3 Songs From the 1980s That Could Have Been Country Standards in Another Lifetime

These 1980s songs may not be country, per se. But they could be. With minimal changes, these songs could’ve belonged to country rather than their actual genre, especially given the genre’s metamorphosed, blended nature in modernity. Imagine these songs were released today. If that were the case, you probably wouldn’t blink an eye if you heard them on country radio.

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“I Won’t Back Down” — Tom Petty

Tom Petty always had a southern tinge about him. Though he belonged to the Heartland sub-genre, he borrowed elements of country, to be sure. His 1980s song, “I Won’t Back Down”, is easily something that could be considered country today. If released today, Petty could be considered among the rock-influenced country artists who enjoy taking a stand and pushing back against those in opposition.

“Well, I won’t back down / No, I won’t back down / You could stand me up at the gates of Hell / But I won’t back down,” reads like something you’d hear in a country song. If you just swapped Petty’s rocky instrumentation in this song for even more acoustic elements, you’d have yourself a bona fide country hit.

“Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)” — Phil Collins

Now it might be difficult, given how heavy-handed the 1980s synth pop is in this Phil Collins song, but imagine his titular instrumentation was swapped for pedal steel. This song could easily be a country hit, with its slow, intentional storytelling and emotional lyrics.

“How can you just walk away from me / When all I can do is watch you leave? / ‘Cause we’ve shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears / You’re the only one who really knew me at all,” the lyrics read. This is the kind of heartbreak that country music is known for. If anyone else sang this song, or if Collins took notes from his country counterparts, this hit could’ve jumped genres.

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” — Poison

Of course, Bret Michaels’ voice is a little gritty for country music. But if you stripped that away and were left with the acoustic backing track and raw sentiment of this song, you’d have a country hit. It’s kind of easy to imagine this song in another, less rocky light. The bare bones are there.

“Every rose has its thorn / Just like every night has its dawn / Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song / Every rose has its thorn,” the familiar chorus reads. This is the kind of theme writing that has become a mainstay in country music. With a few slight adjustments, any country artist would’ve been more than happy to get presented with this song.

(Photo by Deanne Fitzmaurice/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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