Country Artists and Their Songs They No Longer Enjoy

Most artists dream of having a song that fans connect with, but on rare occasions, an artist releases a song that turns into the bane of their existence. Some super popular songs that artists ended up regretting include Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”, Lorde’s “Royals”, and Oasis’ “Wonderwall”, but country music has a few of its own. For fans not deeply tied into the industry, it can be frustrating when an artist skips playing their most well-known tracks at a show. Yet, if you take a step back, it makes more sense. Imagine singing the exact same song night after night for years.

Everyone understands when someone says their job is boring because they do the same thing repeatedly, but we don’t always view music through the same lens. Sure, you might say, “If it wasn’t for that song, you wouldn’t have had your success,” and that’s true. But we should also respect the human aspect of our favorite artists. Anyway, here’s a closer look at five country songs the artists wished they’d never written or released.

“You Can Have The Crown” – Sturgill Simpson

Even while recording “You Can Have The Crown” for “High Top Mountain,” Sturgill Simpson sensed he might regret it. The song was intended to satirize the “laundry list songs” dominating Nashville at the time. These songs, written in cubicles on Music Row, lacked emotional depth. Simpson decided to make fun of them by cramming in every cliché he could think of that was still true to his life. In a past performance, Simpson recalled, “I came up with this laundry list song with every token cliché. I was proud of myself.”

However, the regret set in quickly. “We ended up going into the studio, cutting it, and listening to the playback. I realized, ‘There’s the song I’ll wish I never wrote.’ Sure enough, it’s the one everyone wants to hear.”

“Sleeping On The Blacktop” – Colter Wall

This one might sting for Colter Wall fans. Many of us fell in love with Colter through his iconic “Original 16 Brewery Sessions,” where he played “Sleeping On The Blacktop,” “Kate McCannon,” and “The Devil Wears A Suit And Tie.” Unfortunately, Colter doesn’t share our affection for these performances. In a series of since-deleted tweets from October 2020, Wall admitted, “I’m glad folks still enjoy those brewery sessions. I can’t watch them without cringing. The vocals are very forced.”

He further explained, “As for live shows, I always make an effort to play songs from every record alongside new stuff. While many prefer the older tunes, I hope folks can accept that I don’t play or sing that way anymore.” His regret isn’t about the songs themselves but how he performed them.

“February 28, 2016” – Koe Wetzel

Koe Wetzel’s “February 28, 2016” is a classic example of outgrowing a song. Although no one would accuse Wetzel of not partying anymore, a song he wrote in his early 20s doesn’t quite fit his life at 31. On the “Rodeo Time Podcast,” Wetzel told Dale Brisby, “I’m so ready for that song to be done. After I wrote it, I thought, ‘Yeah, this is it.’ For the first four years, people still loved it. But we still play it at shows, and it’s what most people come to hear. Now, at 31, I think, ‘Can we not play this song tonight, please?'”

“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” – Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson

“Luckenbach, Texas,” co-written by Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons and performed by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, is an all-time genre classic. Yet, it’s the song Jennings detested the most. Said Jennings, “I knew it was a hit song, even though I didn’t like it, and still don’t.” Jennings’ drummer Richie Albright recalled Jennings saying, “Just remind me when I’m picking singles that I have to sing that motherf*cker every night.”

“Ocean Front Property” – Dean Dillon/George Strait

Though George Strait has never publicly criticized “Ocean Front Property,” Dean Dillon, who wrote the song, has shared his disdain. Dillon is one of country music’s unsung heroes, having crafted hits such as “Miami, My Amy,” “The Chair,” and “Tennessee Whiskey.” “Ocean Front Property” became the title track for Strait’s 1986 album and climbed to number one, but Dillon was never a fan. While demoing songs for Strait, Dillon recounted the moment he knew he didn’t like the song: “Hank [Cochran] and Royce [Porter] were writing a song, and when they asked for my opinion, I said, ‘That’s terrible.’ They convinced me to help finish it, but I still hated it. It ended up making a sh*t pot load of money.”

There are rumors of other artists disliking some of their biggest songs—Kip Moore with “Something Bout A Truck,” Tyler Childers with “Feathered Indians,” and Eric Church with “Love Your Love The Most” come to mind. Likely, there are more stories out there waiting to be told. It’s important to appreciate all the music our favorite artists put out, not just the singles. They spend as much time on all their songs, and that effort deserves recognition.

Source: Various Sources