There can be something deeply satisfying about gut-wrenching music and lovesick ballads. From singing, or sometimes screaming, along with the musicians to the poetic lyrics telling the story or ...

In the 1980s, more than ever before, country artists and songwriters were perfecting the art of the story song. They learned to draw fans with a gripping narrative — and often, that made already sad ...

The 1990s just might be the definitive era of sad country music. Legends like Garth Brooks, George Strait and Alan Jackson were at the top of their game during that decade, and young bucks — like an ...

10-80s-Songs-With-Tragic-Backstories Matrix link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JcwTiiZbUi6afG6rwcCuXn2v9vraxsSf9niHIAqGljI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Freelancer ...

This essay originally appeared in NPR Music's weekly newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter here. In other words, like a penny stock that's somehow hit big, my once-useless obsession with the pop ...

When Reba McEntire released “Can’t Even Get The Blues ” in 1982, she was just beginning to hit her stride as a country music hitmaker. Written by Tom Damphier and Rick Carnes, the song is McEntire’s ...