Starter List: Buddy Holly
A.K.A. Mallie's Deeper Cuts Collection
My mom was my first music influence. Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbit, Kenny Rogers. The Oakridge Boys, and Neil Diamond, on eight-track, were in rotation, amidst many other country acts. My dad was a talk radio guy, still is. I have very few music memories that involve him.
Later my uncle would take on the role as my music guide. Introducing me to REM, 10,000 Maniacs, Greg Kihn, The Levellers, and many more rock and pop artists, both indie and more well known.
But Buddy Holly? While I know I occasionally heard him on oldie radio stations during car rides, and liked what I heard, it wasn’t until I actively started curating my own listens that I became a super fan.
This is as much a deeper cuts and alternative versions collection as it is a starter list for those looking to see if Buddy Holly belongs on your playlists. While the hits are great listens, I’ve proven to be a deeper cuts listener over the years. And it’s often on those deeper cuts that you experience more of the magic, the feeling, and the power of an artist.
Buddy Holly was ridiculously prolific despite his tragic and early end. He charted on the Top 40 seven times between 1957 and 1958. There was no way to make five, or even ten, songs work as a true starter list. So, this is a longer compilation. Twenty-five tunes showcasing his musicianship and his skills as a songwriter and lyricist.
I’ve included up-tempo rockers and slow, tender ballads. My goal was to showcase the vast array and appeal of Buddy Holly and his music. Please, let me know how you think I did.
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/starter-playlist-buddy-holly/pl.u-76oNl16CvX23KaV
Spotify:
Thank you for this! Holly is/was a blindspot for me. I can name 4-5 songs (maybe), and I associate him primarily with my dad's objectively terrible warbling of 'That'll Be The Day' in the car when I was a kid.
Excellent list! I was 14 in 1957 when I bought my first 45 by Buddy, "Peggy Sue". (Still my favorite Buddy Holly song to this day...). I picked up everything else he ever released. I think his "True Love Ways" is one of the most beautiful rock ballads ever. Also, in the mid '60s I attended two consecutive remembrance parties at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA, where I met his widow, Maria, a sweet lady. The first dance party's featured guest was Ricky Nelson. The following year it was Del Shannon paying tribute. Both were great. (For more on the Surf, see https://leisuregrouptravel.com/surf-ballroom-museum/ ) I'm so glad you discovered Buddy's mastery!