List of old country songs

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How do you make a sprawling list of tunes seem criminally short? Try to squeeze the greatest country songs of all time into that space. As we considered a century's worth of story-driven songcraft, we did our darndest to make sure all of the greats were recognized. And when we say "of all time," we mean all time. Every era is reflected here, from the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers' historic recordings to the reign of the "Nashville Sound," outlaws, singing cowboys and pop crossovers. And before you shake your fists and grumble furiously about how the list forgot "Friends in Low Places" or gave "9 to 5" the short stick, let's establish one basic rule: One song per artist, with the exception being duets. One song from Cash.

List of old country songs

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. From Patsy to Johnny, Waylon to yes Taylor, these are country's greatest recordings. There are probably esoteric forms of death metal that have a less intimidating reputation to outsiders than country music does. But seriously: country music isn't all pickups, whiskey , fights, American flags and men wearing extremely big hats. Sure, some of it is, but at its core, country's all about overcoming hardship, familial pride and heartbreak. There's pop country and disco country, traditional country and outlaw country. But at its heart, all country is intertwined. This list spans the history of the genre, from classic artists like George Jones to modern-day superstars Yes, Taylor Swift is here You'll find songs for true believers and naysayers who claim to hate the genre wholesale.

Cattle Call. From sad songs about mourning and loss, to funny country songs sure to make you laugh; from classic country beach tunes to romantic ballads, there's something for everyone when it comes to country music.

Country Living editors select each product featured. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us? Born from blues and folk, the country music genre has generated countless hits over the past several decades. From sad songs about mourning and loss, to funny country songs sure to make you laugh; from classic country beach tunes to romantic ballads, there's something for everyone when it comes to country music.

By Rolling Stone. What makes a great country song? It tells a story. It draws a line. It has a twang you can feel down to the soles of your feet. Some get mad, some get weepy, some just get you down the road.

List of old country songs

From classic country tunes to contemporary country sounds, these songs are an essential part of music history and showcase some of the most impressive storytelling skills in the country music genre. To find the top country songs of all time, Stacker analyzed Billboard's Greatest of All-Time Top Country Songs to create a ranked list of classic tracks and modern hits from to present day. This list is remarkably varied, demonstrating country music as a genre is broader than some may believe; it also shows how the genre has grown to feature a redefined picture of the classic country superstar, from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson to Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Sam Hunt, and Kacey Musgraves. You may also like: Country music history from the year you were born. Jennings convinced Nelson to record the iconic song during a poker game in , inspired by an advertisement for Ike and Tina Turner. Jim Reeves died in an airplane accident in , though his records made the charts from the s to the s. Reeves, also known as "Gentleman Jim," was more popular in South Africa than Elvis Presley, and recorded several albums in the Afrikaans language. Johnny Duncan's first-ever 1 single on the Billboard Country Chart spent 13 weeks in the top The hit told the tale of a family man who meets up with a longtime friend he's had an affair with.

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In , Daniels found the perfect showcase for his fiery fiddle technique — a familiar tale about a boy named Johnny who makes a bet with the devil and wins. When McEntire turned to Tony Brown for her album, Rumor Has It , the pair gave the song a striking loud-quiet-loud arrangement that helped introduce it to a new generation. Jim Reeves. The late Charley Pride will forever be remembered as the rare performer to break country music's undeniably fortified color barrier. A janitor, a month away from his 66th birthday, shared his impressions of the only three things worth a damn in life, while casting aspersions on the loyalty and value of lovers and friends — and Hall took it all down. The Essential Hank Snow. In , Frizzell kicked off his celebrated career with this No. A slippy lead guitar, Haggard's sketched storytelling Jackson reportedly felt conflicted about profiting from the tragedy but wrote the song in an attempt to process his associated emotions — and survivors and listeners thanked him for doing so. Dolly Parton. Past tense becomes present as the narrator returns to El Paso, is shot himself by a vengeful posse and dies in Feleena's arms. Bill Anderson. Co-writer Ralph Mooney penned the tune after his wife left him due to his drinking, and its lyrics suggest deep emotional delirium and paranoia.

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It broke genre barriers, surpassed country hits and took over pop charts as well. But the party was just starting. Make the World Go Away. You'll find songs for true believers and naysayers who claim to hate the genre wholesale. Mama Tried. And before you shake your fists and grumble furiously about how the list forgot "Friends in Low Places" or gave "9 to 5" the short stick, let's establish one basic rule: One song per artist, with the exception being duets. If she had, maybe there wouldn't be so many good-for-nothing drunks out there "kickin' hippies' asses and raisin' hell. Always On My Mind. Only songwriting great Jimmy Webb could conjure up an epic theme worthy of country's greatest supergroup, composed of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. It spent 40 weeks on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and 60 years at the top of mind for s country classics. Back Home Again. But, as Bare told Rolling Stone in , "Most of my hits would have been hits for anybody, I just got to 'em first. With a voice stirring together the low end of Johnny and the high whine of Hank, Garth Brooks was just beginning his historic superstar run. A slick-picking piece of country music and No. Johnny Cash feat.