The 26 Best Dwight Yoakam Songs, from Guitars, Cadillacs to Fast as You

What is Dwight Yoakam's most famous song?

"Guitars, Cadillacs" is Dwight Yoakam's signature song, the 1986 hit that announced his Bakersfield-meets-Hollywood style. "Streets of Bakersfield", his duet with Buck Owens, was his first number one, and "Fast as You" and "Ain't That Lonely Yet" are his best-known 90s hits.

Dwight Yoakam's 80s breakthrough songs

1. "Honky Tonk Man", 1986: his debut single, a cover of the Johnny Horton song.
2. "Guitars, Cadillacs", 1986: the title track of his first album.
3. "It Won't Hurt", 1986: a heartbroken honky-tonk song.
4. "Little Sister", 1987: a twangy cover of the Elvis Presley hit.
5. "Little Ways", 1987: a driving song with a catchy riff.
6. "Please, Please Baby", 1987: an upbeat plea.
7. "Always Late with Your Kisses", 1988: a Lefty Frizzell classic.
8. "Streets of Bakersfield", 1988: his number one duet with Buck Owens.
9. "I Sang Dixie", 1988: a haunting story song and another number one.
10. "Long White Cadillac", 1989: a moody cover of a song by The Blasters.

Dwight Yoakam songs of the early 90s

11. "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose", 1990: a confident hit from his fourth album.
12. "You're the One", 1991: a soaring, lovelorn ballad.
13. "It Only Hurts When I Cry", 1991: a classic barroom weeper.
14. "Suspicious Minds", 1992: an Elvis cover from the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack.
15. "Ain't That Lonely Yet", 1993: a Grammy-winning ballad.
16. "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere", 1993: a lonely road song.
17. "Fast as You", 1993: a rocking hit with a twangy guitar.
18. "Pocket of a Clown", 1994: a playful, sad song from This Time.
19. "Try Not to Look So Pretty", 1994: a bittersweet plea.

Later Dwight Yoakam songs

20. "Gone (That'll Be Me)", 1995: the title track of a bold, horn-filled album.
21. "Nothing", 1995: a stark, emotional ballad.
22. "Things Change", 1998: a catchy hit about moving on.
23. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", 1999: a rockabilly take on the Queen song.
24. "Blame the Vain", 2005: the title track of his first self-produced album.
25. "Second Hand Heart", 2015: a high-energy title track.
26. "Purple Rain", 2016: a bluegrass version of the Prince classic.

Who is Dwight Yoakam?

Dwight Yoakam was born in 1956 in Pikeville, Kentucky, and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. When Nashville turned him away for being too country, he moved to Los Angeles and played the city's rock and punk clubs, sharing bills with bands like X and The Blasters. His 1986 debut, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., brought the raw, twangy Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard back to country radio, and it sold millions.

Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens

Dwight Yoakam idolized Buck Owens, the architect of the Bakersfield sound, who had stepped away from recording. Yoakam persuaded him to sing a duet on "Streets of Bakersfield", a song Owens had recorded years earlier, and in 1988 it went to number one, Yoakam's first chart-topper and Owens' first in more than fifteen years. The two remained close, and Yoakam paid tribute to Owens after his death in 2006.

The story behind Guitars, Cadillacs

"Guitars, Cadillacs" is a portrait of a young singer chasing his dream in Hollywood and dealing with heartbreak along the way, a story close to Yoakam's own. The song's snapping rhythm and Pete Anderson's bright guitar defined his sound, and it remains the song fans shout for at every show.

This Time: his biggest album

Dwight Yoakam's 1993 album This Time, produced by longtime guitarist Pete Anderson, produced three of his biggest hits, "Ain't That Lonely Yet", "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" and "Fast as You", and became the best-selling album of his career. Its blend of honky-tonk, rock and 60s pop is often called his finest work.

Dwight Yoakam the actor

Beyond music, Yoakam built a respected acting career. He played the menacing Doyle in Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade in 1996 and appeared in films such as Panic Room and Wedding Crashers, and he directed and starred in the western South of Heaven, West of Hell.

Dwight Yoakam songs for a road trip

For a drive, start with "Guitars, Cadillacs" and "Fast as You", add "Streets of Bakersfield" and "Little Ways" and finish with "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" as the sun sets. For more, see our road trip songs.

Dwight Yoakam songs for karaoke and a honky-tonk night

"Guitars, Cadillacs", "Honky Tonk Man" and "Fast as You" are fun for karaoke, and "Streets of Bakersfield" makes a great duet. For a dance floor, add "Little Sister" and "Please, Please Baby". For more dance-hall classics, see our 90s country songs.

More country artists

For more great country catalogs, see our Waylon Jennings songs, Brooks and Dunn songs and Cody Johnson songs.

A country song with a Bakersfield twang

For a Dwight Yoakam fan, a personalized country song can tell their own story with a honky-tonk beat: their name, their hometown and the memories that matter. It makes a great birthday, anniversary or Father's Day gift.

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