100 Songs - The 1980s

1 Richard & Linda Thompson "Wall of Death"
2 Dire Straits "Tunnel of Love"
3 Bob Dylan "Blind Willie McTell"
4 Blue Rodeo "Rose Coloured Glasses"
5 Replacements "Unsatisfied"
6 Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime"
7 Waterboys "Whole of the Moon"
8 Steve Earle "Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough)"
9 Pretenders "Middle of the Road"
10 Danny Wilson "Mary's Prayer"

11 Kate Bush "This Woman's Work
12 Peter Gabriel "Family Snapshot"
13 Cyndi Lauper "Money Changes Everything"
14 Public Image Ltd "Rise"
15 The Jam "That's Entertainment"
16 Neil Young "Rockin' In the Free World"
17 Madonna "Express Yourself"
18 Bruce Springsteen "Brilliant Disguise"
19 Paul McCartney "Wanderlust"
20 Prince "I Would Die 4 U"

21 Leonard Cohen "Take This Waltz"
22 Billy Idol "Dancing With Myself"
23 Lone Justice "Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)"
24 XTC "Dear God"
25 The Clash "The Call Up"
26 Stan Ridgway "Mexican Radio"
27 Midnight Oil "The Dead Heart"
28 Jim Carroll Band "People Who Died"
29 Van Morrison "Vanlose Stairway"
30 Bruce Cockburn "Tokyo"

31 Tom Cochrane & Red Rider "Good Times"
32 Lyle Lovett "God Will"
33 Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
34 Rosanne Cash "Seven Year Ache"
35 R.E.M. "Pretty Persuasion"
36 Bronski Beat "Smalltown Boy"
37 Sarah McLachlan "Steaming"
38 Big Country "In a Big Country"
39 Rick Springfield "Love Somebody"
40 John Lennon "Watching the Wheels"

41 Squeeze "Tempted"
42 Police "Every Breath You Take"
43 Kate & Anna McGarrigle "Love Over and Over"
44 Queen "Under Pressure"
45 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers "The Waiting"
46 Alison Moyet "Love Resurrection"
47 Long Ryders "Gunslinger Man"
48 Rough Trade "High School Confidential"
49 The Cure "In Between Days"
50 Pete Townshend "Rough Boys"

51 Don Henley "A Month of Sundays"
52 Martha & the Muffins "Black Stations White Stations"
53 Rolling Stones "Mixed Emotions"
54 Ry Cooder "Get Rhythm"
55 Rickie Lee Jones "We Belong Together"
56 Pete Shelley "Homosapien"
57 Kim Mitchell "Patio Lanterns"
58 B-52s "Love Shack"
59 Robert Plant "Tall Cool One"
60 Culture Club "Church of the Poison Mind"

61 Jane Siberry "One More Colour"
62 Iggy Pop "Cold Metal"
63 Human League "The Lebanon"
64 Concrete Blonde "God Is a Bullet"
65 Ah-Ha "Take On Me"
66 Blondie "Rapture"
67 Tears For Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
68 Falco "Der Komissar"
69 Weather Girls "It's Raining Men"
70 Neneh Cherry "Buffalo Stance"

71 Roy Orbison "She's a Mystery Girl"
72 Smiths "What Difference Does It Make"
73 Pursuit of Happiness "Hard to Laugh"
74 Crowded House "Don't Dream It's Over"
75 Motels "Take the L"
76 Roxy Music "Avalon"
77 Living Color "Open Letter (to a Landlord)"
78 Art Bergmann "Our Little Secret"
79 Tom Waits "On the Nickel"
80 Ian Hunter "Central Park and West"

81 Public Enemy "Fight the Power"
82 Fine Young Cannibals "Johnny Come Home"
83 Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams"
84 Psychedelic Furs "Heaven"
85 Warren Zevon "Boom Boom Mancini"
86 Jane Weidlin "Rush Hour"
87 Traveling Wilburys "End of the Line"
88 Tina Turner "What's Love Got to Do With It"
89 Tragically Hip "Last American Exit"
90 Paul Simon "The Boy in the Bubble"

91 U2 "Where the Streets Have No Name"
92 Sheena Easton "I'm Not Worth the Hurt"
93 Little Steven "Undefeated"
94 Bangles "Eternal Flame"
95 Artists United Against Apartheid "Sun City"
96 English Beat "Mirror in the Bathroom"
97 Carole Pope "I'm Not Blind"
98 Shriekback "All Lined Up"
99 Katrina & the Waves "Walking on Sunshine"
100 Cars "Magic"

