1974 Classic, Originally Inspired by '50s Legend, Ranked Among Best ‘Soft Rock Songs' of All Time
In 1974, a rising singer-songwriter released a career-defining track that would become one of the most enduring songs in folk and soft rock history.
John Prine, who was celebrated as the "Mark Twain of American songwriting," introduced Angel From Montgomery, a timeless classic folk-country song that has continued to resonate across generations and has later inspired award-winning covers by fellow artists.
In addition, the song also ranked No. 350 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
Written by Prine as part of his first album, John Prine, the track was a nod to his music hero Hank Williams.
The Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, who was born in Illinois, reportedly opted for Montgomery as part of the title of his signature song because it was the hometown of the "Lovesick Blues" hitmaker and a city that is tied to country music history.
Beyond the tribute to the music icon, Prine was also inspired by the emotional character he created for Angel From Montgomery, which allowed him to write as though he was stepping into another person's life.
"I had this really vivid picture of this woman standing over the sink with soap in her hands," he shared in an interview as cited by Rave Is Kole Music, adding, "She wanted to get out of her house and her marriage and everything. She just wanted an angel to come and take her away from all this. So I just kept that whole idea image in mind when I was writing the song and I just let it pour out of that character's heart."
Moreover, he explained that the writing process felt like storytelling rather than a direct personal expression.
"I didn't realize all this at the time, but if you come up with a strong enough character, you can get a really vivid insight into the character that you've invented," the singer-songwriter further explained. "You let the character write the song. You just dictate from then on. You stick to it, and whatever the character is saying, you have to figure out how to keep that in the song. You know? That's how I do it. I almost go into a trance….once I've got an outline, a sketch in my mind, of who the person was, then I figure I'd better let them speak for themselves rather than me saying: ‘Hey, so here's a middle-aged woman. She feels she's much older.' It wouldn't have been nearly as effective."
Despite the song's legendary status, it was not a commercial success at the time.
What eventually ignited the song's popularity was the Bonnie Raitt cover of Angel From Montgomery, which she released as part of her 1974 album Streetlights.
The female blues singer often cited this as one of her career-defining songs, which became a regular part of her live performances for decades.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 9:28 PM.