Country has a long and fun history of songs that bring listeners together from many formats that are just fun to listen to. They are "guilty pleasures" for many. Songs that maybe you love privately, but may not really want to admit in front of a bunch of people with varying musical tastes at a bonfire.  I say go for it, it's a huge part of our history.  Over a few articles in the coming weeks, I'm going to feature some per installment, Guilty Pleasure Songs from the last 43 years I've been in Country Radio. 

All of these songs were big hits during their time and run, so let's look back at a few this week, and get ready for the weeks ahead.  These will be fun revisit and hear again. 

No order -

Red Solo Cup  - Toby Keith - 2011  This was a top ten hit for Toby and being honest, it's hard not to love this song for every reason.  RSC's are part of our lives, and this fun video was the absolute catalyst for a ton of eventual radio play with a bunch of cameos from Nashville, Sports, and Pop Culture stars.  Still today, when I play or hear this song, it makes me smile and makes me happy. This is just flat out fun.  When this song was popular here at WQMX, we could have played it every hour and no one would have minded. Well done!

Queen Of My Double Wide Trailer - Sammy Kershaw - 1993 -  This song is just so Sammy Kershaw.  He may have been the only artist to be able to pull this off and he did, taking it top ten. This is more than honest, and 100% relatable to a huge section of the audience.  Song's that were a bit off the beaten path were really his signature in the 1990's and I'm glad we had him.  He was amazingly popular and sold millions of albums in a very tough decade when the competition was very formidable recording songs exactly like this gem.  Kershaw was a solid hit maker for a long time, and fans LOVED him.  I was doing mornings at WPCV in Lakeland, Florida when this song was out, and fans loved it!

She Got The Gold Mine  (I Got The Shaft)  -  Jerry Reed -1982 -   This song went number one that year and was insanely popular with about everyone in and out of country. This was a big country hit, but EVERYONE knew this song in one way or another.  Jerry Reed had a successful history of recording tongue-in-cheek parody songs for well over a decade before this, but he was the perfect artist for this huge hit.  His guitar work in this song is terrific too, and of course his guitar playing ability should never be forgotten, as he was as good as anyone we've ever had to pick up a guitar.  I was new in country then at WOBL in Oberlin, Ohio at this time, and our listeners loved this song.

Megan Moroney  - Tennessee Orange

Every now and again a nice song comes out that goes in a very different direction and that always captures my attention.  In a time where there is angst in a lot of songs in various of formats, not just ours, it's nice to hear a song that actually has something nice to say about the significant other in one's life.  By the way, it's OKAY to say nice things about them, and to be happy!  And if that's not your truth, it's important to remember -  you picked them.  There seems to be an ongoing race to write the next "angry anthem" and this is a nice change.

This song is a phone call to her family that states she supports her new beau by wearing Tennessee Orange for him as he cheers for Volunteer football, but she is clearly a Georgia football fan at heart.  Showing support for anyone is a good thing too.  Plus, this is a real country song and I respect that as well.  It's heartfelt, delivered honestly, and for me, this song has the right idea.

Refreshing - Well done! 

It's far too cold and wet to mow the lawn right now, and that's fine.  I do get tired of mowing the lawn come October, but it generally is a job I don't mind.  I'm like you, you like when the lawn looks great with straight lines and sharp edges and corners. - Me too.

But why do we as Americans have this obsession with our lawns?  Found this article and I found it very interesting, take a read...

Our Obsession With Our Lawns

As I count down my 50 Favorites Over 40+Years in Country Radio, I will recap the songs that were featured each month at months end.  Just in case you missed some. Counting down from #50 to #1 all year once a week, this was month one. 

Check out #46 Tuesday right here!

Great Songs!!  Check out each!

