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1980s Bluegrass 56 SONGS
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1980s Bluegrass

The traditional revival era: J.D. Crowe, Bluegrass Album Band, Doyle Lawson

56 songs

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The 1980s were the traditional-revival era in bluegrass. J.D. Crowe and the New South, the Bluegrass Album Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Johnson Mountain Boys — all pushing the genre back toward its hard-driving, vocal-led roots after the genre-bending 70s. New writers entered: Tim O’Brien with Hot Rize, John Cowan with New Grass Revival pushing further out, and Tony Rice’s solo work redefining acoustic guitar. The Stanley Brothers’ material got covered repeatedly. The songs here first released between 1980 and 1989 — a mix of canon-revival material and the songwriter-driven side that fed bluegrass’s modern voice.

Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and song history.

  1. 1. Cold Sheets of Rain Lou Reid, Terry Baucom and Carolina (1994) · by Randall Hylton
  2. 2. Back to the Barrooms J.D. Crowe and the New South (1999) · by Merle Haggard, Dave Kirby
  3. 3. Carolina Star Tony Rice (1988) · by Hugh Moffatt
  4. 4. The Girl From West Virginia Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (2005) · by Clyde Denny, Marie Denny
  5. 5. Suzanne Harley Allen and Mike Lilly (1985) · by Harley Allen Jr.
  6. 6. Forty Years of Trouble Aubrey Haynie (1997) · by Troy Spencer
  7. 7. Greenville Trestle High Doc Watson (1986) · by James Jett
  8. 8. Blue Virginia Blues Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (1987) · by Leroy Drumm, Pete Goble
  9. 9. A Few Old Memories Hazel Dickens (1986) · by Hazel Dickens
  10. 10. You’ll Get No More of Me Hazel Dickens (1986) · by Hazel Dickens
  11. 11. Tennessee 1949 Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (1987) · by Leroy Drumm, Pete Goble
  12. 12. Natural Thing to Do Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (1987) · by Leroy Drumm, Pete Goble
  13. 13. Green Light on the Southern Norman Blake and Tony Rice (1987) · by Norman Blake
  14. 14. Ain’t No Ash Will Burn Della Mae (2013) · by Walt Aldridge
  15. 15. On the Road Again Willie Nelson (2023) · by Willie Nelson
  16. 16. Great High Mountain Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (1980) · by Keith Whitley
  17. 17. Coal, Black Gold The Country Gentlemen (1981) · by Ron Simons
  18. 18. Tennessee Whiskey George Jones (1983) · by Dean Dillon, Linda Hargrove
  19. 19. Highway 40 blues Ricky Skaggs (1982) · by Larry Cordle
  20. 20. Only The Lonely Hazel Dickens (1983) · by Hazel Dickens
  21. 21. Wildwood Flower Blues Harley Allen (1983) · by Harley Allen Jr.
  22. 22. The High Road Tim O'Brien (1984) · by Tim O’Brien
  23. 23. Walk the Way the Wind Blows Hot Rize (1985) · by Tim O’Brien
  24. 24. Loneliness and Desperation Sideline (2013) · by Mike Garris
  25. 25. Julie Ann Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (1985) · by Leroy Drumm, Pete Goble
  26. 26. Hard Pressed Hot Rize (1985) · by Tim O’Brien
  27. 27. Speed of the Sound of Loneliness John Prine (1986) · by John Prine
  28. 28. Them Blues The Lonesome River Band (1986) · by Bob Holms
  29. 29. Room at the Top of the Stairs Jason Davis (2007) · by Randall Hylton
  30. 30. Hold to a Dream New Grass Revival (1987) · by Tim O’Brien
  31. 31. Wildflowers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris (1987) · by Dolly Parton
  32. 32. Thirty Years of Farming James King (2002) · by Fred Eaglesmith
  33. 33. Snowin’ on Raton Town Mountain (2008) · by Townes Van Zandt
  34. 34. I’d Like to Be a Train Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers (1987) · by Leroy Drumm, Pete Goble
  35. 35. Grapes on the Vine The Rice Brothers (1989) · by Steve Gillette, Charles John Quarto
  36. 36. When You Say Nothing at All Alison Krauss and Union Station (1994) · by Don Schlitz, Paul Overstreet
  37. 37. Thunderclouds of Love Tony Rice (1988) · by Jimmy Headrick
  38. 38. Old Time River Man John Hartford (1989) · by John Hartford
  39. 39. I Wish We Had Our Time Again John Hartford (1989) · by John Hartford
  40. 40. Scraps From Your Table Hazel Dickens (1980) · by Hazel Dickens
  41. 41. High Sierra Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris (1999) · by Harley Allen Jr.
  42. 42. He Died a Rounder at 21 Junior Sisk (2020) · by Jimmie Skinner
  43. 43. Old Riverman The Nashville Bluegrass Band (2004) · by Bill Monroe, John Hartford
  44. 44. What a Way to Go Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys (1983) · by Jim Munday
  45. 45. Mama’s Hand Lynn Morris (1995) · by Hazel Dickens
  46. 46. If I Ever Get Back to Old Kentucky Dave Evans (1984) · by Dave Evans
  47. 47. If You Only Knew Tony Rice (1984) · by Larry Rice
  48. 48. I’m On Fire Town Mountain (2008) · by Bruce Springsteen
  49. 49. Traveling Down the Blue Road Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (1985) · by Marshall Wilborn
  50. 50. Raining in L.A. IIIrd Tyme Out (1995) · by Wes Golding
  51. 51. Ridge Road Gravel Norman Blake and Tony Rice (1987) · by Norman Blake
  52. 52. All in My Love For You Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (1990) · by John Hartford
  53. 53. I Could Change My Mind The Johnson Mountain Boys (1988) · by Earl Taylor
  54. 54. Ain’t it Funny Lou Reid (1991) · by Norman Wright
  55. 55. Here I Am in Love Again John Hartford (1989) · by John Hartford
  56. 56. Laura Jean The Lonesome River Band (1989) · by Jim Burns

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