20 Country Albums Every Rock Fan Should Listen To
3. Songs Our Daddy Taught Us - The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers have always been a bit of an interesting case study in the world of rock and roll. While never really fitting the mold as one of the most dangerous acts around, these two brothers made everything count in the musical department, with some of the most achingly beautiful harmonies any listener could ask for. Despite the more "safe" look that they give off, there's actually a lot of emotional potency behind Songs Our Daddy Taught Us.
Living up to its title, most of these tunes are nothing but country traditionals that Phil and Don had heard passed on by their parents when they were just starting to learn music. As opposed to being a bit too cutesy for most rockers to stomach, songs like That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine will leave you reaching for the tissues more than a few times. Given the Everlys' legacy as a singles act, you can trace each of these songs to some of their hits like Bye Bye Love and All I Have to Do is Dream.
It's not like their impact on rock wasn't unfounded either, from John Lennon and Paul McCartney learning harmony from them to Billie Joe Armstrong eventually recutting the entire album with Norah Jones as a tribute to their talent. While there's a bit of a sour reputation for the Everly Brothers making songs that your grandparents would love to hear, that's not a knock in the slightest when it's still resonating this much.