100 Songs - The 1970s

  1 The Clash "Death or Glory"
  2 Warren Zevon "Desperados Under the Eaves"
  3 Bob Dylan "Tangled Up in Blue"
  4 Sex Pistols "Pretty Vacant"
  5 The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
  6 Mott the Hoople "The Golden Age of Rock and Roll"
  7 Bruce Springsteen "Incident on 57th Street"
  8 Badfinger "No Matter What"
  9 Rod Stewart "Every Picture Tells a Story"
 10 Rolling Stones "Brown Sugar"

 11 Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Powderfinger"
 12 Paul McCartney "Maybe I'm Amazed"
 13 Van Morrison "Domino"
 14 David Bowie "Five Years"
 15 Joni Mitchell "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio""
 16 John Lennon "Instant Karma"
 17 Kinks "No More Looking Back"
 18 David Johansen "Donna"
 19 Elliott Murphy "Last of the Rock Stars"
 20 Elvis Presley "Burning Love"

 21 Thunderclap Newman "Something in the Air"
 22 Elvis Costello "Two Little Hitlers"
 23 Al Stewart "Roads to Moscow"
 24 Gram Parsons "Return of the Grievous Angel"
 25 Grin "You're The Weight"
 26 New York Dolls "Personality Crisis"
 27 Roxy Music "Mother of Pearl"
 28 Led Zeppelin "Rock and Roll"
 29 Bob Marley & the Wailers "Want More"
 30 Michel Pagliaro "What The Hell I Got"

 31 Ian Hunter "It Ain't Easy When You Fall"
 32 Thin Lizzy "Wild One"
 33 George Harrison "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long"
 34 Graham Parker "Nobody Hurts You"
 35 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers "I Need to Know"
 36 Big Star "When My Baby's Beside Me"
 37 Steely Dan "Boston Rag"
 38 Cockney Rebel "Tumbling Down"
 39 Kate Bush "L'Amour Looks Something Like You"
 40 Allman Brothers Band "Please Call Home"

 41 Elton John "Levon"
 42 The Band "Acadian Driftwood"
 43 Blues Image "Ride Captain Ride"
 44 Doors "Roadhouse Blues"
 45 Captain Beefheart "Low Yo Yo Stuff"
 46 Randy Newman "Sail Away"
 47 Todd Rundgren "Just One Victory"
 48 Traffic "John Barleycorn"
 49 Velvet Underground "Sweet Jane"
 50 Alice Cooper "Ballad of Dwight Frye"

 51 Eno "Driving Me Backwards"
 52 Creedence Clearwater Revival "Hey Tonight"
 53 Spirit "Mr Skin"
 54 Little Feat "Long Distance Love"
 55 Rory Gallagher "Cradle Rock"
 56 T.Rex "Get It On"
 57 Waylon Jennings "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way"
 58 Garland Jeffreys "Lift Me Up"
 59 John Cale "Heartbreak Hotel"
 60 Talking Heads "Life During Wartime"

 61 Raspberries "Overnite Sensation"
 62 Bob Seger "Get Out of Denver"
 63 Isaac Hayes "Theme From 'Shaft'"
 64 Dr John "Right Place Wrong Time"
 65 Jackson Browne "For a Dancer"
 66 Eagles "Doolin-Dalton"
 67 Lynyrd Skynyd "Gimme Three Steps"
 68 Poco "Let's Dance Tonight"
 69 Ringo Starr "Photograph"
 70 Stevie Wonder "Superstition"

 71 Roy Wood "Rock Down Low"
 72 Vickie Sue Robinson "Turn the Beat Around"
 73 Sparks "Moon Over Kentucky"
 74 ZZ Top "La Grange"
 75 Parliament "Give Up the Funk"
 76 Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes "Love on the Wrong Side of Town"
 77 Be-Bop Deluxe "Jet Silver and the Dolls of Venus"
 78 ELO "Can't Get it Out of my Head"
 79 Leonard Cohen "Famous Blue Raincoat"
 80 Gary Stewart "I See the Want To In Your Eyes"

