Loretta Lynn is known for some of the most beloved songs in country music. A true pioneer, Lynn is the writer and voice behind iconic hits like "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)," "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl" and more. Lynn released more than 80 singles, but there are still plenty of Lynn songs that show her prowess as a singer and songwriter, even if they went largely unnoticed. We picked four of our favorite underappreciated Lynn songs.
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1. "Red, White and Blue"
Loretta Lynn wrote "Red, White and Blue" by herself, as she did a lot of her songs. From her 1976 When the Tingle Becomes a Chill record, Lynn sings the song from the perspective of a "blue-eyed Indian squaw," a taboo topic almost 50 years ago. Not only does Lynn deliver a stunning vocal in the song, but she clearly shows her ability fearlessly tackle tough subjects in her music.
2. "Heartaches Meet Mr. Blues"
Inexplicably, after Loretta Lynn had a hit at radio with her debut single, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl" in 1960, she didn't have another hit until, ironically, a song called "Success." Lynn followed "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl" with "Heartaches Meet Mr. Blues." The song, from the perspective of someone jilted for another woman, still sounds like a classic Lynn song, even 65 years later.
3. "Sweet Thang" With Ernest Tubb
Loretta Lynn sang plenty of duets throughout her career, including numerous ones with Conway Twitty. Lynn also did several songs with Ernest Tubb, including "Sweet Thang." Released in 1967, at the height of Lynn's career, but past Tubb's peak, "Sweet Thang" failed to even crack the Top 40. Perhaps because Lynn didn't write it, perhaps because fans weren't as excited about Tubb as a duet partner, "Sweet Thang" still seems like it should have been a country music classic.
4. "Still Woman Enough" With Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood
Loretta Lynn's final album was Still Woman Enough, released in 2021. Included on the record was a song called "Still Woman Enough." The song, a takeaway from Lynn's 1966 hit "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)," Lynn enlisted Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood to join her on the new song. Never even released as a single, the song will forever be one of Lynn's final gifts to country music.
