Best Country Songs of All Time

[prberk]

As they prepare for their 90th anniversary, coming up on Monday, October 5, famous country station, WSM Radio, in Nashville (the home of the Grand Ole Opry, which also turns 90 itself a few weeks later) has been counting down, one song a day, all year to what people voted as the best country songs of all time. They are up to the Top 10 now, on number nine today. Several big ones that I think could have been in the Top 10, most namely “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” by the Carter Family, have already appeared lower down on the list.

Here is the top 40 part of the list so far...

WSM Radio’s Top 40 Country Songs of All Time (as of 90th Anniv., 2015):

40. Loretta Lynn – You Ain’t Woman Enough
39. The Carter Family – Will the Circle Be Unbroken?
38. Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues
37. Willie Nelson – Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
36. Flatt & Scruggs – Foggy Mtn. Breakdown
35. Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire
34. George Jones – Choices
33. Keith Whitley – When You Say Nothing at All
32. Loretta Lynn – Don’t Come Home a-Drinking
31. Patsy Cline – Sweet Dreams
30. Jim Reeves – He’ll Have to Go
29. Johnny Cash – I Walk the Line
28. Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
27. Tammy Wynette – Apartment #9
26. Kitty Wells – It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels
25. Alan Jackson – Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)?
24. Charlie Daniels – The Devil Went Down to Georgia
23. Randy Travis – Forever and Ever, Amen
22. George Jones & Tammy Wynette – Golden Ring
21. Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight
20. Vern Gosdin – Chiseled in Stone
19. Charlie Rich – Behind Closed Doors
18. Tammy Wynette – D-I-V-O-R-C-E
17. Garth Brooks – The Dance
16. Ray Price – For the Good Times
15. Hank Williams – Your Cheatin’ Heart
14. Willie Nelson – Always on My Mind
13. Lee Greenwood – God Bless the USA
12. Marty Robbins – El Paso
11. Dolly Parton – I Will Always Love You
10. Gene Watson – Farewell Party
9. Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man
8. George Strait – Amarillo By Mornin’

They just revealed the number eight song this morning. The rest will be revealed one a day until their birthday celebration on October 5. I wondered what people thought the rest of the list might be. We will find out as we go through the list, but since they are now in the Top 10, I thought it might be fun to speculate.
Here are some of my guesses for the top few:
1. He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones
2. Crazy – Patsy Cline
3. Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn
4. Rocky Top – Osborne Brothers
5. Go Rest High on That Mountain – Vince Gill
6. Hello Darlin’ – Conway Twitty

7. Coat of Many Colors - Dolly Parton EDIT: Yay! I got that one right!

What do you think will make the list between now and number one?

Also, were there any surprises with this list? To me, there was. I think Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" belonged in the Top 10, as did The Carter Family's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

Anything you would disagree with? Anything that seems left out. [They have actually been doing all 90, but I did not feel like typing out the rest of the list. You may see them here: http://www.wsmonline.com/events/90-for-90-wsm-celebrates-your-90-favorite-country-songs/ .]

I hope that "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is Number One. It should be. I think it is the best and most resonant country song ever performed.

I was glad to see Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" on the list. I know that Whitney Houston's version was of the song Dolly wrote was a worldwide smash, but I think the simple poinancy of Dolly's orginal is not only a stark contrast but a beautiful song.

So, what do you all think? If you are a country fan, I would love your opinion.

In the meantime if you want to follow along as they get to their big 90th anniversary, you may "listen live" from their webpage, www.wsmonline.com, or from Opry's page, www.opry.com. The Opry is ramping up for the 90th also, celebrating at the same time, even though it their actual anniversary is several weeks later. (They started as a live show with a fiddler coming in to sub for another program in the WSM studio at the time. He was in the car and came to fill in. People loved it, and the live Saturday night broadcast began of a music and comedy show featuring country talent -- only few weeks after the station itself had signed on the air. They called it the WSM Barn Dance. The Grand Ole Opry got its famous name years later from an announcer who gave it a country tie-in to the broadcast that preceded it weekly on WSM, the network broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera from New York. He said something like this, "Ladies and gentlemen, you have just been listening to grand old opera from New York City -- Now you will get to here "grand ole opry" from Nashville, Tennessee!")

 

[PUSH]

I came to this thread to see if Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" would be here. While I know she's made plenty of money off the song, I like her to get recognition for the song. I prefer Whitney's version, but I think so many people have just assumed it's her song. Not sure why that's bugged me in the past - when people give credit to Whitney - but there's my two cents.

Other than that I don't have a big enough interest in country music to recognize half of these songs.

Actually, just doing a quick look back, isn't it Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), instead of Were You There?

