My 100 Favorite Charted Pop Songs: An American Dream

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Wow, I’m only four days into this look at my one hundred favorite songs to make the Billboard pop charts and it’s already the second country songwriter featured! And, for the first time, I have to issue a warning to Linda that this might hurt. It’s not that country (and the reason it’s on the pop charts is because it charted much better as a pop song), but I don’t know where the dividing line for migraines is. Here’s todays song. An American Dream - The Dirt Band Who’s the other country songwriter? Boudleaux Bryant. For all of those Everly Brothers songs he and wife Felice wrote, they are NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That should tell you a lot about that hall of fame’s problems (not to mention rushing to stick Jimmy Buffett in once he died ). The Bryants ARE in the Country Music Hall of Fame, however, despite all of the rock hits they wrote for Phil and Don. Here we have Rodney Crowell penning a song about a getaway, no matter how cut-rate (“we got no money, mama, but we can go, we’ll split the difference, go to Coconut Grove” ). The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band shortened their name to “The Dirt Band” for a few years, and this was their biggest hit during that time. Of course, having Linda Ronstadt singing backup on the song didn’t hurt in the least. Oh, for the record, this isn’t Crowell’s only songwriting credit in rock and roll. He also wrote “Shame on the Moon,” which was a hit for Bob Seger in 1982. Dang, he did better in rock than in country for a while. This is a song about traveling, whether for real or in one’s mind (“it’s as easy as closing your eyes and dream Jamaica is a big neon sign”). I love the notion of the song, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band delivered perfectly. An American Dream Written by Rodney Crowell Recorded by The Dirt Band From An American Dream, 1979 Peak chart position: #13 (also charted #58 country) Today’s rock country song: “Bed of Rose’s” I feel a tropical vacation this year: