The best songs aren’t always the ones that make it big. It takes the perfect set of circumstances to earn a hit that touches the mainstream. However, for us music super fans, the plethora of songs that didn’t take the world by storm provides endless discovery. The three songs below aren’t completely unknown by any stretch; however, they didn’t get all the praise they are due. Revisit these country songs that deserve to be bigger than they are.

“Desperados Waiting for a Train” (Guy Clark)

Though The Highwaymen released a version of this song that performed well, the Guy Clark original deserves more praise. Not to say that country fanatics don’t already know “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” but it’s left off of many “favorites” lists, especially when it comes to newcomers in the genre’s listenership.

This Clark track has all the makings of a mega hit in the country space. It’s stellar storytelling, with no shortage of mystique. The outlaw country crop would die to write a song like this one. Though it might inspire fellow country artists, this song deserves to be a mainstream hit.

“The Song Remembers When” (Trisha Yearwood)

Trisha Yearwood has plenty of top-selling hits. She didn’t need “The Song Remembers When” to be a calling card; however, it could’ve been. This song did well on the charts, and many Yearwood fans know and love this track. However, for the general public (who often skim the surface), “The Song Remembers When” isn’t as well-known as it should be.

Yearwood douses this song in emotion. Singing about a love she had nearly forgotten, Yearwood drags the listener into her memories, making us long for our own lost loves. This song has everything anyone could ask of a country breakup ballad.

“To Beat the Devil” (Kris Kristofferson)

Many people know the Johnny Cash version of “To Beat the Devil,” and considering it was written for him, his rendition’s popularity is apt. However, it’s Kris Kristofferson who penned this song and delivered a stunningly depressing version himself.

Kristofferson’s version is made of the downtrodden charm he brought to all his music. His story of a down-on-his-luck musician running into the devil is as poignant today as it was back in the ’70s. ‘Cause the truth remains that no one wants to know is one of the most concise yet affecting songs in country music. Kristofferson’s Cash-esque character is brushed aside. He can’t seem to find his audience. The devil, oddly, steers him straight and commiserates with the way artists are accepted by society. This song isn’t a deep cut by any means, but given how well written it is, it’s a wonder it isn’t more popular.