John Anderson Was an Expert Song Stylist. These Five Recordings Show Why

The Country Music Hall of Fame member, who died this week at 71, put his distinct spin on songs by Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, and more

During an eight-month stretch starting in late 1991, John Anderson — who died Oct. 21 at 71 — released three straight singles that would cement his Country Music Hall of Fame legacy and re-energize his career. The first of those was “Straight Tequila Night” and the last was “Seminole Wind,” both of which went on to become career-defining songs for Anderson.

But sandwiched in between was “When It Comes to You,” a song that British rockers Dire Straits had released a year earlier. While it did not quite become the signature that the other two songs did, “When It Comes to You” hit Number Three on the country charts and remained a staple in the Florida singer’s setlists for the rest of his life.

It also ushered in a trend for Anderson. Over the next decade, he would routinely either outright cover a tune that was already popular or put his own spin on one that another artist had previously cut. Remarkably, this happened during an era in which dueling recordings ruffled feathers in Nashville. (Mark Chesnutt cutting “Friends in Low Places” as a sad country ballad on a record he dropped a month after Garth Brooks released it as a single qualified as a bona fide scandal in 1990, for one example.) By that time, though, Anderson was already an established artist and surely felt less pressure to follow Music City’s whims. Whatever the reason, Anderson left behind a catalog full of such gems, tucked away on B-sides waiting to be discovered by his most ardent fans.

Here are five that stand out.

“Atlantic City” (2001)

Covering a Bruce Springsteen song inherently means living up to the Boss’s original version. In recording “Atlantic City,” however, Anderson faced the added challenge of making the song stand out among the dozens of other reprisals of the tune: It’s been covered by everyone from the Band and Jason Isbell to Riley Green and the Hold Steady. But Anderson’s low, forceful vocals and the in-your-face percussion were up to the task, arguably making his version the best of the lot.

Editor’s picks

“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” (1994)

Anderson’s version of the song that put Georgia Satellites on the map is him at his fun-loving best. At times, he’s chanting the lyrics like a sea shanty, and at others, he’s screaming with a full-throated growl. There were layers to Anderson’s music, but just about everything that made him fun to listen to is captured in this cover.

“It Ain’t Easy Being Me” (2001)

Though it was never a chart hit for the Kentucky songwriting stalwart, “It Ain’t Easy Being Me” introduced Chris Knight to the world of country music when it dropped as a single off Knight’s 1998 self-titled debut album. Three years later, Anderson covered the hard-luck tune about shooting the lights and cursing the dark, and it was a natural for his Florida drawl and down-home aesthetic. Even if a significant percentage of fans never realized it originated with Knight, Anderson’s delivery still did right by the songwriter.

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“Brown Eyed Girl” (1997)

Van Morrison’s biggest hit is also Van Morrison’s most-covered hit, and Anderson’s rendition most-closely resembles the version the late Jimmy Buffett released on 1983’s One Particular Harbour album. Anderson’s cover is string-heavy and tropical in nature, but where Buffett sang it with a forceful voice, Anderson goes for soft and understated, allowing both men’s versions to stand distinctly on their own.

“Five Generations of Rock County Wilsons” (2001)

The sheer stature of Anderson likely meant many fans hearing “Five Generations of Rock County Wilsons” assumed it was one of his originals. The song had actually been written by John Scott Sherrill and cut by the late Doug Supernaw on his 1993 debut album. Eight years later, Anderson got around to it. The song is a tale of a small town drying up as businessmen buy up all the land, and Supernaw — with his distinctive twang — sang it as a hard-luck ballad. Anderson’s approach was closer to the one he took on “Seminole Wind,” telling a story more than singing a song and striking a nerve in the process.