# Best #1 Country Song of the Year 1961 \[POLL\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055 "2014-12-23T20:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/1 "2014-12-23T20:14:45Z")
Aaand the covered wagon time machine brings us to the year 1961 in country music (or, as it was still termed by _Billboard_, the Best Selling Retail Folk [Country & Western] Records chart). There are nine songs to choose from this year, including the reappearance of “Wings of a Dove” from last year. Which song do you choose? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/2 "2014-12-23T20:37:23Z")
I Fall to Pieces" - Patsy Cline, because it was innovative for that time. Country and a bit of jazz together. Patsy was an artist not easily defined by any one style. Wings of a Dove" - Ferlin Husky I love this song. Play it often. It’s standard country gospel. 1961 was an iconic year for country. I know nearly all these songs. Heard them growing up in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/3 "2014-12-23T21:01:43Z")
Patsy Cline, without a second thought. What a magnificent voice and phrasing. She was all over the pop charts back then, as well. Kitty Wells, who had been the reigning queen prior to that, must have seen the writing on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/4 "2014-12-24T00:31:31Z")
Anything by Patsy Cline is better than anything by anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/5 "2014-12-24T00:33:56Z")
I’ll give these a listen and vote tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/6 "2014-12-24T00:40:25Z")
I liked Big Bad John, but yeah, I Fall to Pieces is the clear winner. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/7 "2014-12-24T04:50:05Z")
I have the time, so I decided to give it a listen. Sure I just turned 28, but why not give it a shot instead of wallow in my youthful ignorance? I gave all a listen and while I did not fall in love with any, better one was “Big Bad John”. I do not get the Patsy Cline love at all. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/8 "2014-12-24T05:29:32Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I do not get the Patsy Cline love at all. Put a few years on the ol’ odometer, and you jes’ might. (I say this, naturally, as one who actually cast his vote for Willie’s-by-way-o’-Faron “Hello Walls”. But “I Fall to Pieces” was _THIS_close.) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/9 "2014-12-24T19:05:19Z")
Well, I’m glad I can vote for Faron Young/Willie Nelson with a clear conscience. You can hear the beginning of Willie’s vocal phrasing, even if the backup vocals make you giggle (they make me giggle a bit). If it’d been _Crazy_, I would have had to go with Patsy Cline. **Nema98** , she might genuinely not be your thing, but try her other stuff on for size if you haven’t already heard a lot of it, particularly the aforementioned song and _Walkin’ After Midnight_. She had great pipes, and used them appropriately. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/10 "2014-12-24T19:12:26Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Well, I’m glad I can vote for Faron Young/Willie Nelson with a clear conscience. You can hear the beginning of Willie’s vocal phrasing, even if the backup vocals make you giggle (they make me giggle a bit). If it’d been _Crazy_, I would have had to go with Patsy Cline. > > **Nema98** , she might genuinely not be your thing, but try her other stuff on for size if you haven’t already heard a lot of it, particularly the aforementioned song and _Walkin’ After Midnight_. She had great pipes, and used them appropriately. Ironically, _Crazy_ was written by Willie Nelson. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/11 "2014-12-25T00:08:59Z")
I can’t choose right now. Like the others upthread, two strong choices. And, I grew up listening to them and buying the records at the time they came out. [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1bXdXWEKaE) a link to a great short YouTube video of Willie Nelson in 1965 on the Grand Old Oprey singing a 4-song medley of his songs–_Hello Walls_, _Funny How Time Slips Away_, _The Night Life_, and _Crazy_. Willie as you never saw him. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/12 "2014-12-25T00:31:10Z")
Anything by Patsy Cline. Anything. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/13 "2014-12-25T00:31:55Z")
Had to go with _Hello Walls_. You had to be 17 and there. If that song was a 10.0, Patsy was a 9.9. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/14 "2014-12-25T02:12:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ironically, _Crazy_ was written by Willie Nelson. Nah, it’s not ironic. I knew that Willie wrote _Crazy_, that’s why I would have had to go with it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/15 "2014-12-25T03:45:00Z")
Patsy cline without a doubt. "You walk byyyyyy And I Fall to pieces " ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/16 "2014-12-25T04:45:42Z")
I will give her stuff a listen, I will listen to her and other songs for the 1962 poll and see where I stand. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/17 "2014-12-25T04:49:07Z")
> [@Eddie\_F](#): > > Put a few years on the ol’ odometer, and you jes’ might. (I say this, naturally, as one who actually cast his vote for Willie’s-by-way-o’-Faron “Hello Walls”. But “I Fall to Pieces” was _THIS_close.) > [@scabpicker](#): > > Well, I’m glad I can vote for Faron Young/Willie Nelson with a clear conscience. You can hear the beginning of Willie’s vocal phrasing, even if the backup vocals make you giggle (they make me giggle a bit). If it’d been _Crazy_, I would have had to go with Patsy Cline. > > **Nema98** , she might genuinely not be your thing, but try her other stuff on for size if you haven’t already heard a lot of it, particularly the aforementioned song and _Walkin’ After Midnight_. She had great pipes, and used them appropriately. Thanks all for the suggestions. She is one of the options on the 62’ poll. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/18 "2014-12-25T04:59:33Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Thanks all for the suggestions. She is one of the options on the 62’ poll. Thanks for the advert, **Nema98**. If’n you want to vote in said poll, [here’s a direct link to the '62 poll](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744467). (And I hope I’ve not violated any board rules by posting the link. One thousand apologies if I have.) ---
**Author:** ![mikeargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@mikeargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeargo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/19 "2014-12-25T21:21:13Z")
Patsy, again (see 1962). ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-country-song-of-the-year-1961-poll/708055/20 "2014-12-25T22:47:40Z")
Patsy Cline. Didn’t even consider the other poll options for this year. That song and her performance was simply incredible. (She didn’t get my vote for 1962, though.)