Prior to 1971, Freddie Hart had never made it higher than No. 17 on the country music charts.

His single “Chain Gang” had previously peaked at the No. 17 slot. But “Easy Loving” changed all that. According to Hart, he originally wrote the song under the title “Easy Loving Teenage Hearts.”

Hart commented, “I was trying to write a song with words that every man wanted to say and that every woman wanted to hear. And in the process, the title was shortened to ‘Easy Loving.’ I had hoped it was something special and it turned out to be just that.”

“Easy Loving” wa...