 81 Fleetwood Mac "The Chain"
 82 Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here"
 83 Patti Smith "Gloria"
 84 Dwight Twilley "Trying to Find My Baby"
 85 Arlo Guthrie "City of New Orleans"
 86 Peter Gabriel "Humdrum"
 87 Emmmylou Harris "Easy From Now On"
 88 Jimmy Webb "If You See Me Getting Smaller, I'm Leaving"
 89 Blondie "Hanging on the Telephone"
 90 Television "Elevation"

 91 Boomtown Rats "I Never Loved Eva Braun"
 92 Public Image Ltd "Public Image"
 93 Steve Forbert "It Isn't Gonna Be That Way"
 94 Jules & the Polar Bears "Following Every Finger"
 95 Joe Jackson "Different For Girls"
 96 Police "Message in a Bottle"
 97 Townes Van Zandt "Pancho and Lefty"
 98 XTC "Making Plans For Nigel"
 99 David Essex "Rock On"
100 Billy Swan "I Can Help"

100 Songs - The 1960s

  1 Beatles "A Day in the Life"
  2 Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone"
  3 Kinks "Waterloo Sunset"
  4 The Who "I Can See For Miles"
  5 Rolling Stones "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
  6 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
  7 Them "Gloria"
  8 Jimi Hendrix Experience "All Along the Watchtower"
  9  Bobby Fuller Four "I Fought the Law"
 10 Roy Orbison "Oh Pretty Woman"

 11 Byrds "Eight Miles High"
 12 Procol Harum "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
 13 Small Faces "Tin Soldier"
 14 Beach Boys "Heroes and Villains"
 15 Easybeats "Friday on my Mind"
 16 Four Tops "Bernadette"
 17 Buffalo Springfield "For What It's Worth"
 18 Lovin' Spoonful "Summer in the City"
 19 Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels "Devil with a Blue Dress"
 20 Sam & Dave "Soul Man"

 21 Box Tops "Neon Rainbow"
 22 Spencer Davis Group "I'm a Man"
 23 Miracles "Tracks of my Tears"
 24 Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Cinnamon Girl"
 25 Left Banke "Walk Away Renee"
 26 Steppenwolf "Born to be Wild"
 27 Van Morrison "Brown Eyed Girl"
 28 Kingsmen "Louie Louie"
 29 Creedence Clearwater Revival "Green River"
 30 Elvis Presley "Suspicious Minds"

 31 Flying Burrito Brothers "Hot Burrito #1"
 32 Dusty Springfield "Son of a Preacher Man"
 33 Cream "White Room"
 34 Yardbirds "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"
 35 Del Shannon "Runaway"
 36 Dion "Runaround Sue"
 37 Peter, Paul & Mary "500 Miles"
 38 Sam Cooke "A Change Is Gonna Come"
 39 Dave Clark Five "Over and Over"
 40 McCoys "Hang On Sloopy"

 41 Otis Redding "Try a Little Tenderness"
 42 Gene Chandler "Duke of Earl"
 43 Animals "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
 44 Ronettes "Be My Baby"
 45 Searchers "When You Walk in the Room"
 46 Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go"
 47 Zombies "She's Not There"
 48 Four Seasons "Let's Hang On"
 49 Lou Christie "Lightning Is Striking Again"

 50 Paul Revere & the Raiders "Just Like Me"
 51 Count Five "Psychotic Reaction"
 52 Donovan "Mellow Yellow"
 53 Nashville Teens "Tobacco Road"
 54 Merilee Rush & the Turnabouts "Angel of the Morning"
 55 Stevie Wonder "I Was Made to Love Her"
 56 Brenton Wood "Gimme Little Sign"
 57 Ad Libs "Boy From New York City"
 58 Shocking Blue "Venus"
 59 Young Rascals "You Better Run"
 60 Aretha Franklin "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)"

 61 Bee Gees "New York Mining Disaster 1941"
 62 Bobbie Gentry "Ode to Billie Joe"
 63 Buckinghams "Don't You Care"
 64 Doors "Soul Kitchen"
 65 Hollies "Carrie Anne"
 66 Hombres "Let it All Hang Out"
 67 James Brown "Cold Sweat"
 68 Moby Grape "Omaha"
 69 Love "Alone Again Or"
 70 Lulu "The Boat That I Row"

 71 Mamas & Papas "Twelve Thirty"
 72 Marvelettes "The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game"
 73 Martha & the Vandellas "Jimmy Mack"
 74 Nilsson "1941"
 75 Pink Floyd "See Emily Play"
 76 Johnny Rivers "Secret Agent Man"
 77 Tommy James & the Shondells "I Think We're Alone Now"
 78 Ugly Ducklings "Gaslight"
 79 Balloon Farm "A Question of Temperature"
 80 Wilson Pickett "Mustang Sally"

 81 Jay and the Americans "This Magic Moment"
 82 Chambers Brothers "Time Has Come Today"
 83 Manfred Mann "Pretty Flamingo"
 84 Walker Brothers "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
 85 The Band "Up on Cripple Creek"
 86 Sly & the Family Stone "Everyday People"
 87 Music Machine "Talk Talk"
 88 Impressions "People Get Ready"
 89 Robert Knight "Everlasting Love"
 90 Turtles "Happy Together"

 91 Jackie Wilson "Higher and Higher"
 92 Bob Seger System "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man"
 93 Simon & Garfunkel "Mrs Robinson"
 94 Neil Diamond "Holly Holy"
 95 Fontella Bass "Rescue Me"
 96 John Fred & His Playboy Band "Judy In Disguise"
 97 Merle Haggard "Sing Me Back Home"
 98 Question Mark & the Mysterians "96 Tears"
 99 Troggs "Wild Thing"
100 Melanie "Lay Down"

100 Songs - The 1950s

Matthew Elmslie, philosopher and baseball fan, has been engaged in a pointless but fun Twitter project wherein he lists 100 - notable? favourite? - songs from a particular decade. The main caveat is that no artist can be represented more than once. You see his list, you want to make your own. That's how these things work.

The one song per artist limit places me in a considerable quandry when it comes to the 1950s - Elvis, Chuck, Jerry Lee, Buddy, and the immortal Little Richard are all I need, in this world and the one to come, and could easily provide me with 100 songs. But I did my best to rise to the occasion.

The 1950s

1 Chuck Berry "Johnny B. Goode"
2 Jerry Lee Lewis "Great Balls of Fire"
3 Elvis Presley "Mystery Train"
4 Little Richard "Tutti Frutti"
5 Buddy Holly "That'll Be The Day"
6 Gene Vincent "Be Bop a Lula"
7 Eddie Cochran "Summertime Blues"
8 Howlin' Wolf "Smokestack Lightning"
9 Everly Brothers "Wake Up Little Susie"
10 Lloyd Price "Stagger Lee"

11 Bo Diddley  "Who Do You Love"
12 Carl Perkins "Blue Suede Shoes"
13 Hank Williams "Ramblin' Man"
14 Richie Valens "La Bamba"
15 Muddy Waters "Mannish Boy"
16 Frank Sinatra "I've Got You Under My Skin"
17 Fats Domino "Blueberry Hill"
18 Ray Charles "What'd I Say"
19 Little Willie John "I Need Your Love So Bad"
20 Big Bopper "Chantilly Lace"

21 Johnny Burnette Trio "The Train Kept A'Rolling"
22 Patsy Cline "Walking After Midnight"
23 Sonny Boy Williamson "Don't Start Me Talkin'"
24 Big Joe Turner "Shake Rattle and Roll"
25 Dell Vikings "Come Go With Me"
26 Vince Taylor "Brand New Cadillac"
27 Johnny Cash "I Walk the Line"
28 Coasters "Young Blood"
29 Elmore James "Dust My Broom"
30 Tennessee Ernie Ford "Sixteen Tons"

31 Duane Eddy "Rebel Rouser"
32 Chuck Willis "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes"
33 Lefty Frizzell "Long Black Veil"
34 Drifters "Money Honey"
35 Buddy Knox "Party Doll"
36 Cadets "Stranded in the Jungle"
37 Harry Belafonte "Jamaica Farewell"
38 Slim Harpo "I'm a King Bee"
39 Jay Hawkins "I Put a Spell On You"
40 Eddie Fontaine "Nothin' Shakin' But the Leaves on the Trees"

41 Sam Cooke "You Send Me"
42 Dion & the Belmonts "A Teenager In Love"
43 Dale Hawkins "Susie Q"
44 Judy Garland "The Man that Got Away"
45 Conway Twitty "It's Only Make Believe"
46 Link Wray "Rumble"
47 Ricky Nelson "It's Late"
48 Ronnie Hawkins "Forty Days"
49 Roy Orbison "Ooby Dooby"
50 Louvin Brothers "The Angels Rejoiced in Heaven Last Night"

