MOG Editorial Review

Nashville's Patsy Cline paved the way for country-pop crossovers with her chart-topping 1957 hit "Walkin' After Midnight." Mainstream audiences warmed to the song's rich contralto vocals and sweeping string arrangements. Cline was already a steady hit-maker by the time she released the Willie Nelson-penned "Crazy" in 1961, and the song became one of her most recognized numbers, helping the Red-Headed Stranger gain fame as a singer-songwriter. Peers like Loretta Lynn and Dottie West owe much to Cline and the cuts on this collection -- not only were they classics, they represented a respected foothold for women in a male-dominated genre. Perhaps that's why Cline was was the first female solo artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.