With everything from talk shows and feature films to pop crossover hits and the birth of the outlaw era, the ’70s were truly a golden age for country music.
Fans couldn’t get enough of singers like Crystal Gayle, Kris Kristofferson, John Denver, and Waylon Jennings on the radio, at the ticket box and beyond, leading to a string of No. 1 hits that are just as popular now as they were a half century ago. To celebrate one of the most celebrated decades in the history of country music, we’ve compiled a list of our 20 favorite singers from the ’70s time below.
Lynn Anderson
Anderson was one of country music’s most powerful female voices in the early ’70s courtesy of No. 1 songs like “Rose Garden,” “You’re My Man,” “How Can I Unlove You.” Her place within the country music zeitgeist was further cemented around this time with regular appearances on programs like “The Brady Bunch Hour,” “The Tonight Show” and “The Midnight Special.”
>> Read our conversation with Lynn Anderson’s daughter, Lisa Sutton, on her mother’s legacy.
David Allan Coe
A torchbearer of the outlaw movement that swept through country music in the ’70s, David Allan Coe is best known for performing songs like “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and “The Ride” in addition to penning iconic hits like Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job And Shove It.”
>> Listen to David Allan Coe's classic “You Never Even Called Me by My Name.”
Glen Campbell
After getting his own TV show in the late ’60s, Glen Campbell went on to have arguably the most successful decade of his career in the 1970s. In those years, Campbell produced timeless tracks like “Rhinestone Cowboy,” “Southern Nights,” and “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)” and hosted several award shows and other special events like the American Music Awards and Los Angeles Open.
>> Learn more about Glen Campbell’s vast legacy.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PCH Films
Johnny Cash
Despite his popularity starting to fall off by the decade’s end, Johnny Cash remained in the spotlight throughout the ’70s, first with his TV show and later with the release of songs like “Man In Black,” “One Piece At A Time,” and “Any Old Wind That Blows,” all of which were Top 5 songs on country radio.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Don Hunstein/Sony Music
Jessi Colter
Referred to by many as the queen of outlaw country, Jessi Colter was a mainstay in country music during the ’70s with songs like “I’m Not Lisa,” “What’s Happened to Blue Eyes,” and “It's Morning (And I Still Love You).” The artist was also one of several featured on 1975’s Wanted! The Outlaws alongside husband and country music icon, Waylon Jennings.
>> Watch Jessi Colter sing “What's Happened to Blue Eyes” live.
John Denver
Despite being from New Mexico, John Denver became one of the ’70s most recognizable artists with songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and “Thank God I'm a Country Boy” that highlighted the simple mountain life found everywhere from Colorado’s peaks to Appalachia’s hollers.
>> Check out John Denver singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” live.
Donna Fargo
Born Yvonne Vaughn, Donna Fargo had a series of crossover pop hits during the decade with songs like “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.,” “Funny Face,” and “Superman.” Perhaps even more impressive, she wrote all of the songs herself, a rarity for female country singers at the time.
>> Listen to Donna Fargo’s 1972 hit “Funny Face.”
Crystal Gayle
After signing with United Artist Records and getting out of her sister Loretta Lynn’s shadow in 1974, Crystal Gayle found her own voice on hits like “Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” “Talking In Your Sleep,” and “Ready for the Times to Get Better,” all of which reached No. 1 on the charts.
>> Check C&I’s Crystal Gayle playlist.
Tom T. Hall
Known in music circles as “The Storyteller,” Tom T. Hall wrote a total of 12 No. 1 songs including “Harper Valley PTA,” “I Love,” “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine,” and “Country Is.” He was also a frequent writer for other stars of the time like Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and Waylon Jennings.
>> Learn more about Tom T. Hall’s music legacy.
Waylon Jennings
After contracting hepatitis and being hospitalized early in the decade, Waylon Jennings rebranded himself as an outlaw country artist and went on to experience his biggest commercial success with the help of songs like “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,” “Luckenbach, Texas,” and “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand.”
>> Take a tour through Waylon Jennings’ classics.
Kris Kristofferson
A success both in the studio and on the big screen (with 1976’s A Star Is Born, which won him a Golden Globe Award), Kris Kristofferson is considered one of the most accomplished songwriters of all-time due to songs like “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”
>> Read C&I’s intimate conversation with Kris Kristofferson.
Loretta Lynn
Eastern Kentucky’s Loretta Lynn rose from poverty to become one of country music’s most influential women the ’70s with songs like the Conway Twitty duet “Louisianna Woman, Mississippi Man,” “The Pill,” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” the latter of which was turned into a feature length film that immortalized her home of Butcher Hollow.
>> See what other country stars had to say about the late country icon.
Anne Murray
A force in Canadian country music throughout the decade, Anne Murray burst onto the scene with her No. 1 hit “Snowbird” — which later became the first Gold record ever given to a Canadian artist in the United States — in 1970. Other songs like “What About Me” and “You Needed Me” (the latter of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100) solidified her status as one of the decade’s best.
>> Listen to Anne Murray perform her hit “Snowbird” live.
Willie Nelson
After briefly retiring following a series of unfortunate events that included his ranch burning down in 1970, Willie Nelson went on to find a new wave of success in the years that followed with “Whiskey River,” “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” and “Good Hearted Woman,” all of which have stood the test of time to remain some of his most popular songs half a century later.
>> Read C&I’s July 2017 Willie Nelson cover story.
Dolly Parton
There’s no doubt that she remains a rock star to this day, but it was during the ’70s when Dolly Parton’s career really took off. Following a series of albums released with Porter Waggoner in the late ’60s, she broke out on her own in a big way with bangers like “Coat Of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You” and hasn’t slowed down since.
>> Check out C&I’s October 2023 Dolly Parton cover story.
Charley Pride
After a string of hits, including “The Snakes Crawl At Night,” put him on the map in the ’60s, Charley Pride elevated himself to another level during the ’70s with songs like “When I Stop Leaving (I'll Be Gone),” “Burgers And Fries,” and “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin',” the last of which was his only top 40 pop crossover that was covered by everyone from George Jones to Conway Twitty in the years that followed.
>> Check C&I’s Charley Pride remembrance playlist.
Johnny Rodriguez
One of Tejano music’s first breakout stars, Johnny Rodriguez was a force to be reckoned with in the ’70s with songs like “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” “I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind,” “Love Put A Song In My Heart,” all of which went on to reach No. 1.
>> Watch Johnny Rodriguez perform his hit “Love Put A Song In My Heart” live.
Tanya Tucker
After being thrust into the spotlight at 13 with her song “Delta Dawn” in 1972, Tanya Tucker went on to produce a string of other hits throughout the decade led by “What’s Your Mama’s Name” and “Lizzie And The Rainman” before pivoting to rock in 1978 with TNT, a record that eventually went Gold.
>> Check out Tanya Tucker’s 2019 conversation with C&I.
Conway Twitty
In addition to standalone hits like “Hello Darlin’,” Conway Twitty also shined throughout the decade alongside Loretta Lynn with duets like “After The Fire Is Gone” (their first together) and “You’ve Never Been This Far Before,” the latter of which became his 10th solo song to reach No. 1.
>> Watch Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn perform “After The Fire Is Gone” live.
Tammy Wynette
After No.1 successes “Stand By Your Man” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” at the end the ’60s, Tammy Wynette’s star rose even higher in the ’70s after marrying George Jones. The two released seven albums together before separating in 1975, leading Wynette to return to performing solo. She soon had another hit with “'Til I Can Make It on My Own,” which became her first No. 1 song as a solo artist in nearly three years and led to a string of others to close the decade.
Honorable Mentions
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