Poco is considered one of the great underachievers in Country Rock music circles. They had some minor successes, of course, but they didn’t achieve what many thought they were capable of. But, they left us with a catalog of music that will allow us to choose the top 10 Poco songs from quite a wide range of styles.
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The Early Days
They were formed from the remnants of Buffalo Springfield after they broke up in 1968. Jim Messina and Richie Furay joined forces with Rusty Young, George Grantham, and Randy Meisner.
Almost from the very beginning, they suffered personnel changes that hindered their progress. They were in the middle of recording Picking Up The Pieces, their first album, when Randy Meisner left in 1969. That was after an argument over the production of their first album. He went on to join The Eagles. More about that story later on.
His vocals and bass were left on the final mix of the album. He was replaced by Timothy B Schmit. In 1970, just one year later, founding member Jim Messina left and formed a duo with Kenny Loggins, which produced some great work, such as “Danny’s Song” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance.” Paul Cotton took Messina’s place.
More Changes
Over the years, there would be many more comings and goings, with the only member to go through it all being Rusty Young. Timothy B. Schmit, of course, became the new Eagles bass player when Randy Meisner departed in 1977.
There was a brief reunion of the original members, including the by-now ex-Eagle Randy Meisner, in the late 80s. That produced some songs, one of which I have included.
They finished touring in 2013 but still did some things up until 2021, when Young died. They released 19 studio albums, so as I said, we are not short of material to include in the Top 10 Poco songs.
Their Legacy
Poco can rightly claim to be one of the prime movers of the Southern California Country Rock sound, along with The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. And there is no doubt their contribution was significant. So, let’s delve into their back catalog and see if we can find some great tracks we might call Poco’s Top 10 songs.
Top 12 Best Poco Songs of All Time
1 You’d Better Think Twice
This is a track taken from their second album, Poco. It was released in 1970 and was the first album that featured Timothy B Schmit on bass after Randy Meisner had left to join The Eagles. This is pure and unashamed Country Rock at its brightest, and it became a fan favorite at concerts.
It was their first single taken from the album and reached a modest #72 on the main American chart. It did slightly better in Canada, reaching #61.
A critic at the time wrote that it was “too Rock for Country.” Clearly, he had missed the point, it was supposed to be, and in 1970 it showed Poco was ahead of the game.
2 Shoot for the Moon
As this song starts, you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to something by David Gates and Bread. This is a song taken from their 1982 album, Ghost Town. It was written by Rusty Young.
The single was the third release from that album and was the most successful, reaching #50 on the American chart. Surprisingly, it failed to chart in Canada, where they had previously had some success.
It is a decent enough song with a ‘dreamy’ feel to it. But the most impressive thing is the four-part harmonies. Poco is known for its harmonious vocals, but they excel on this track.
3 Pickin’ Up the Pieces
This was a song taken from their first album of the same name. It is probably the first we had heard of the developing genre that was and is known as Country Rock.
Let’s return briefly to the Randy Meisner saga…
The recording of this album led to Meisner quitting. He was angry at not being allowed to listen to the final playbacks as Furay and Messina wanted to complete the production.
It all got a bit childish as his image on the album cover was replaced by a dog. His bass and backing vocals were left in, but the lead vocals were taken off and rerecorded by George Grantham.
He was not credited as being a member of the band. Although, he gets a mention as assisting with backing vocals and some bass. It seems to me the band suffered because of it. If you have someone as good as him, you don’t create situations like that. I suppose they can count themselves lucky they had Timothy B. Schmit around to replace him, who was in some ways a clone of Meisner.
Back to the song…
“Pickin’ Up the Pieces” is something you might have heard Buffalo Springfield turn out, which isn’t surprising. At this stage, they are a bit more Country than Rock, but already the trademark harmony vocals were playing their part.
4 Keep on Tryin’
This is a song written by Timothy B. Schmit and can be found on the album Head Over Heels. It was the only single taken from the album and reached #50 on the American chart and #61 in Canada. It is a song about hope, as the man admits he’s been drinking too much but hopes to persuade the lady to try again.
“And I’ve been drinkin’ now – Just a little too much – And I don’t know how – I can get in touch with you – Now there’s only one thing for me to do – That’s to keep on trying – To get home to you.”
Very much an acoustic guitar ballad with plenty of those vocals. A track that shows the talent within the band at this time.
5 Under The Gun
In 1978, Poco found some success with their Legend album and two of the singles released from it. It was always going to be a hard act to follow, but this is what they produced. This is a single taken from the album of the same name.
The single was released in 1980 at the same time as the album, but it didn’t make the desired impact, peaking at #48 in America and #56 in Canada. The album fared in a similar way reaching #46 in America and #38 in Canada. “Under The Gun” was written by Paul Cotton, and it was one of the better tracks from what, by their standards, was a quite ordinary album.
The song has moved away from a Country-based sound to more of a Rock/Pop style. Of particular note is the very Rock n Roll guitar solo from Rusty Young. As a stand-alone track, I think it is one of Poco’s best songs, and that is why I have included it.
