1970 Hit Ranked as a ‘Greatest Song of All Time’ Was Inducted Into the Grammy Hall of Fame 28 Years Ago Today
1970 Hit Ranked as a ‘Greatest Song of All Time’ Was Inducted Into the Grammy Hall of Fame 28 Years Ago Today
Melinda LorgeThu, February 26, 2026 at 12:42 AM UTC
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28 years ago today, on Feb. 25, 1998, Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” became her first song inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The late country queen’s official Instagram page celebrated the historic achievement with a promo image of her and the caption: “On this day in 1998, the song Coal Miner’s Daughter was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame! It received this recognition because of its enduring historical significance. What an honor!”
Loretta Lynn Self-Penned the Hit
Released on Oct. 5, 1970, one year after its recording, and solely penned by Lynn, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” has been included on the country music icon’s album of the same name. The song lyrics recount the beloved singer/songwriter's backstory, as she reflects on her childhood in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, during the Great Depression as the daughter of a coal miner, who worked tirelessly to support the family.
“Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter / In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher Holler / We were poor but we had love / That's the one thing that daddy made sure of / He shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar,” Lynn wholeheartedly sings throughout the first verse of the song.
Despite growing up in deep poverty, Lynn later sings of her admiration for her parents’ resilience and expresses profound pride in being the daughter of a coal miner, who also grew corn.
RELATED: 1975 Hit Ranked Among ‘Greatest Songs of All Time’ Was Just Reimagined by Ella Langley
“Yeah, I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter / I remember well, the well where I drew water / The work we done was hard / At night we'd sleep 'cause we were tired / Never thought of ever leaving Butcher Holler,” she sings proudly.
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She Previously Shared the Story Behind the Song
Of writing the lyrics to what has been widely regarded as her signature song, Lynn previously told Blue Railroad, per WhiskeyRiff, “I wrote it on a little $17 guitar. It didn’t stay in tune. And $17 was a lot of money, ‘cause at the time, we didn’t have any money. But then Gibson gave me a guitar, and I wrote all the others on that one.”
“Every word is true,” she continued. “My daddy would work all night in the coal mine. During the day, he would work in the cornfields. There were ten of us. He had to make a living for us….”
The Song Has Become One of Her Biggest and Most Timeless of Her Career
Though Lynn has had several hits to her name, the country classic has brought her incredible success outside of her Grammy Hall of Fame induction. The track gave Lynn a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart and appeared on Billboard’s Hot 100 all-genre chart for the first time.
The track also made the Recording Industry Association of America’s Song of the Century list in 2001. On top of that, the song was ranked at No. 42 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Country Songs of all Time list and No. 255 on the outlet’s Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
Among other accomplishments, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” became the title of Lynn’s bestselling 1976 memoir Coal Miner's Daughterand drew inspiration for a 1980 biographical musical film of the same title, depicting Lynn’s life, and starring Sissy Spacek. Coal Miner’s Daughter, the film, went on to win an Academy Award and two Golden Globes.
Related: 1975 Hit Ranked Among ‘Greatest Songs of All Time' Was Just Reimagined by Ella Langley
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