#47 Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker - 2013

#48 Back To December - Taylor Swift - 2010

#49 Country Must Be Country Wide - Brantley Gilbert - 2011

#50 Friends In Low Places - Garth Brooks - 1991

First off - God Bless All Truckers  -  And THANK YOU!  -  This is the first on my list NOT released during my time so far on country radio. This was a big #1 from 1975,  I joined in 1981.  But I played this AM Radio gem for years on great radio stations across America.  Joe Stampley's truckin' anthem to me was the straightforward, definitive song of the "Truck and CB Radio" craze era, along with East Bound And Down from Jerry Reed.  The era culminated with the Smokey And The Bandit movies of the late 70's and early 80's.  This song captures the pride truckers feel about their rig, and their job as it is as important as any there is.  Everything you own was on a truck at some point.  This is not parody like "Convoy" or "The White Knight"  or many other truckin' songs from the era.  Stampley sounds like a trucker in this song, that's arranged traditionally, and zips along like a Freightliner down the Ohio Turnpike.  And yes, that IS an actual semi-truck starting up at the beginning as he mic-ed up a real tractor.  Country music has many faces, and Truckin' Songs are among them, although not in favor anymore. But a good truckin' song is just good driving medicine.  Well done, Joe!

Last Week #47

For the past few years I've been writing my Country Music Memory Lane Series and my Mega Star Series.  They post here on Thursdays and will continue to do so.

Over the past 42 years I've played Country Music continuously on the radio. I am NOT saying these are the BEST songs, just the ones I enjoy the most.

Since 1968 the Boeing 747 has been the Queen Of The Skies passenger plane.  A gigantic wide bodied plane that changed many things about long distance flying with its huge size and distinctive front hump design.  Boeing will not make anymore of them.

They made about 1,600 over the years and it fought off others who tried to challenge it, like the Lockheed L-1011 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.  It had a great safety record as well, plus it was so "American."   It will be replaced by the 777, The Dreamliners,  and others, as far as new production is concerned.  It dominated the skies for a half a century as the best wide bodied passenger plane on earth.

It was a mighty aircraft too, and for those who don't remember the NASA Space Shuttle Program - they used to fly the Shuttle back to Florida from California once in a while strappedon THE BACK OF A 747!!  Can you imagine being that pilot?

How Cool Is THAT?

Here is a cool article about it.

Why They Stopped Making The 747

Box Office Results - Avatar  - still #1 -  (Fourth place $$ all time now)

New This Week - 80 For Brady / Knock At The Cabin

Here We Go Again - A Girls Trip sequel that will see the women head to West Africa (Story) 

Cindy Williams - The Laverne & Shirley star has died at the age of 75  (Story)

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence - Say that a Bad Boys 4 is in the works  (Story)

The Role Of Michael Jackson  - Will be played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson  (Story)

NBC - Has renewed the sci-fi series La Brea for a third season  (Story)

LOL – Top Gun: Maverick won best picture at  -  AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards (Story)

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane this week   (link)

Also - My 50 Favorites Over 40+ Years This Week #47  (Link)

I got an e-mail from Jeremy a couple weeks ago asking where he could see some of my Memory Lane articles from a long while ago. They are all here at WQMX.com, but I have been doing this series for almost three years, so for the next couple weeks, I'll post some articles you may have missed. This is week two remembering some great country bands that I have written about over the years.  These bands all had GREAT success! 

And THANKS for reading and listening every week!

ICYMI Classic Bands Part 1

New This Week

Highway 101

Shenandoah

Restless Heart

Blackhawk

Desert Rose Band

There are people in the world, and in MY WORLD that don't like sandwiches, and I simply can't relate.  I mean what's wrong with these peeps?  There have been entire decades when they were the main staple of my diet, and maybe that wasn't the best diet, but the are good.

I have admit, I do like fresh sandwich ideas and there are a bunch of then here.   So let's break out the bread, bagels, and baguettes and get to work.

ENJOY!

You GOTTA Try These Sammiches!!

  Darius Rucker surprised everyone years ago he stated he was going country and I am glad he did.  His music over the years is loved, and overall has been great.  When he released this Bob Dylan written song from 1973, it was an instant hit.  This is one of the more fun songs of this newer century and he was the perfect artist for it.  The catchy, bouncy beat and slick video with easy to remember words are the signature of any hit song.  This is one of those songs that could be a blueprint for others to follow.  It makes you happy and sometimes I think we need a whole lot more of that in country.  Understanding that not all songs can be this way, it is interesting to note as I put this top 50 list together there are all kinds of songs, but there are a lot that make you smile and happy.  Darius Rucker is a supreme vocalist, who sounds great singing just about any kind of song.  As a singer, he is among our best, if not the best, he's a total pro.  Just a flat out GREAT song.  Go ahead, click below and sing along, you know you want to.

Last Week - #48

Two Weeks Ago - #49