 

[MinnieM123]

Never grew up in an area that played country music, so I'm not familiar with most of the country songs in that list. However, I have heard a couple of those over the years, on stations that weren't designated for country music. One of those songs stood out--performed by Charlie Daniels, The Devil Went Down to Georgia. I love hearing him play that fiddle--he's amazing! The song is fun, too. But it's at #24 on the list, so I guess that means some other song will make it to #1. I hope they pick your favorite, @prberk .

 

[Goofyernmost]

I came to this thread to see if Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" would be here. While I know she's made plenty of money off the song, I like her to get recognition for the song. I prefer Whitney's version, but I think so many people have just assumed it's her song. Not sure why that's bugged me in the past - when people give credit to Whitney - but there's my two cents.

Other than that I don't have a big enough interest in country music to recognize half of these songs.

Actually, just doing a quick look back, isn't it Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), instead of Were You There?

I have to disagree with you on that one. Dolly's recording is so much more sincere and straight forward and sung from the heart. Whitney had to put her own style of the swirly notes (there's probably an official word for it, but, I don't know what it is) Both are nice, but, I rather listen to Dolly sing it then any other version that I have ever heard.

To me the best song that Alan Jackson ever did was entitled... Remember When...

 

[catmom46]

I definitely agree Patsy and Loretta will be in the top 7. I don't know a lot of the classics, but I do recognize most of the names. I'm not a big fan of Garth, though. I can see why he's so popular, but I think if he's on the list, then others like Toby Keith and Dwight Yoakam should be on it, too.

 

[prberk]

I came to this thread to see if Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" would be here. While I know she's made plenty of money off the song, I like her to get recognition for the song. I prefer Whitney's version, but I think so many people have just assumed it's her song. Not sure why that's bugged me in the past - when people give credit to Whitney - but there's my two cents.

Other than that I don't have a big enough interest in country music to recognize half of these songs.

Actually, just doing a quick look back, isn't it Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), instead of Were You There?

Good catch. I will fix that now. I remember watching the country music association (CMA) awards that November in 2001 when he premiered that song (instead of a song for which he had been nominated), and it was amazing. A link to the YouTube clip of that performance is on the last few pages of the perennial "This is Terrible" 9/11 thread here. You might want to see it.

I suggest that you also listen sometime to Dolly's other signature song, "Coat of Many Colors." It was announced today as Number 7. It is her autobiographical song about the love her mother poured into a coat she made for her -- although they were poor, she felt richer than the people with store-bought coats who made fun of her. And it made her feel like Joseph in the Bible with his colorful coat, who also went through rejection.

Some of these songs are, of course, just fun, but I think the power of most of the best country songs -- the ones on this list -- is their raw emotion, the power of the everyman stories that they tell. Hurt, rejection, love, grace. It's all there in a real country song. A song of the people. Even Ray Charles said it about country, when he was asked by friends why he mae a country album: "Stories, man, stories!" Check many of them out if you have not.

 

[prberk]

Today's addition: "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton, Number 7!

EDIT: Here is a recent performance that she did of it at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. She puts it into perspective. Just as meaningful as it was when she wrote it over 40 years ago (1971).



One more every weekday until their anniversary on Monday, October 5. I will keep you all posted. We'll see if you can guess the top 6!

And if you care to listen, on Friday, October 2, they will start the celebration, broadcasting live all day from the Grand Ole Opry House backstage, with people stopping in throughout the day both then and Monday. And on Friday and Saturday nights the Opry is pretty much sold out, with Carrie Underwood, The Oak Ridge Boys, Little Big Town, Diamond Rio, Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, and others starting off a week that will also include Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, the Del McCoury Band, Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Riders in the Sky (who voiced the Woody's Roundup songs), and many others. It will be fun to tune in. You can hear it live on www.opry.com or www.wsmonline.com.

 

[rsoxguy]

Clem Hickston - "Pardon my dust as I sand your memory from my heart."

It makes me cry every time I hear it.

 

[catmom46]

Clem Hickston - "Pardon my dust as I sand your memory from my heart."

It makes me cry every time I hear it.

Oh goodness, that title says it all.

 

[rsoxguy]

Oh goodness, that title says it all.

Yeah, Clem followed that one with the chart topping "You're no Chevy, but a Ford will always do".

Come to think of it, that one also makes me cry.

 

[catmom46]

Yeah, Clem followed that one with the chart topping "You're no Chevy, but a Ford will always do".

Come to think of it, that one also makes me cry.

Sorry, but a Ford won't do if I could have one of these:

 

[prberk]

Well, I got one wrong so far, but the song revealed this morning as Number 6 is definitely worth it:

6. I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline

Some of you may recognize it from the Wal-Mart commercials where the prices were falling a few years back, but it is a great song period. It really captures the emotion of lost love. It is achingly beautiful. Check it out if you never have.

