25 Greatest Songs of Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle, born Brenda Webb in 1951, is one of country music's most successful female vocalists. Her knockout good-looks and floor length hair have garnered her significant media attention. But it is her music that made her a household name in the 1970s and 1980s.

With encouragement from her oldest sister, country music legend Loretta Lynn, Crystal pursued a career in music.

In 1970 she signed with Lynn's record company Decca. Upon signing, the label insisted that Gayle change her first name from "Brenda" to another name. Shortly thereafter, Lynn drove past a sign for the Krystal fast-food restaurant and said to Gayle, "That's your name. Crystals are bright and shiny, like you." It was then that she changed her name professionally to "Crystal Gayle", with "Gayle" taken from her middle name (Gail).

In choosing the songs for this list several factors were taken into consideration. Each song's lasting impact on the fans was a top consideration as well as musicianship, lyrical creativity, originality, popularity, vocal performance, and a bit of my own personal preference.

Crafting this list was a lengthy project as Crystal Gayle to date has released 26 studio albums, a soundtrack, and several non-album singles. Before making this list, as with all the others I've made, I took the time to listen to her entire body of work.

Because Crystal Gayle does have a large catalog of music several great songs did not make the list.

Before moving on to the Top 25 here is a list of the songs that bubbled under.

41. The Sound of Goodbye (1983) / 40. He is Beautiful to Me (1982) / 39. Somebody Loves You (1975) / 38. Til I Gain Control Again (1982) / 37. Livin' in These Troubled Times (1981) / 36. We Must Believe in Magic (1977) / 35. Time Will Prove That I'm Right (1979) / 34. Going Down Slow (1977) / 33. Sweet Baby on My Mind (1975) / 32. Sneakin' Out The Back Door (1979) / 31. A Little Bit of the Rain (1979) / 30. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (1980) / 29. Straight to the Heart (1986) / 28. Cage the Songbird (1983) / 27. Clock on the Wall (1972) / 26. I'll Get Over You (1975)

Now on to the 25 Greatest Songs of Crystal Gayle

25. "Half The Way" (1979)

Parent Album: Miss the Mississippi

This song symbolized a changed in both musical direction and fashion. This was the new look and sound of Crystal Gayle.

The upbeat soft-rock tune brought Crystal Gayle back into the Top 20 of Billboard's Top 100 Pop Songs reaching #15. The song also made it to #2 on the country charts and #9 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The song was her last Top 40 hit as a solo artist.

This was written by the songwriters Ralph Murphy and Roger Cook. The duo ran a Nashville publishing company called Pic-A-Lic Music. Roger Cook co-wrote Crystal's 1978 hit "Talking in Your Sleep."

24. "Mama It's Different This Time" (1970)

Parent Album: I've Cried the Blue Right Out Of My Eyes (Compilation)

"Mama It's Different This Time" was written for Crystal by her sister Loretta Lynn (Loretta is 19 years older than Crystal). The song is from Crystal's first recording session with Decca Records.

Though the credits list Loretta Lynn as the songwriter, the lyrics suggest that Crystal may have contributed a bit.

Some speculate that the Billy Crystal mentions in the song is her high school sweetheart turned husband Bill Gatzimos. Gatzimos and Gayle married in 1971. Gatzimos became Gayle's manager and has since been president of the couple's company, Gayle Enterprises.

23. "You and I" (with Eddie Rabbitt)(1982)

Parent Album: Radio Romance (Eddie Rabbitt)

"You and I" was the second biggest hit associated with Crystal Gayle (the biggest is also on this list). The song became an anthem of sorts being used in wedding ceremonies, played on Valentine's Day, and considered "our song" by millions of couples around the world.

The song was a big hit making it to #7 in the US and made it to #35 in Canada. On the country charts the song was #1 in the US and #6 in Canada. But it was on the Adult Contemporary charts where the song was most popular making it to #1 in Canada and #2 in the US.

At this point in time Crystal Gayle and Eddie Rabbitt were label mates both recording for Elektra Records. Eddie Rabbitt passed away in 1998 from lung cancer at the young age of 56.

22. Wrong Road Again (1975)

Parent Album: Crystal Gayle

"Wrong Road Again" has the honor of being Crystal's first song to reach the Top Ten. The song made it to #6 on the US country music charts and #17 on the Canadian country charts.

Although the song did not make the pop charts, it represents Crystal's first foray into country-pop. It was a springboard into future recordings that did crossover to the pop and adult contemporary charts.

21. I've Cried The Blue Right Out Of My Eyes (1970)

Parent Album: I've Cried the Blue Right Out Of My Eyes (Compilation)

This is where it all began for Crystal Gayle. Her debut single released in August of 1970. The song was her debut on the country music charts reaching #23 in the US and #34 in Canada.

Loretta Lynn wrote this song for her baby sister Crystal Gayle. The song is considered an essential recording in her career. Gayle's early recordings are pure country much in the style of Loretta Lynn.

20. "Turning Away" (1983)

Parent Album: Cage the Songbird

This upbeat country-pop number was Crystal's 24th #1 hit on the US country charts and was also #1 on the Canadian country charts.

The song was written by Tim Krekel who also wrote songs recorded by Patty Loveless (Crystal's first cousin), Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and several others.

19. "Room For One More" (1979)

Parent Album: Miss the Mississippi

"Room For One More" is a feel-good upbeat song. One of the hihhlights of the song is Joe Osborn's playful bass. Osborn was part of The Wrecking Crew an ensemble of studio musicians that played on hundreds maybe thousands of albums from the 1960s through the 1980s. Osborn is also known for his discovery and encouragement of the popular brother-and-sister duo, the Carpenters, on whose albums he played bass throughout their entire career.

Another fun fact: Crystal does the backing vocals to her lead vocals on this song.

18. "Pickin' Up After You" (with Tom Waits)(1982)

Parent Album: One From the Heart (Soundtrack)

In this duet Crystal teams up with the gruff voiced Tom Waits. The combination of his gravelly voice and her divinely smooth voice work together spectacularly.

Crystal gets the opportunity to show off her skill in singing the blues. This is a style Crystal honed beginning with her second album with the bluesy tune "Sweet Baby On My Mind."

17. "Our Love Is On The Fault Line" (1982)

Parent Album: True Love

The album True Love opened with a decidedly stronger rock edge with "Our Love Is On The Fault Line" and "Deeper in the Fire." This is a style I felt Crystal should have done more with. But it seems that the record company saw an opportunity with Adult Contemporary ballads.

As it is "Our Love Is On The Fault Line" was Crystal's biggest hit in three years having reached #1 on the country music chart in both the US and Canada plus made it to #23 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

The highlight of this song is Chris Leuzinger's countrified electric guitar solo which shows up at around 2:40 in the song.

Also of note is the catchy lyric comparing a rocky relationship to an earthquake, with clever rhymes. "Baby, our love is on the fault line. And you're sayin' that the fault's mine." "You've been stirrin' up an earthquake. You've been cookin' up a heartbreak." One part of the lyric even plays off her name as she sings, "Now there's a chilly wind a blowin' and it's whippin' up a gale."

16. "All I Wanna Do in Life" (1977)

Parent Album: We Must Believe In Magic

This is one of Crystal Gayle's strongest vocals. She sings her lyrics in a slightly deeper voice with assuredness and confidence, "All I wanna do in life is to love somebody with all of my might." She knows what she wants and she's going for it.

The rhythm section really makes this song stand out with a understated bass line that makes the tempo pop and an array of drums and percussion instruments (cowbell?) that give the song a festive groove.

I always considered this a missed opportunity by United Artists and felt the song would have been a fine single.

15. "Green Door" (1977)

Parent Album: We Must Believe in Magic

"Green Door" is a fan favorite. Crystal sings this fun tune with a slight bluesy saloon voice that gives the songs an early 1900s kind of feel. Also contributing to that early century honky tonk sound is the frisky tack piano which always brings everything to life.

Rock and Roll, Pop singer/songwriter, Jim Lowe released "The Green Door" in 1956 and took the sing to #1.

14. "Deeper in the Fire" (1982)

Parent Album: True Love

As with "Our Love Is On the Faultline" this tune favors a rock edge with Chris Leuzinger's guitar riffs throughout and a great solo. If you listen close enough you may notice a similarity in the guitar chords to that of "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits.

Crystal's vocal is cool, smooth, and energetic. Her range remains comfortably within her mid range which suits her perfectly.

An interesting side note on this one: popular singer/songwriter Paul Davis sings harmony vocals on the sing. Davis had a slew of hits back in the 1970s/80s including; "Ride 'Em Cowboy,"Superstar," "I Go Crazy," "Sweet Life," "Do Right," "Cool Night," "'65 Love Affair," and others. Davis also provided harmony vocals on the title track "True Love."

13. You Never Miss A Real Good Thing (Till He Says Goodbye) (1976)

Parent Album: Crystal

This is truly classic Crystal. The song was her second of 18 total #1 hits on the US country music charts and was also #1 Canadian country charts.

The song was written by Bob McDill who wrote several others for Crystal including; "I'll Do It All Over Again," "Right In the Palm of Your Hand," "We Must Believe In Magic," and "Too Good To Throw Away."

12. I'll Do It All Over Again (1976)

Parent Album: Crystal

This song has an honest yet optimistic twist to it in that the lyric acknowledges the mistakes we make in life yet recognizes we can move on and do it all over again.

"But I know that my heart will mend. And I know that I'll smile again. I'll get back on my feet and then. I'll do it all over again."

Songwriter Wayland Holyfield was known for his honest simplicity" in his songwriting, which is what we encounter with lyrics such as; "So you live, and you learn. And never look back at the bridges you burn. And you change, somehow, Oh, I'm a little bit wiser now."

Crystal sings this update track with an equally optimistic tone in her voice.

Finally, the instrumentation follows right along with the good feel of the lyrics and Crystal's voice. A simplistic happy go lucky tune that gets the toe tapping and the heart smiling.

11. When I Dream (1978)

Parent Album: When I Dream

Crystal first recorded this song in 1975 for her debut album. The 1978 rerecording is 40 seconds longer and quite a bit more polished.

Although the song was a minor hit on the pop charts (#84 US), it is regarded a Crystal Gayle classic. Many fans consider this to be one of her finest vocal performances.

"When I Dream" was written by Sandy Mason Theoret who also wrote "What You've Done For Me," "Somebody Loves You," "You'll Be Loved Someday," "Hands," and "All I Wanna Do In Life," all of which were recorded by Crystal Gayle. Theoret, who passed away in 2015, is best remembered for "When I Dream."

10. "Ribbon of Darkness" (2019)

Parent Album: You Don't Know Me: Classic Country

I'm certain some fans may be surprised to see this one so far up the list... and then maybe not.

You Don't Know Me: Classic Country was Crystal's first studio album in 16 years. She came back with an album that was hotter than hot. Crystal co-produced the album with her son Christos Gatzimos. In my opinion this was her best album since 1983's Cage the Songbird.

The lead single “Ribbon Of Darkness” was written by Gordon Lightfoot and features a great rhythm section and one of Crystal’s strongest vocal performances of her entire career.

"Ribbon of Darkness" was the first song Gayle performed on the Grand Ole Opry in 1967.

Marty Robbins took the song to #1 on the country music charts in 1965. In 1969 Connie Smith reached #16 on the country charts.

9. Is There Any Way Out Of This Dream (1982)

Parent Album: One From the Heart (Soundtrack with Tom Waits)

This is one of Crystal Gayle's most emotive vocal performances of her entire career. She puts everything she has into this song to create an achingly beautiful vocal.

The sax solo in the middle accents this straightforward yet beatifully produced song.

7. It's All Right With Me (1977)

Parent Album: We Must Believe In Magic

With this song Crystal flirts with hints of jazz into this upbeat country with steel guitar, banjo, tufts of electric guitar, and a rousing rhythm section.

The wall of sound musical arrangement is filled electric guitars and acoustic guitars playing off of each other, dynamic keyboard parts chirping to the rhythm, fiddles and banjos kicking up some energy. What's interesting about Crystal's music during this time period is the blending of traditional country music instruments (banjo, fiddle, etc) with rock and pop instrumentation (electric guitar, electric bass).

This off-beat and eccentric tune works in a way like no other Crystal Gayle song. It's sheer musicianship through and through.

6. Too Many Lovers (1980)

Parent Album: These Days

What can I say this song is pure pop perfection.

Crystal vocal timing is perfectly on track with the music. Crystal all but ditches the country in favor of a pop-rock flavor that actually works quite well with her voice.

Larry Londin's percolating driving groove of the drums sets the stage for Jon Goin's fiery guitar parts up to his blistering guitar solo with tempered scales that echo the theme of the song while letting go in a direction that brings dynamic and thrill to the song.

Despite the fact that the song was not a country song, it was #1 on both US and Canadian country music charts. However, I don't understand how this song did not make it on the pop charts as it was perfect for Top 40 radio in 1980. I going to blame it on the (lack of) promotion behind the single.

5. This One's From the Heart (1982)

Parent Album: One From the Heart (Soundtrack with Tom Waits)

From the Francis Ford Coppola film "One From The Heart." The film was a flop, but the soundtrack was a brilliant work of art. The union of Tom Waits' gruff voice and Crystal Gayle's silky crystalline voice shouldn't work but amazingly they mesh exceptionally well. One night Coppola was driving somewhere when Crystal Gayle came on the radio. At that moment he knew she was the voice for the One From The Heart soundtrack.

Crystal's voice is lovely on this song. She is the perfect songbird for these songs. I especially love the part where she sings; "I can't tell is that a siren or a saxophone," a blaring saxophone that sounds somewhat like a siren follows directly after that line both accenting Crystal's voice and dramatics to the song. Even when she sings that line "a siren or a saxophone," she stretches the note just enough when she sings "saxxxx-ophone" to give a sireny saxophone-ish sound. That entire line - the music and the voice fits together very well.

Crystal's vocal performance here proves she was a natural as a jazz singer. She really should have journeyed into this style on subsequent albums.

4. Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For (1978)

Parent Album: When I Dream

This song opens with Crystal's overdubbed vocal backed with multilayered hand-claps. It's a great effect that catches your attention right away and establishes a rhythmic pattern which recurs throughout the song.

Lyrically this song is all about compromise all on our narrator's side (the narrator) being Crystal Gayle. Lover that left her for someone else is now back knocking on her door. Before she lets him back and she has questions. So she does not get the answer to her questions she compromises by letting him know that she will not ask the questions again, "You don't have to tell me, and I won't ask again!" The big compromise is that she lets him back in with her giving more than what she's getting, "Okay, come on in! You be my lover! I'll be your friend!"

What really surprised me about this song was that I was certain it would become a Top 40 hit. It seemed to have a pretty good start with radio airplay and word of mouth activity. Though the song was purely country it definitely had it's crossover appeal. As it is the song did not make it on the pop charts but was #1 on both the US and Canadian country charts and was #22 (US) and #16 (Canada) Adult Contemporary charts.

3. Ready For The Times To Get Better (1976)

Parent Album: Crystal

"Ready For The Times To Get Better" was the song released as a single to follow-up "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue." On that momentum of timing the song charted higher than most of Crystal's singles. The song charted at #52 (US) and #60 (Canada) on the Pop Singles charts as well as #3 (US) and #4 (Canada) on the Adult Contemporary charts. Finally it was #1 on the country music charts in both the US and Canada.

I always wondered why Crystal's producers released this song as the follow-up single to "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" instead of something from the "We Must Believe In Magic" album such as "I Wanna Come Back To You" or "All I Wanna Do In Life." I posed this question on facebook and a die-hard fan commented that Crystal liked this song and wanted to see it released as a single.

"Ready For The Times To Get Better" was written by Allen Reynolds, who was Crystal's longtime producer, he worked with her on ten albums from 1979 to 1982. Reynolds is credited with developing her signature soft rock sound.

Crystal's recording of this song was featured in the 2016 film; "The Hateful Eight," but was not on the soundtrack.

(Note*** This is one of my all-time favorite Crystal Gayle songs.)

2. Talking In Your Sleep (1978)

Parent Album: When I Dream

"Talking in Your Sleep" is Crystal's second biggest hits as a solo artist. The song made it to #18 US, #5 Ireland, #11 Canada and UK, #70 Australia as well as #1 Country charts and #3 Adult Contemporary charts in both Canada and the US. Crystal only achieved one more Top 40 Pop hit as a solo artist, which came the next year with the song, "Half the Way". She also reached the Top Ten in 1982 with the hit single "You and I" a duet with Eddie Rabbitt.

1. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (1977)

Parent Album: We Must Believe In Magic

When this song hit the airwaves, the world fell in love with Crystal Gayle - her alluring beautiful sultry and soulful voice, inescapable good looks, an air of mystery in her alluring blue eyes... and that hair (which at that time was down to her knees). She became a superstar overnight.

The following are the chart stats for the song:

#2 (US), #1 (Canada), #4 (Ireland), #5 (UK), #9 (New Zealand), #10 (Netherlands), #16 (Australia), #1 Country charts (US and Canada), #1 (Adult Contemporary Canada), #4 (Adult Contemporary US).

This bluesy country pop ballad was written by Richard Leigh. Leigh originally intended the song for Welsh singer Shirley Bassey (best known for the James Bond theme “Goldfinger”), but when producer Allen Reynolds heard it, he insisted on giving the ballad to Crystal.

Crystal recorded "Brown Eyes Blue" in one live take and got it perfect. The song was tailor made for her.

Thank you friends!!!