Long before The Voice was a hit television show, it had a very different meaning: It was Vern Gosdin’s nickname.
The mustachioed country traditionalist with a voice like butter had a colorful, multifaceted career in the 1960s and 1970s, but it was in the 1980s when his mainstream country career really took off on the country charts.
Songs like “I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (That You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight),” “Set ‘Em Up Joe” and “I’m Still Crazy” cruised all the way to the No. 1 spot on the charts.
But that’s just the beginning of Gosdin’s rich, stone-cold country discography.
Cheating songs and bar songs were two specialties of Gosdin’s, and throughout the ’80s he pumped out Top 10 hits like “Way Down Deep,” “Do You Believe Me Now” and “Who You Gonna Blame It on This Time.”
In fact, Gosdin had so many hits that it’s tough to pick just 10 songs that represent his best work.
Read More: 50 Essential Country Songs From the 1980s
Even so, the country legend is under-recognized in 2025.
Some fans know him because artists like Brad Paisley, George Strait and Jamey Johnson have released cover version of favorite Gosdin songs, but he’s largely fallen into country music obscurity.
Take a stroll through Taste of Country’s roundup of Vern Gosdin’s best songs to rediscover a true legend of the genre.
The Best 10 Vern Gosdin Songs
Long before ‘The Voice’ was the name of a hit reality TV show, it was Vern Gosdin’s nickname. Listen to these 10 songs and you’ll see why: He’s a largely-forgotten country music gem whose vocals are some of the finest the genre ever produced. Gosdin is a crooner worth rediscovering.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