6 Heart Of The Night
This is an iconic Poco song that Paul Cotton wrote about his affection for New Orleans. It was taken from one of Poco’s best albums, Legend, released in 1979. Both the single and album did quite well. “Heart Of The Night” reached #20 in America and did even better in Canada, where it peaked at #6.
The song is an easy-going Country-Rock song with that very distinctive Poco sound. There is an excellent saxophone solo and some nice pedal steel guitar, so maybe a little more Country than Rock.
7 Nothing To Hide
In 1989, the five original members of the band, including Randy Meisner, reformed to record what may have been their best album. It reached #14 on the American chart and #12 in Canada.
It would be another three years before there would be another album. Legacy may have been seen as a swansong as it was clear their light had faded by now. However, it was a good way to start to bring down the curtain on some great music.
“Nothing To Hide” was sung by one of the great high harmony singers of his time Randy Meisner. The song reached #39 in America and was their last single to make the chart. It also reached #25 in Canada.
8 Crazy Love
This is another track from their 1979 album, Legend. The song was written, as so many were, by guitarist Rusty Young. It was their first single that made the Top 40 in America and was the highest place they ever achieved. As a result, it remains one of the most successful Poco songs.
When you listen to this song, it was obvious it wasn’t going to flop. Plenty of those excellent vocals in this Country-like ballad. It starts easily enough with a nice bit of acoustic guitar, but as we progress, the strings come in to make it a great song.
If you were ever in doubt whether they could match The Eagles for four-part harmony lines, then this song will settle that argument.
9 Rose Of Cimarron
This is a song with plenty of history surrounding it. It was released as a single from the album of the same name in 1976. The song was written by Rusty Young, with lead vocals by Timothy B Schmit and Paul Cotton. “Rose Of Cimarron” is a nickname that was given to a certain type of woman in the late 1800s in the American west.
But, it also referred to a real person from that time, Rose Dunn…
She was 15 when she became the lover and partner-in-crime of outlaw George “Bitter Creek” Newcomb. She also became famous for taking in outlaws and feeding them until they were fit to ride again. Newcomb himself was the real deal and was a member of the Doolin-Dalton gang. Yes, that one, of The Eagles Desperado fame, “Bitter Creek” and all.
He was kicked out by Bob Dalton and went with Bill Doolin to form “The Wild Bunch.” Rose was present when US Marshalls shot down Newcomb. Despite her criminal past, she later married a politician and was accepted into Washington’s hierarchy. Sounds about right, even for today.
The legend was probably exaggerated, as these things usually are…
But, her brief foray into the world of outlaws guaranteed her a place in the annals of outlaw folklore. She died at the age of 76 in Washington, DC.
That was enough to inspire a Country-Rock band to write a hit song about the lady. And, what a song it is. Even if you don’t like Country Rock, you are going to love this. Why it only reached #94 on the American chart is beyond me. I think it belongs among the Top 10 Poco songs. Furthermore, it’s one of the most memorable Poco songs.
10 Call It Love
Let’s return to the album Legacy and my top pick for the greatest Poco song of all time. An appropriate place to end because it was the last single they released that had any kind of success. It was released in 1989 and reached #18 on the American chart and #11 in Canada.
As a kind of “original band reunion” album, it also allows us to end where we came in. It is an excellent Pop song in every respect. The country in Country-Rock had largely disappeared with this song, and it has some nice power chords and a good melody and chorus.
Rusty Young does his usual good performance on vocals, and those backing harmonies are still outstanding. When you hear Poco like this, it prompts the question of why they didn’t achieve more.
11Magnolia
12Here We Go Again
13A Good Feelin’ to Know
14Good Feelin’ to Know
15Indian Summer
16When It All Began
17Spellbound
18Days Gone By
19The Dance
20Bad Weather
Want More Great Country and Rock Music?
Well, check out our thoughts on the Best Country Love Songs, the Best Country Songs About Fishing, the Best Classic Rock Songs, the Best 90s Country Songs, the Best 70s Rock Songs, and the Best 90s Rock Songs for more amazing song selections.
Top 20 Popular Poco Songs – Final Thoughts
As Poco was forming and starting out, they played The Troubador. Most people know what that place was all about, and three-quarters of it had nothing to do with the music.
Reputations were made or destroyed in that place. The audience clapped and cheered as Jim Morrison was thrown out for verbally abusing other artists while on ‘something.’ He wasn’t welcomed back. Same with David Crosby, another ‘name’ who wasn’t welcome. Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey strutted around on the ‘look-out,’ if you know what I mean.
But, it did have some great artists as well, learning and plying their trade. Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles (when they were in the right frame of mind), and Steve Martin, yes, him, who often opened for Poco on banjo with some funnies as well.
The Next Big Thing
That is how people viewed Poco at that time, but it didn’t happen. They were at the forefront of this new genre but somehow were overtaken by others. The Eagles were one.
Some of the internal squabblings didn’t help, and as I said earlier, constant personnel changes didn’t either. Nevertheless, they left us plenty to admire. And, if you want to hear more from one of the originators of Country Rock, a good place to start is The Very Best Of Poco.
Until next time, happy listening.
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