It was in 1960 when Bill Anderson moved to Nashville and became a significant player in the songwriting community. He had set up a tiny working space in his small apartment, in which he paid the rent with royalty checks. At this point, it was Anderson’s songwriting that was making his living. Bill Anderson songs were popular with country artists and publishers.
Eventually, Anderson signed a recording contract and proved his ability to sell the tunes he recorded himself. With that in mind, let’s go down memory lane and celebrate some of Bill Anderson‘s greatest hits throughout the years. Keep on scrolling below to find out.
1. Mama Sang a Song
Anderson enjoyed his first No. 1 country hit with the release of this sentimental recollection of a sharecropper’s childhood, particularly about his mother. “Mama Sang a Song” went to the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, where it remained for seven non-consecutive weeks.
Since then, several country and popular artists have recorded their own versions, including Jimmy Dean and Faron Young.
2. Still
Anderson was known for his soft-spoken singing voice, which he showcased in the song “Still.” Anderson actually talked much more than he sang as he narrates about lost love in this mournful tune about a man who misses his girl who went away. He can’t help but hope that he will be reunited with her again someday.
3. My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)
While 1969 was a year that was superabundant with country hits, including ones by Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, it was Anderson who ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Song of the Year. Upon its release, Billboard noted that the harmonica-fueled tune was a “compelling, originally rhythm ballad” and a “strong entry.” “My Life (Throw It Away If I Want To)” truly defined Anderson’s career.
4. Po’ Folks
“Po’ Folks” has been considered as one of Anderson’s signature tunes that established his name in the country field. The song was such a hit that it even inspired the name of one restaurant chain.
While the song was not issued on a proper album, it was later released off Anderson’s compilation record called Bill Anderson Sings Country Heart Songs, which featured some of the biggest hits of his recording career.
5. 8×10
The song is another sweetly intoned tribute to a former flame, which finds Anderson pining over an eight-by-ten photo of the woman he adores. He still remembers the night she gave him her picture and how excited he was to get home, put it in a frame, and tell everyone that she belonged to him. Sadly, someone else came along and took her away from him.
For You
6. Five Little Fingers
The song was perhaps the most heartrending yet soul-stirring ballad Anderson has ever written. It tells the story of a husband who mourns his wife’s death. Now that she’s no longer by his side, the man finds no reason to live anymore – until “five little fingers” touch his hand. He realized his little girl’s soft and dear touch was all the comfort he needed.
7. Three A.M.
Here’s another major hit by Anderson, “Three A.M.” The song spent eighteen weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart before peaking at No. 8. Truly, a lot of country fans relate to this dark tune about a brokenhearted man wandering the streets at 3 AM, apparently looking for a drink to drown his sadness. Sadly, all the bars are locked up, and the song ends with the man committing suicide, giving his life for love.
8. Liars One, Believers Zero
While Anderson has often played the role of a brokenhearted man in his songs, “Liars One, Believers Zero” found the country crooner in the shoes of a badly-behaved partner.
9. I Get the Fever
Anderson took a more upbeat take on this track, “I Get The Fever,” which became his third No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. While the song appears to be steamy, as its title suggests, the fever Anderson wrote and sang was actually about rolling out to the open plains and finding a way to forget the pain of lost love.
10. World of Make Believe
“World of Make Believe” was Anderson’s last No. 1 hit on the country chart as a solo artist and one of his few hits that he did not write himself. The original version dates back to 1959 or even earlier.
Some More Bill Anderson Songs That Shout His Prominence
Bill Anderson is, without a doubt, one of the most popular, most enduring country artists of our time. Here are some of his songs that you need to check out.
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