51 Johnny Ace "Pledging My Love"
52 Chan Romero "Hippy Hippy Shake"
53 Bobby Day "Rockin' Robin"
54 Frankie Ford "Sea Cruise"
55 Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"
56 T.Bone Walker "The Hustle Is On"
57 Tommy Edwards "It's All in the Game"
58 Bobby Darin "Mack the Knife"
59 Huey Smith "Rockin' Pneumonia"
60 Kingston Trio "Tom Dooley"

61 Isley Brothers "Shout"
62 Jerry Butler "For Your Precious Love"
63 LaVern Baker "Jim Dandy Got Married"
64 B.B. King "Three O'Clock Blues"
65 George Jones "White Lightning"
66 Clarence Henry "Ain't Got No Home"
67 Mickey & Sylvia "Love is Strange"
68 Hank Ballard "Work With Me Annie"
69 Platters "The Great Pretender"
70 Monotones "Book of Love"

71 Little Walter "Mean Old World"
72 Clyde McPhatter "Without Love"
73 Lowell Fulson "Reconsider Baby"
74 Clifton Chenier "My Soul"
75 Cadillacs "Speedo is Back"
76 Silhouettes "Get a Job"
77 Wilbert Harrison "Kansas City"
78 Five Royales "Think"
79 Barrett Strong "Money"
80 Five Satins "Still of the Nite"

83 Jimmie Rodgers "Honeycomb"
81 Marty Robbins "El Paso"
82 Danny & the Juniors "Rock and Roll is Here To Stay"
84 Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats "Rocket 88"
85 John Lee Hooker "I'm in the Mood"
86 Barbara Pittman "I Need a Man"
87 Mello Kings "Tonite Tonite"
88 Crows "Gee"
89 Chantels "Maybe"
90 Dee Clark "Hey Little Girl"

91 Champs "Tequila"
92 Little Anthony & the Imperials "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop"
93 Crests "Sixteen Candles"
94 Flamingos "I Only Have Eyes For You"
95 Skyliners "Since I Don't Have You"
96 Chips "Rubber Biscuit"
97 Bobettes "Mr Lee"
98 Dubs "Chapel of Dreams"
99 Billy Ward & the Dominos "Sixty Minute Man"
100 Fireflies "You Were Mine"

Country Music, Episode 8

Don't Get Above Your Raisin' (1984-1996)

Country music is very much a living thing, and none of the episodes since the first one have tried to cover a period longer than 12 years. Still, 1996 is an odd place to end the story, with a three minute slide show standing in for the last quarter century, years in which there have been some significant developments. The blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks alone seems hugely important - they were the most popular country act in the world when it happened. One would also have thought that the collapse of the entire record industry might have some ramifications. Ending where he does, Burns gets to show country music as bigger and more alive than ever, as people like Garth Brooks move units in quantities no one had dreamed possible. It was just a mirage, of course. It was the great CD boom, the rising tide that lifted all the boats, until the internet put an end to it all in the years after 1999. Burns does note the disappearance of independent radio, as the corporations and the bottom lines take charge. In years to come this would lead to the complete disappearance of women from country radio, which is also pretty significant, but also outside the series' purview.

Country music has always been wildly sentimental, of course. The fact that it has always been willing to go to a point where it is just shamelessly corny is what has always kept an old rocker like myself at arm's length. Burns piles on the sentiment with a shovel in his closing episode. I suppose that's partially because that's where country music would want him to go - but it's also because he doesn't really have any major new artists to hang build his conclusion around. That's just the luck of the draw, but it left Burns with people like Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire. They all have their virtues, and they're all nice people - but none of them are artists of the stature of Merle Haggard or Dolly Parton. The fact that they're all nice people probably should have been a clue - artistic greatness and overall niceness don't go hand in hand all that often. I mean, Dolly Parton really is a sweetheart, but she also wasn't going to let anything get in the way of fulfilling her ambitions.

The 21st century would see Taylor Swift, who certainly started out as a country singer, become the world's biggest pop star. In time Swift would show herself to be just as ambitious as Dolly and maybe even as talented, albeit in a completely different way. We would see what can only be described as an explosion of enormously talented women making music rooted in country. Some truly major artists, more than worthy of carrying Hank Williams' hat, are among them. I personally nominate Miranda Lambert. The music is even more alive today than Burns lets on. But country music has always been obsessed with what's come before, and the series ends with a shot of Maybelle Carter. But that's OK, too. She surely deserves it.

