1975 Career-Defining Hit for Willie Nelson Wasn't Originally Sung By Him
One of Willie Nelson's biggest hits of the '70s was actually written decades earlier.
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," which was recorded by Nelson in 1975 and helped launch him into country music superstardom, was originally written by Fred Rose in 1945, and had been covered by a number of other artists before Nelson put out his version.
Nelson included "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" on his breakthrough concept album Red Headed Stranger in May 1975, before releasing it as a single later that summer. It would go on to earn Nelson his first-ever No. 1 hit, cementing his arrival on the country music scene.
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," originally sung by Roy Acuff in 1947, had already been covered by several other stars before Nelson, including Conway Twitty (1970), Elvis Presley (1976), Olivia Newton-John (1976), Eva Cassidy (2008) and more. But it was Nelson who turned the song into a chart-topping success.
In October 1975, it reached the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, where it stayed for two weeks in a row. It opened the door to the mainstream for more of Nelson's songs, including "Good Hearted Woman," which hit No. 1 in early 1976, and "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time," which reached the summit of the country chart in September 1976.
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" peaked at #21 on Billboard'sHot 100, and later secured Nelson his first Grammy win for Best Country Vocal Performance at the 1976 ceremony.
To this day, with Nelson now having 12 Grammys and more than 20 No. 1 hits, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is still regarded as one of the best songs of his career. Rolling Stone crowned it as the No. 1 Best Willie Nelson Song and ranks it #27 on the list of the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 5:10 AM.