Willie Nelson is a country music legend whose career has spanned across decades, thanks to his one of a kind voice, songwriting, and story telling talents. He has written, sang, or both written and sang, some of the most famous and well loved country songs of all time, including “Crazy”, made most famous by the late Patsy Cline, and ” On The Road Again”, which Willie wrote for a movie and also performed as well. Nelson has a large music catalog and has released over 200 albums, making it quite a challenge for the die hard Nelson fan to pick favorites. But, when put to the test, these are some of the best Willie Nelson songs, based on popular opinion.
A song that perhaps many would consider to be Nelson’s best recording is “Always On My Mind”. This song was written by Mark James, Wayne Carson, and Johnny Christopher. Originally recorded by country artist Brenda Lee, the song went on to be recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley to the Pet Shop Boys. Nelson took his chance with the song in 1982, where it went on to win him a number one spot on the music charts, chart topping success in several countries, and several music awards, including CMA, ACM, and Grammy wins. This song is included on several Nelson albums, with the first one being the original vinyl release LP, entitled Always On My Mind. This album has since been remastered and released on CD.
Another great Willie tune is ” On The Road Again”, penned by Willie at the request of movie producers of the film Honeysuckle Rose, in which Nelson also stars. Fittingly, this song is about life touring on the road, something Nelson’s character is familiar with in the movie, as well as being the life he leads in reality outside of the movie set. This was another number one song for Nelson, and actually earned a spot in the Grammy Song Hall of Fame. This song is also considered to be one of the top 500 songs of all time, according to Billboard charts.
Willie Nelson’s first number one hit was not even one of the many songs he had written himself, but rather one written by Fred Rose and originally recorded by singer Roy Acuff, called ” Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”. Considered to be one of his most popular and best loved songs, Nelson left behind the orchestra and background singers found on his previous albums, and got down to the bare bones basics of just himself and his guitar, affectionately named “Trigger”. It proved to be a winning combination, both figuratively and literally, as his version won Nelson a Grammy Award. This song first appeared on the album titled Red Headed Stranger.
Considered by Nelson himself to be one of his best compositions, “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” also makes this list of the best Willie Nelson songs. Also included on the Honeysuckle Rose movie soundtrack from 1980, this song is a personal one for Nelson because he wrote it at a point in time when he and his wife were having problems in their marriage. This song was another number one hit for Willie in the year 1981.
Another classic Nelson song, and one of his best, is his collaboration with Waylon Jennings on “Good Hearted Woman”. Written by both Jennings and Nelson, Jennings originally recorded the song as a solo, then later re-recorded it with Willie. The two longtime friends wrote the tune while playing poker back in the year 1969. The song appears on the album Wanted: The Outlaws, a 1975 release.
With so many great songs to choose from within such a diverse collection of classic releases, choosing the best Willie Nelson songs really ends up being more of a matter of personal opinion. Whether you prefer the softer ballads done by Willie, or the more upbeat tempo tunes, there is a wealth of music to choose from. Willie has even paired up with some unlikely artists such as Julio Iglesias on ” To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before”, so there is something within Willie’s music catalog to fit almost every musical taste. A talented artist with so many hit records to his credit, Willie Nelson will go down in history as a true country music legend, singer, and songwriter.
