Member-only story
Whether Country or Pop, This Week’s Rate-A-Record was Always on My Mind
Literally
Over the course of 55 (55!) Rate-A-Record installments, there have been a few times where I offered up different songs with the same title. There have also been articles where I highlighted cover versions of legendary songs, most notably some excellent cover versions of “Born to Run” (also known as The Greatest Song Ever). Today’s Rate-A-Record is similar to those, yet different at the same time.
There have been numerous times when a cover version of a popular song enjoyed some success, but there have been few (if any) occasions when a song was a huge hit for three different artists over a nearly 20-year span. The only one that comes to mind (pun intended) is the song “Always on My Mind.” Originally recorded and released by both Gwen McCrae and Brenda Lee in early and mid-1972, respectively, the song went nowhere and seemed destined for obscurity. Then, on Halloween of 1972, a guy from Tupelo, Mississippi released his version, and a classic was born.
“Always on My Mind” — Elvis Presley (1972)
