Post by Kim on Jul 2, 2012 8:44:40 GMT -5
The list with blurbs and videos on each song can be found here
Arguing the Top 100 Country Songs of all time becomes much more fun when you limit the list to one song per artist. Instead of letting legends with dozens of Top 10 hits fill a list of country’s biggest tunes, we’ve chosen only the most memorable, successful and influential cuts from 100 wide-ranging country music careers.
This means only one song from George Strait, one song from Garth Brooks, and one track from Dolly Parton are included in the final list of the Top 100 Country Songs. Throughout the rest of the month, Taste of Country will count them down, revealing the No. 1 song of all time on June 28, 2012.
Some — okay, many — of our choices are controversial, but each selection was weighed in terms of sales success, life on country radio, songwriting quality and influence on future generations. An ’80s hit that everyone still knows today has a good chance of finding a place in the top half of the list. Hours of mostly friendly debate, dozens of pots of coffee and maybe a few beers went into finalizing the order, which we fully expect to ruffle a few feathers.
With each post, the discussion may not be the ranking of a song’s place on the Top 100 Country Songs list, but whether that’s the best song from the artist. Leave all feedback in the comments section below. Feel free to let us know where we went wrong, but try to tell us where we got it right once in awhile, as well. Our editor can be a little sensitive… especially when she’s out of coffee.
Which of these do you agree with? Disagree with? Are there some you feel should be on the list that aren't?
1: Kenny Rogers, ‘The Gambler’
2: Johnny Cash, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’
3: George Jones, ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’
4: Garth Brooks, ‘The Dance’
5: Patsy Cline, ‘Crazy’
6: The Charlie Daniels Band, ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’
7: Hank Williams, ‘Hey Good Lookin”
8: Lee Ann Womack, ‘I Hope You Dance’
9: Dolly Parton, ‘I Will Always Love You’
10: Waylon Jennings, ‘Good Hearted Woman’ (Feat. Willie Nelson)
11: Alan Jackson, ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)’
12: Loretta Lynn, ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’
13: Vince Gill, ‘Go Rest High on That Mountain’
14: Lee Greenwood, ‘God Bless the USA’
15: Tim McGraw, ‘Don’t Take the Girl’
16: Hank Williams, Jr., ‘A Country Boy Can Survive’
17: Taylor Swift, ‘Love Story’
18: Conway Twitty, ‘Hello Darlin”
19: Elvis Presley, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
20: Shania Twain, ‘Any Man of Mine’
21: Randy Travis, ‘Forever and Ever, Amen’
22: Glen Campbell, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’
23: Merle Haggard, ‘Okie From Muskogee’
24: Miranda Lambert, ‘The House That Built Me’
25: George Strait, ‘Check Yes or No’
26: Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’
27: Alabama, ‘Mountain Music’
28: Don Williams, ‘I Believe in You’
29: Kenny Chesney, ‘Summertime’
30: Willie Nelson, ‘Always on My Mind’
31: Toby Keith, ‘How Do You Like Me Now?!’
32: Barbara Mandrell, ‘I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool’
33: Carrie Underwood, ‘Before He Cheats’
34: Lonestar, ‘Amazed’
35: Reba McEntire, ‘Fancy’
36: Steve Wariner, ‘Holes in the Floor of Heaven’
37: Keith Whitley, ‘When You Say Nothing at All’
38: Roger Miller, ‘King of the Road’
39: Zac Brown Band, ‘Chicken Fried’
40: Ronnie Milsap, ‘Smoky Mountain Rain’
41: David Allan Coe, ‘You Never Even Called Me by My Name’
42: Deana Carter, ‘Strawberry Wine’
43: Sammi Smith, ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night’
44: Tammy Wynette, ‘Stand by Your Man’
45: Anne Murray, ‘Could I Have This Dance’
46: Dixie Chicks, ‘Wide Open Spaces’
47: Dan Seals, ‘Bop’
48: Crystal Gayle, ‘Don’t Make My Brown Eyes Blue’
49: Bill Anderson, ‘Still’
50: Martina McBride, ‘Independence Day’
51: Jeannie C. Riley, ‘Harper Valley PTA’
52: Ray Price, ‘For the Good Times’
53: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, ‘Fishin’ in the Dark’
54: Faith Hill, ‘Breathe’
55: Eddie Rabbitt, ‘Drivin’ My Life Away’
56: The Statler Brothers, ‘Flowers on the Wall’
57: Lady Antebellum, ‘Need You Now’
58: Tanya Tucker, ‘Delta Dawn’
59: Bellamy Brothers, ‘Let Your Love Flow’
60: Brooks and Dunn, ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’
61: Lynn Anderson, ‘Rose Garden’
62: Sugarland, ‘Stay’
63: Buck Owens, ‘Act Naturally’
64: Gretchen Wilson, ‘Redneck Woman’
65: John Denver, ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy’
