Forty-five years ago today, the film that made Dolly Parton a movie star and gave her a massive hit single premiered in theaters.

These four country songs, all out in the early 1980s, helped transform the entire genre of country music, for the better.

With the film Song Sung Blue due for release on Christmas Day, here’s a quick refresher course on Neil Diamond’s loping, midtempo ballad of the same name which became a No. 1 ...