Country Music, Episode 7

A tremendous episode, the best in the series. The title suggests we're going to be covering the "outlaws" movement of the 1970s, which was something that always smacked just a little of music industry hype. The "Outlaws" album may have been the biggest selling record in country music history, the genre's first ever million-seller - but it was never a real album. It was a compilation of loose ends slapped together by RCA in response to what Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings had already set in motion.

What we get is far richer and deeper. It begins with Dolly Parton and George Jones, two great country voices both somewhat trapped by their circumstances. Parton had long outgrown her dependence on Porter Wagoner, her mentor and discoverer. Jones was trapped, as always, by his own demons and madness. By the end of the episode, Parton has broken any chains that held her back and become a pop star while remaining a country icon. Jones never in his life made a move that didn't have something to do with country music. His story in this episode ends with his comeback hit "He Stopped Loving Her Today," which is just another excuse for us all to ponder the utter miracle of his voice, one of the true Seven Wonders of the known universe. Another generation of performers begins to emerge, including Hank Williams Jr (always a little overrated) and the magnificent Rosanne Cash, for whom no praise is sufficient.

But the heart of the episode develops out of Burns' dive into the nascent Texas songwriter circle of the early 1970s. The late great Guy Clark himself appears, explaining how it all happened, and Burns has dug up footage of the gang of singers and players that gathered around Guy and Susanna Clark, including a very young Rodney Crowell as well as the great doomed eccentric Townes Van Zandt. Meanwhile, in California, Gram Parsons is giving a folksinger named Emmylou Harris a crash course covering everything he knows about country music, which is considerable. And in Nashville, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings have both reached the point of despair when it comes to Music City ever being able to make anything of their work. All these threads and more (including some Burns doesn't even have time or room to bring up) end up coming together in a simply stunning climax built around "Pancho and Lefty", Van Zandt's most famous song, and as great a song as anyone could ever write.

Burns didn't dive quite as deeply as he could, but I don't mind. This story already runs 130 plus minutes. I myself think it's fairly significant that Emmylou Harris signed with the Warner/Reprise group when she started her solo career. Warner/Reprise really had no country catalog  at the time - the genre was dominated by Columbia (Johnny Cash, George Jones) and RCA (Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride) and both companies had by this time developed something of an assembly line approach to turning out country product. Warner/Reprise was the rock label, and while they assigned a producer (Brian Ahern, who had recorded Anne Murray) they gave Harris the same kind of autonomy - and budget - they were giving their other artists. They did tell her she needed a hot band, and presumably because they didn't know how things were done in the country music field, they actually gave her the money to assemble one.

So Harris put together her legendary Hot Band. It was built around the session pros Gram Parsons had borrowed from Elvis Presley's touring band,  including the great James Burton, and augmented by young hotshots like Rodney Crowell (who would marry Rosanne Cash - man, these circles will never be unbroken) and Ricky Skaggs. Warner/Reprise hadn't given Parsons the type of support that would pay for those guys. But they knew, like everyone else, that Parsons was a drug-addled fuckup. Harris was the grown-up who'd kept the Parsons show and tour from crashing into the ditch. Waylon Jennings was with RCA and Willie Nelson was with Columbia, and both had been struggling to find their way, having been locked inside the Nashville factory for more than a decade. Now working from deep in the heart of Texas, they had by now secured for themselves the same kind of artistic license Warner/Reprise had given Harris. Harris' debut album, Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and Jennings' "Dreaming My Dreams" were all released during the first six months of 1975. RCA's "Outlaws" hodge-podge would follow in January 1976.

Country Music, Episode 6

Episode six strikes me as the weakest of the series so far. It starts off promisingly enough, with George and Tammy, but bogs down soon afterwards. Far too much time and attention is given to Kris Kristofferson, a fairly minor songwriter. But Kristofferson can be made to fit into Burns' overall agenda, which here is political rather than musical. Burns wants to show the divisions in American society during these years and how they were reflected in country music. Then he can end on the usual high note, with the generations coming together in song. Well, maybe it's just me - this is history I'm old enough to remember, history I already know rather well. It's the first episode where I didn't learn anything new.