They say that tears are the safety valve of the heart when too much pressure is laid on it. Whether they are shed in the dark of a midnight heartbreak, the overwhelming light of a spiritual awakening, or the quiet ache of a memory that just won’t fade, these tiny drops of salt water carry the weight of our history. Today, we’re tracing those trails down the cheeks of American music. with a show whose theme is ‘tears’. We’ve got two hours of the lonesome, the joyful, and the broken-hearted. Featured artists include Etta James, Mac Wiseman, Big Maybelle, Faron Young and The Pilgrim Travelers, spanning the past century of America’s music from the mid-1930s to a cover of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Ocean of Tears from 2019. We’ll experience tears that take us from remorse to pure joy and pleasant surprise full circle to tears brought on by physical pain. So pull up a chair, settle in, and let’s let the music do the weeping for us.
| No. | Artist | Title | Album | Year | Start At |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Anthony & The Imperials | Tears on My Pillow | The Best of Little Anthony & The Imperials | 1958 | 00:00 |
| 2 | Chuck Jackson | Tears Of Joy | The Very Best Of Chuck Jackson 1961-1967 | 1963 | 05:35 |
| 3 | Gladys Knight & The Pips | Letter Full Of Tears | Soul Grooves | 2002 | 08:13 |
| 4 | Tammi Terrell | Tears At The End Of A Love Affair | Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection | 1969 | 10:52 |
| 5 | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | Tears of a Clown | Motown: The Classic Years Disc 2 | 1970 | 13:48 |
| 6 | Johnny Rivers | The Tracks of My Tears | Greatest Hits [Capitol] | 1967 | 16:45 |
| 7 | Etta James | Tears Of Joy | The Complete Modern & Kent Recordings 1 | 1956 | 24:59 |
| 8 | Bonnie Raitt | River Of Tears | Green Light | 1982 | 27:25 |
| 9 | Big Maybelle | Ocean Of Tears | The Complete OKeh Sessions 1952-'55 | 1955 | 32:10 |
| 10 | Pee Wee Crayton | Eyes Full Of Tears | Pee Wee's Blues – The Complete Aladdin And Imperial Recordings | 1954 | 34:37 |
| 11 | Ray Charles | Drown in My Own Tears | Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959) (1 of 8) | 1959 | 36:42 |
| 12 | The Jackson Southernaires | No Tears in Heaven | Great Gospel – No Tears in Heaven | 2004 | 44:04 |
| 13 | The Pilgrim Travelers | God Shall Wipe All Tears Away | Good News Vol. 4: Glory Glory Hallelujah | 1949 | 49:10 |
| 14 | The Staple Singers | I Can't Help From Cryin' Sometime | Great Day | 1962 | 51:27 |
| 15 | Robert Plant and The Soweto Gospel Choir | Valley Of Tears | Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino [Disc 2] | 2007 | 53:43 |
| 16 | Jean Shepard | Crying Holy | 24 Greatest Gospel Hits | 2009 | 55:51 |
| 17 | Bad Livers | Crying Holy Unto The Lord | Dust On The Bible | 1998 | 57:52 |
| 18 | Mac Wiseman | Crying Heart Blues | Grassroots To Bluegrass | 1990 | 1:07:57 |
| 19 | Country Gentlemen | Silence or Tears | Warped 6119 – Country Gentlemen – 1961 | 1961 | 1:10:20 |
| 20 | David Grisman; Emory Gordy; Herb Pedersen; Jim Buchanan; Vince Gill | The Children Are Crying | Here Today | 1982 | 1:12:56 |
| 21 | Dolly Parton | Endless Stream of Tears | The Grass Is Blue | 1999 | 1:15:28 |
| 22 | Faron Young | Trail Of Tears | Hello Walls / The Young Approach | 1961 | 1:18:01 |
| 23 | Dick Curless | Tears Instead of Cheers | A Tombstone Every Mile (7CD Set) CD6 (1950-1969) | 1996 | 1:20:10 |
| 24 | Tennessee Ernie Ford | Ocean Of Tears | The History Of Country & Western Music (Disc 20) | 0 | 1:24:50 |
| 25 | JP Harris | Ocean of Tears (feat. Miss Tess) | Why Don't We Duet in the Road (Again) – EP | 2019 | 1:27:23 |
| 26 | Skeets McDonald | Curtain Of Tears | Skeets McDonald – One Classic Album & Singles Collection | 1952 | 1:29:57 |
| 27 | Ray Campi | Curtain Of Tears | Country Boy's Dream | 1988 | 1:32:17 |
| 28 | Ella Fitzgerald | Crying My Heart Out For You | Cryin' Mood | 1939 | 1:36:02 |
| 29 | Anita O'Day | And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine | Sentimental Journey: Great Ladies of Song | 1944 | 1:39:08 |
| 30 | Dinah Washington | You're Crying (from The Swingin' Miss D) | Dinah Washington: Eight Classic Albums | 1956 | 1:42:12 |
| 31 | Chris Connor | Time Out For Tears | Warm Cool: The Atlantic Years [Disc 1] | 1999 | 1:45:39 |
| 32 | Dinah Shore | Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside) | Your Hit Parade: 1946 | 1946 | 1:48:18 |
| 33 | Lula Reed | I'll Drown In My Own Tears | Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio | 1951 | 1:53:57 |
| 34 | Johnny Ray | Cry | Columbia Records 125th Anniversary | 1951 | 1:56:47 |