(EDIT: this is a better clip, using the original recording -- the one that made the list.)



I think this means that Patsy will have two songs in the Top 10, because I think that clearly "Crazy" will be in the top tier somewhere. Willie Nelson actually wrote "Crazy," but Patsy put her amazing vocals to it and made another definitive classic. If you have never heard Patsy Cline sing, especially these songs, you have missed some real emotion in a song.

In the meantime, I will try to check back every weekday until next Monday, as WSM reveals the Top Five one day at a time, leading up to their anniversary party on Monday.

I would love to hear from country fans -- or people who grew up with it and maybe has fond memories of some of these songs -- and let me know what you think of all of them, whether the list is what you would agree with.

 

[prberk]

Well, I am back on track. They revealed Number 5 this morning:

5. Hello Darlin' - Conway Twitty

My mother used to LOVE that song. She loves George Strait these days, but still a good country song. (Lamenting a long lost love.) Conway literally growled in that song, too.



We'll see what tomorrow brings!

 

[prberk]

By the way, I know it won't be on the list, but my personal favorite Patsy Cline song is "She's Got You." That is just an amazing recording -- first, it is an incredibly poignant lost-love song, but her vocals will just plain wring it from you.



Do you all have some personal favorite songs from any artists that just show the power of emotion in a song? (Whether or not it is on the list, or even country.)

See, I think some songs are like poetry, not just in rhyme and meter (which they should be), but in emotion also. A well-written song takes us to a different place -- sometimes just for fun, yes, but sometimes for an emotional journey to a feeling that the songwriter just had to put to song.

 

[prberk]

Good morning everyone! Well, WSM is up to Number Four, and it really is a song that has become a modern classic:

4. Go Rest High on That Mountain - Vince Gill

The original recording from Vince Gill was made in 1995, with Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs doing uncredited backup work, and it really hit a chord. He had started it years earlier with Verse One written for his and Ricky's buddy, Keith Whitley, who had recently passed away (1989). It referenced Keith's song, "I'm No Stranger to the Rain." Vince did not finish or release the song at the time, thinking that people would think that he was capitalizing on his friend's death. He picked it up a couple of years later and finished it following his brother's death. (His brother's death seems to have also inspired the emotion and feeling on at least a couple of terrific songs on his Christmas album that year as well, one of which talks about it being different this year.)

Anyway, I have heard recently that this song has now become the most requested song at funerals, and has eclipsed "Amazing Grace" at least for the time being. What a testament to the power of a song.

Here is a clip of it from George Jones' funeral, which was held a couple of years ago now at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, with Vince Gill singing and Patty Loveless harmonizing with him as she did on the original. The band is also many of the orginals. You can feel the power of it here. Check it out. He is emotional for the intro, and they take time with it, so the song actually starts about 7½ minutes in:



What a song. Worthy of the top five.

P.S.: If you don't know about this radio station, WSM, and why I am following their anniversary countdown, just look behind Vince and Patty on the stage of the Opry in that clip and you will see its call letters. It is 90 years old on Monday, and it is where the Grand Ole Opry came from, and has been its home for 90 years. (The Opry started about a month after the station.) It is the reason we know Nashville as "Music City," and really helped make the music industry as we know it today, not only in country but in the other genres of writers and musicians who have made Nashville home.

 

[Nemo14]

Thanks for sharing that Paul!

 

[catmom46]

By the way, I know it won't be on the list, but my personal favorite Patsy Cline song is "She's Got You." That is just an amazing recording -- first, it is an incredibly poignant lost-love song, but her vocals will just plain wring it from you.



Do you all have some personal favorite songs from any artists that just show the power of emotion in a song? (Whether or not it is on the list, or even country.)

See, I think some songs are like poetry, not just in rhyme and meter (which they should be), but in emotion also. A well-written song takes us to a different place -- sometimes just for fun, yes, but sometimes for an emotional journey to a feeling that the songwriter just had to put to song.

One of my favorite live performances is Islands in the Stream with Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. I just love how much fun they have together. And Dolly's bubbly nature is so infectious!

 

[prberk]

I agree, @catmom46 . That is actually one of my favorite songs of all time itself. Probably should have made the list itself. I remember it being a big crossover hit, just like "9 to 5" at the time.

 

[Tiggerish]

No Alabama?! I love those guys.

Grew up listening to 1050 WHN which played country music in New York City from 1973 to 1987, which was succeeded by WYNY 103.5 from 1988-96. Watched plenty of CMT during the 80s-90s, too. NY finally got a new country station only last year.

Thanks for posting all this.

 

[Tiggerish]

Oh, also--Don Williams. What a singer. Still performing, too. He recently played a show in Ireland and I heard that although he had to sit down for most of the show, he's still in the same excellent voice.

"I Believe in You" is one of my favorites.