Top 10 Charley Pride Songs

A staple of Pride’s setlists to this day, the Harold Dorman-penned “Mountain of Love” — which was also popularized by Johnny Rivers — shows off the icon’s range. More specifically, Pride’s chart-topping version of the song, which expresses regret that a former love is marrying someone else, hews toward easygoing country-soul with a hint of gospel, and is driven by his expressive, resonant voice. Although lyrically morose, his delivery is almost jaunty and optimistic — a signal that the protagonist will survive his loneliness.

A two-week chart topper, “Someone Loves You Honey” is a swooning, romantic ballad that find Pride showing off his tender vocal side. “Remember, someone loves you honey,” he croons. “No matter what, I just want you to be my girl.”

Pride recorded dozens of songs written by Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Ben Peters — including “It’s Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the country charts. Highlighted by jaunty pedal steel and twangy guitars, the wise song features a narrator who realizes he’s still hung up on an ex, but is being careful with his heart and not rushing getting over things.

Pride’s second No. 1 single, the vulnerable ballad “(I’m So) Afraid of Losing You Again,” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the country charts. With its rich harmonies, keening pedal steel and slow-trot tempo, the song embodied the “countrypolitan” sound dominating the charts in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Pride has bigger hits, although one of his most beloved songs in Belfast, Ireland, is “Crystal Chandeliers.” According to the Belfast Telegraph, that’s because the country icon performed in the city in 1976, when Belfast was roiled by political unrest, and paved the way for other musicians to come to the city. “That was a significant release for me,” Pride told the paper in 2015. “I knew in my heart “Chandeliers” would be a hit.”

Pride’s first No. 1 single is self-deprecating and almost bashful. Before offering up a wedding ring, the song’s protagonist warns a potential spouse, “There’s something you should know / About the years ahead and how they’ll be / You’ll be living in a world / Where roses hardly ever grow / ‘Cause all I have to offer you is me.” “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)” was also notable because it marked the first time a Black musician had topped the country charts since 1944, when Louis Jordan did so with “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby.”

This upbeat, brisk ode to being true to yourself spent four weeks atop the country charts. “I was just born to be exactly what you see,” he sings, as a chorus of background singers bolsters his expressions of individualism. “Nothing more or less; I’m not the worst or the best / I just try to be exactly what you see / Today and every day, I’m just me.”

Strings and pedal steel dip up and down throughout this deceptively upbeat No. 1 song, which details someone attempting to hit the open road and flee from an imploded relationship, ostensibly by hitchhiking. While the narrator isn’t picky (“Is anybody goin’ to San Antone / Or Phoenix, Arizona? / Anyplace is alright as long as I / Can forget I’ve ever known her”), he does realize, on some level, that running away won’t solve his heartbreak. Doug Sahm and Nancy Sinatra have also cut versions of this song.

Pride’s first big hit was this Grammy-nominated song, a gentle waltz with soft-glow backing harmonies which reached No. 9 on the charts and established his country/pop bona fides. “Just between you and me,” he sings in a warm, downtrodden tone that’s brimming with sadness. “You’re too much to forget.”

Pride’s highest-charting pop crossover song — it peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the playful “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'” is his most recognizable tune. The secret is in its simplicity: The lyrics reveal the secret to a happy life — that would be treating a woman right, so you have a loving relationship — and music that combines instrumentation such as jaunty piano and perky fiddle. Pride ties it all together with an understated vocal that exudes hard-earned wisdom: It’s the voice of a contented man who knows exactly of which he sings.