1975 Classic, Initially Rejected by Record Label, Became This Country Icon's First No. 1 Hit
One of the most iconic songs from Willie Nelson's discography almost didn't make it on to the album.
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," one of the signature hits from Nelson's catalog, helped put him on the map and cement his breakthrough on the country music scene, even though his record label initially had reservations about his version of the song.
According to Wide Open Country, Columbia Records was skeptical of Nelson's stripped-down rendition of the song, which still ended up making it onto his concept album Red Headed Stranger in May 1975. By July of that year, the label ultimately agreed to release the song as a single - a decision that would unexpectedly launch Nelson into mainstream success.
The song soared to the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first No. 1 hit of Nelson's career. It also peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and later secured Nelson his first Grammy win for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1976.
To this day, with more than 20 No. 1 country songs under Nelson's belt, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is still regarded as one of the defining songs of his career. Rolling Stone named it as the No. 1 Best Willie Nelson Song and ranked it #27 on the list of the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
Even though the timeless track is frequently associated with Nelson, he actually wasn't the original singer or songwriter behind it.
Originally written by Fred Rose in 1945, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" was first sung by Roy Acuff in 1947, and it had already been covered by several other stars, including Conway Twitty (1970) and Elvis Presley (1976), before Nelson put his spin on it.
Related: Powerful Country Song, Inspired by an American Tragedy, Became a 5-Week No. 1 Hit
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This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 8:38 AM.