An American Dream - The Dirt Band/Linda Ronstadt (1979) 3/17/22

Today's "Great Song of 1979" sounds like something Jimmy Buffet might have written and recorded...but in reality, country singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell came up with "Viola! An American Dream." Over the course of his long--and still active--career, Rodney has won numerous Americana Music, Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, ASCAP, and Grammy Awards (and has been nominated for several others).

Unfortunately, Rodney's version of "Viola! An American Dream" never had a chance. In early1979, It was released as the B-Side to one of his early singles, ("A Fool Such As I"), which peaked at #90 on Billboard's Country Chart, then disappeared without a trace. What makes it even MORE unfortunate is the fact that his backup singer on the track was Emmylou Harris and was really quite good. On the other hand, it turned out to be a piece of good luck for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who had just shortened their name to just The Dirt Band. Later in '79, they dropped the "Viola," recorded their own version of the song with guest vocalist Linda Ronstadt, named an album after it, and released both the album and the single in mid-November. By the time the new decade rolled around, "An American Dream" was already climbing up the charts, on its way to #3 in Canada and The Netherlands, #6 in South Africa, and #12 in Austria. Ironically, "An AMERICAN Dream" peaked in the US at #13 on the Hot 100 and #16 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. Be that as it may, "An American Dream" by The Dirt Band & Linda Ronstadt is a "Great Song of 1979 and 1980." (Note: Jimmy Buffet has never recorded the song.) :-) The Dirt Band/Linda Ronstadt:

Rodney Crowell/Emmylou Harris: