3 Country Songs From 1979 That Sounded Like the 1970s Saying Goodbye

A ton of gorgeous country songs dropped in 1979. And some of them really did sound like a fond farewell to the 70s as a whole. Let’s look at a few such songs, shall we?

“She Believes In Me” by Kenny Rogers from ‘The Gambler’

This is one of the most quintessential late-1970s country-pop crooning ballads out there. And it comes straight from the legend himself, Kenny Rogers. There’s a melancholiness to this song as well, in which our narrator looks back at a loving relationship that’s starting to fade, much like the 1970s at that point. After Rogers dropped this gem in April 1979, “She Believes In Me” made it all the way to No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It also peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by Charlie Daniels Band from ‘Million Mile Reflections’

I consider this song to be a farewell to the 70s in the sense that it was, more or less, the last big country rock song to hit the airwaves before the 80s came around. The 70s are known for being the golden age of Southern rock. And “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by Charlie Daniels Band is easily one of the most anthemic songs in that subgenre. This powerful storytelling song was a smash hit in 1979 as well, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100. Even listeners across the pond in the UK loved it, as the song peaked at No. 14 there.

“Amanda” by Waylon Jennings from ‘Greatest Hits’

This country classic was originally recorded by Don Williams back in 1973. Waylon Jennings put an outlaw country spin on it in 1974. Though, his version wouldn’t get the single treatment until 1979, when it was released off his Greatest Hits album. The 1970s were when outlaw country really became a big movement, and that movement would taper off in the 1980s. I don’t know if I’d say this is the “last great outlaw country song” of the 70s. But it’s an emotional one that has that reflective vibe to it that feels both like looking back at a country boy’s life and a whole era of music all at once.

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