Many of the biggest country hits Shania Twain has had in her career are very pop-leaning. In fact, many would call her a country-pop artist. However, she has deep roots in classic country music because that’s the music she heard growing up. That’s the music that inspired her to start singing at a young age. Recently, she revealed some of her favorite classic country songs.
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Recently, Twain and rising country star Shaboozey sat down with GQ to talk about their careers, making hits, and more. During their conversation, the Canadian superstar shared some of her favorite classic country songs.
Shania Twain’s Classic Country Recommendations
During their conversation, Shania Twain and Shaboozey shared the first country songs they remember hearing and the ones that got them hooked on the genre. She mentioned that she grew up with her parents and grandparents who listened to classic country artists like Dolly Parton, Don Williams, and Kenny Rogers. “It was Don Williams and Kitty Wells,” she added. “Her song ‘It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels’ was part of my very first repertoire. But I think one of the very first songs I loved the most, that hit me as a songwriter was Bobbie Gentry’s ‘Ode to Billie Joe,’” she recalled.
Gentry wrote and released “Ode to Billie Joe” as a single in 1967. It later became the title track from her debut album. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and landed in the top 10 of the Adult Contemporary and Hot R&B Singles charts. It was also a top 20 country hit for Gentry.
Later in the conversation, GQ brought up the long tradition of drinking songs in country music. Then, they asked Twain and Shaboozey about their favorite drinking songs.
“Okay, if you’re a songwriter and you write, ‘There’s a tear in my beer ‘cause I’m crying for you, dear.’ I mean come on. That’s like the ultimate,” she said. “That’s an actual country song and it kills me,” she added.
Hank Williams wrote “There’s a Tear in My Beer” and recorded it in 1951. However, his version wouldn’t be released for more than a decade. Big Bill Lister released the first version of the song in 1952. Then, more than 30 years later, Hank Williams Jr. recorded a version of the song. Using electronic merging technology, he was able to record the classic drinking song as a duet with his late father.
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