66: John Anderson, ‘Swingin’’
67: Eddy Arnold, ‘Make the World Go Away’
68: Brad Paisley, ‘I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)’
69: The Judds, ‘Mama He’s Crazy’
70: Keith Urban, ‘You’ll Think of Me’
71: Tom T. Hall, ‘Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine’
72: Rascal Flatts, ‘Bless the Broken Road’
73: Dwight Yoakam, ‘Guitars, Cadillacs’
74: Marty Robbins, ‘El Paso’
75: Clint Black, ‘A Better Man’
76: Darryl Worley, ‘Have You Forgotten’
77: John Michael Montgomery, ‘I Swear’
78: Travis Tritt, ‘It’s a Great Day to Be Alive’
79: Mel McDaniel, ‘Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On’ –
80: Chris Young, ‘Gettin’ You Home’
81: The Highwaymen, ‘Highwayman’
82: Blake Shelton, ‘She Wouldn’t Be Gone’
83: The Band Perry, ‘If I Die Young’
84: Josh Turner, ‘Long Black Train’
85: Freddie Hart, ‘Easy Loving’
86: Trace Adkins, ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’
87: David Ball, ‘Riding With Private Malone’
88: Diamond Rio, ‘One More Day’
89: Freddy Fender, ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’
90: Lefty Frizzell, ‘Long Black Veil’
91: Little Big Town, ‘Boondocks’
92: Joe Nichols, ‘Brokenheartsville’
93: Kathy Mattea, ‘Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses’
94: Rodney Atkins, ‘If You’re Going Through Hell’
95: Oak Ridge Boys, ‘Elvira’
96: Craig Morgan, ‘That’s What I Love About Sunday’
97: Johnny Paycheck, ‘Take This Job and Shove It’
98: Trisha Yearwood, ‘How Do I Live’
99: Jason Aldean, ‘Big Green Tractor’
100: Billy Ray Cyrus, ‘Achy Breaky Heart’
Arguing the Top 100 Country Songs of all time becomes much more fun when you limit the list to one song per artist. Instead of letting legends with dozens of Top 10 hits fill a list of country’s biggest tunes, we’ve chosen only the most memorable, successful and influential cuts from 100 wide-ranging country music careers.
This means only one song from George Strait, one song from Garth Brooks, and one track from Dolly Parton are included in the final list of the Top 100 Country Songs. Throughout the rest of the month, Taste of Country will count them down, revealing the No. 1 song of all time on June 28, 2012.
Some — okay, many — of our choices are controversial, but each selection was weighed in terms of sales success, life on country radio, songwriting quality and influence on future generations. An ’80s hit that everyone still knows today has a good chance of finding a place in the top half of the list. Hours of mostly friendly debate, dozens of pots of coffee and maybe a few beers went into finalizing the order, which we fully expect to ruffle a few feathers.
With each post, the discussion may not be the ranking of a song’s place on the Top 100 Country Songs list, but whether that’s the best song from the artist. Leave all feedback in the comments section below. Feel free to let us know where we went wrong, but try to tell us where we got it right once in awhile, as well. Our editor can be a little sensitive… especially when she’s out of coffee.
Which of these do you agree with? Disagree with? Are there some you feel should be on the list that aren't?
1: Kenny Rogers, ‘The Gambler’
2: Johnny Cash, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’
3: George Jones, ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’
4: Garth Brooks, ‘The Dance’
5: Patsy Cline, ‘Crazy’
6: The Charlie Daniels Band, ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’
7: Hank Williams, ‘Hey Good Lookin”
8: Lee Ann Womack, ‘I Hope You Dance’
9: Dolly Parton, ‘I Will Always Love You’
10: Waylon Jennings, ‘Good Hearted Woman’ (Feat. Willie Nelson)
11: Alan Jackson, ‘Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)’
12: Loretta Lynn, ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’
13: Vince Gill, ‘Go Rest High on That Mountain’
14: Lee Greenwood, ‘God Bless the USA’
15: Tim McGraw, ‘Don’t Take the Girl’
16: Hank Williams, Jr., ‘A Country Boy Can Survive’
17: Taylor Swift, ‘Love Story’
18: Conway Twitty, ‘Hello Darlin”
19: Elvis Presley, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
20: Shania Twain, ‘Any Man of Mine’
21: Randy Travis, ‘Forever and Ever, Amen’
22: Glen Campbell, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’
23: Merle Haggard, ‘Okie From Muskogee’
24: Miranda Lambert, ‘The House That Built Me’
25: George Strait, ‘Check Yes or No’
26: Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’
27: Alabama, ‘Mountain Music’
28: Don Williams, ‘I Believe in You’
29: Kenny Chesney, ‘Summertime’
30: Willie Nelson, ‘Always on My Mind’
31: Toby Keith, ‘How Do You Like Me Now?!’
