Harper Valley P.T.A.

This 1968 country-pop crossover hit tells the story of Mrs. Johnson, a young widow who confronts her small-town PTA about their hypocrisy. Written by Tom T. Hall and sung by Jeannie C. Riley, it climbed to #1 on both the country and pop charts (making Riley the first country solo female artist to top the pop chart). Its sassy, story-song style about standing up to gossip made it a cultural sensation. Decades later it even inspired a 1978 movie and TV series, Harper Valley PTA, in which Barbara Eden plays the sharp-tongued heroine.