5- “Me and Bobby McGee,” Kris Kristofferson
Nestled in between Roger Miller’s 1969 original and Janis Joplin’s definitive 1971 cover sits a version by “Me and Bobby McGee” co-writer Kris Kristofferson. The Fred Foster co-write and the following two songs put Kristofferson on the map as one of the finest wordsmiths in all of popular music.
6- “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash’s broken voice lent a “lived-in” appeal to others’ songs long before he started collaborating with Rick Rubin. That’s certainly true for this Kristofferson-penned tale of a destitute man’s musings on a typical Sunday.