32: Barbara Mandrell, ‘I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool’
33: Carrie Underwood, ‘Before He Cheats’
34: Lonestar, ‘Amazed’
35: Reba McEntire, ‘Fancy’
36: Steve Wariner, ‘Holes in the Floor of Heaven’
37: Keith Whitley, ‘When You Say Nothing at All’
38: Roger Miller, ‘King of the Road’
39: Zac Brown Band, ‘Chicken Fried’
40: Ronnie Milsap, ‘Smoky Mountain Rain’
41: David Allan Coe, ‘You Never Even Called Me by My Name’
42: Deana Carter, ‘Strawberry Wine’
43: Sammi Smith, ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night’
44: Tammy Wynette, ‘Stand by Your Man’
45: Anne Murray, ‘Could I Have This Dance’
46: Dixie Chicks, ‘Wide Open Spaces’
47: Dan Seals, ‘Bop’
48: Crystal Gayle, ‘Don’t Make My Brown Eyes Blue’
49: Bill Anderson, ‘Still’
50: Martina McBride, ‘Independence Day’
51: Jeannie C. Riley, ‘Harper Valley PTA’
52: Ray Price, ‘For the Good Times’
53: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, ‘Fishin’ in the Dark’
54: Faith Hill, ‘Breathe’
55: Eddie Rabbitt, ‘Drivin’ My Life Away’
56: The Statler Brothers, ‘Flowers on the Wall’
57: Lady Antebellum, ‘Need You Now’
58: Tanya Tucker, ‘Delta Dawn’
59: Bellamy Brothers, ‘Let Your Love Flow’
60: Brooks and Dunn, ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’
61: Lynn Anderson, ‘Rose Garden’
62: Sugarland, ‘Stay’
63: Buck Owens, ‘Act Naturally’
64: Gretchen Wilson, ‘Redneck Woman’
65: John Denver, ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy’
66: John Anderson, ‘Swingin’’
67: Eddy Arnold, ‘Make the World Go Away’
68: Brad Paisley, ‘I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)’
69: The Judds, ‘Mama He’s Crazy’
70: Keith Urban, ‘You’ll Think of Me’
71: Tom T. Hall, ‘Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine’
72: Rascal Flatts, ‘Bless the Broken Road’
73: Dwight Yoakam, ‘Guitars, Cadillacs’
74: Marty Robbins, ‘El Paso’
75: Clint Black, ‘A Better Man’
76: Darryl Worley, ‘Have You Forgotten’
77: John Michael Montgomery, ‘I Swear’
78: Travis Tritt, ‘It’s a Great Day to Be Alive’
79: Mel McDaniel, ‘Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On’ –
80: Chris Young, ‘Gettin’ You Home’
81: The Highwaymen, ‘Highwayman’
82: Blake Shelton, ‘She Wouldn’t Be Gone’
83: The Band Perry, ‘If I Die Young’
84: Josh Turner, ‘Long Black Train’
85: Freddie Hart, ‘Easy Loving’
86: Trace Adkins, ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’
87: David Ball, ‘Riding With Private Malone’
88: Diamond Rio, ‘One More Day’
89: Freddy Fender, ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’
90: Lefty Frizzell, ‘Long Black Veil’
91: Little Big Town, ‘Boondocks’
92: Joe Nichols, ‘Brokenheartsville’
93: Kathy Mattea, ‘Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses’
94: Rodney Atkins, ‘If You’re Going Through Hell’
95: Oak Ridge Boys, ‘Elvira’
96: Craig Morgan, ‘That’s What I Love About Sunday’
97: Johnny Paycheck, ‘Take This Job and Shove It’
98: Trisha Yearwood, ‘How Do I Live’
99: Jason Aldean, ‘Big Green Tractor’
100: Billy Ray Cyrus, ‘Achy Breaky Heart’
