stockade Blues"
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 23, 2020 12:53:04 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#84 - Walking the Floor Over You (1941 version) - Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb perplexes me. He was just a huge country star. But honestly he's a pretty awful singer. He'd pretty much stopped producing new music by the end of the 60s. On the other hand he had one of the absolute best bands ever in country music.
This is specifically the 1941 version of the song, which was Tubbs' first big hit and, arguably, is the keystone of honky-tonk music. Tubbs re-recorded the song a number of times, but this is the gold standard.
Awwww...pick it out, Smitty.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 24, 2020 11:31:39 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#83 - The Class of '57 - The Statler Brothers
This is another one that was a result of the passing of Harold Reid last year. But it's still just a great example of the fabulous work that the Statlers did in the 70s. And this particular song seems to become more meaningful the older I get.
Those are definitely some outfits though.
Where Mavis finally wound up is anybody's bet.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 28, 2020 10:41:32 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#82 - For the Good Times - Johnny Cash
Second time around for this great song written by Kris Kristofferson. This was off American VI: Ain't No Grave, Cash's last album. The songs were recorded at the same session as those for American V and Cash died during the time of the sessions.
The song is made more poignant because the sessions took place less than six months after the death of June Carter. It was obvious to Cash that his life was near the end and this really is a paean to his love and loss with June.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 29, 2020 10:39:24 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#81 - Tupelo - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
First, but not the last, time we'll see Isbell and the 400 Unit on the list. Tupelo, off the 2017 album The Nashville Sound, is another of Isbell's meditations on breaking up and its aftermath. The studio track has an excellent slide guitar working.
"She said there's nothing left to talk about At my age I should've figured out Which drawer to put the good knives in"
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 30, 2020 10:30:51 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#80 - Carryin' on This Way - Dale Watson
I'm guessing this is the lowest this has ever been on this list. I'm a big fan of Dale Watson and this is easily my favorite song of his. A classic meditation on growing older and not wanting to grow old. This was the title track off his 2010 album that is, in my opinion, his strongest effort.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 31, 2020 11:42:55 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#79 - 1965 - Dean Miller
This is my one and only substitution this year. And it's not because of weirdness on the part of Spotify (well a little). Two different versions of Kris Kristofferson's Sunday Morning Coming Down ended up on my list. The original version from his first album is much much higher. This spot was held by a version he did for the album "The Austin Sessions." While it's one of my favorite songs, I'm not able to justify it being here twice by the same performer.
So I had to decide what to put here. I had two thoughts. Initially I was going to put Johnny Cash's version of Sunday Morning Coming Down here. Because it's way up there on my list of favorites. But then I thought maybe I'd spotlight a song that got a ton of listens at the end of the year but not enough to make the list.
So here is Dean Miller with 1965. And yeah there's a ton of nostalgia in the song and that's okay. I like it. And if the name seems familiar it's because Dean Miller is the son of the late, great Roger Dean Miller, who's music set the tone for my childhood. Dean has never been super successful as a musician, but I think he does a damn fine job.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 3, 2021 15:42:38 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#78 - Take Your Love Out of Town - Zephaniah OHora
The second appearance of a song off OHora's 2017 album. Dude just does great classic country songs. And he's able to blend countrypolitan with a Merle Haggard aesthetic that is always interesting and never derivative.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 4, 2021 10:47:45 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#77 - Running With Our Eyes Closed - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The first (but not the last track) from Isbell and the Unit's 2020 album Reunions. This is Isbell in relationship mode rather than political mode. Of course, he's brilliant in either.
I've heard a lot of people say that this album is uneven. I think it's great and it's likely in my top two or three albums of the year. But I think it's fair to say it's not as solid as The Nashville Years or Southeastern (an all-time great album).
While Isbell and the Unit tour a lot, Covid has obviously precluded that and finding live versions from the new album is a challenge.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 5, 2021 10:35:32 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020
#76 - Hard-core Troubadour - Steve Earle
This one came off Earle's 1996 album "I Feel Alright." While it was his second album after an extended hiatus to get clean, it was the first that didn't include a significant amount of old stuff on it. Of course it's become on of Earle's signature songs and lends its name to his Sirius/XM Outlaw Country show.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 5, 2021 11:53:00 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020 #81 - Carryin' on This Way - Dale WatsonI'm guessing this is the lowest this has ever been on this list. I'm a big fan of Dale Watson and this is easily my favorite song of his. A classic meditation on growing older and not wanting to grow old. This was the title track off his 2010 album that is, in my opinion, his strongest effort. I love this, but it's pretty clear that Dale was a big admirer of "Gentle on My Mind."
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 5, 2021 12:01:10 GMT -5
Most listened to songs of 2020 #81 - Carryin' on This Way - Dale WatsonI'm guessing this is the lowest this has ever been on this list. I'm a big fan of Dale Watson and this is easily my favorite song of his. A classic meditation on growing older and not wanting to grow old. This was the title track off his 2010 album that is, in my opinion, his strongest effort. I love this, but it's pretty clear that Dale was a big admirer of "Gentle on My Mind." Yeah it tracks Gentle on My Mind quite well. Watson is just a huge fan of traditional country music. He's done his own "Sun Studios Rockabilly" album. Did a duet album with Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. Two albums of trucking songs. He was a fixture of the Austin music scene for a couple of decades with a regular set at The Continental Club until he opened his own bar/club in Memphis.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 5, 2021 12:03:18 GMT -5
Keep these coming, Slam_Bradley. My Spotify playlists are the better for it.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 5, 2021 12:42:42 GMT -5
Keep these coming, Slam_Bradley . My Spotify playlists are the better for it. There's 76 more to go. And at some point I will do a list of my favorite albums of 2020.
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Post by antoine on Jan 5, 2021 21:15:58 GMT -5
Keep these coming, Slam_Bradley . My Spotify playlists are the better for it. There's 76 more to go. And at some point I will do a list of my favorite albums of 2020. What's your spotify username? I like to follow a few persons and listen to what they listen to when I don't know what to listen to. That's a lot of "listen to" in a sentence...
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