|
by Nathan Kanuch, Zackary Kephart & Julian Spivey When I heard that famed documentarian Ken Burns was putting together a definitive history of country music for an eight-part series on PBS I knew The Word had to compile a list of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All-Time. I also knew that I wanted to collaborate on such a list with Zackary Kephart of The Musical Divide and Nathan Kanuch of Shore2Shore Country, whom I’ve worked with a few times on other collaborations. Methodology: When coming up with the idea to collaborate on a list of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All-Time I asked Zackary Kephart of The Musical Divide and Nathan Kanuch of Shore2Shore Country to make up their own personal list of what they considered to be the 100 greatest country music songs of all-time. I had done the same. To get our definitive list I took songs that all three of us included on our lists and averaged those together. If a song was on all three lists, it automatically went to the top. So, if all three of us had a song ranked in the nineties on our list it could theoretically come out higher on the definitive list than a song that appeared very high on two lists but was left completely off the third (this did happen). Zack, Nathan and I were unanimous when it came to 32 songs. This is where the methodology is a bit imperfect, but it’s the closest I could figure to get a definitive list of the greatest country songs of all-time. If a song appeared on two out of the three lists, it would be averaged and slot in behind the 32 songs we all agreed should be in the top 100. There were 41 such songs. The remainder of the list (27 songs) features songs that only appeared on one of the three lists and to get the most accurate ranking for the definitive list it was a “highest remaining song comes first” system.  20. "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss (2003)Not to discredit Brad Paisley’s zanier material, which is far better than it’s ever gotten credit for, but “Whiskey Lullaby” was the song that showed he could transcend that label of just being a good-natured goofball. In doing so, he crafted one of country music’s saddest tales, accented only by a haunting acoustic line and hints of dobro. Thankfully, too, Alison Krauss’s contribution doesn’t go to waste, showcasing the everlasting power of the duet in country music. It’s the continuity of the story that ultimately throws the listener off guard – the man never finds solace after a heartache, which, to be fair, is fairly standard for these kinds of songs. But you never expect the chorus to lead with him committing suicide, only further highlighting the true pain of the scenario. And the story would be over right then and there if not for Krauss taking over the role of the woman who feels the same kind of pain her ex-lover did in a different kind of way. Paisley and Krauss are in top form on this classic. ZK 19. "Green, Green Grass of Home" by Porter Wagoner (1965)Prison songs were all the rage of the 1960s, and not many were better at a prison song than Porter Wagoner. The first couple of verses leave the listener to form an opinion of what’s going on. The narrator is returning. From where? We don’t know yet. War, a trip across the country? Could be anything. And then we find out the narrator was just dreaming. As Wagoner delivers the mournful, sorrowful news that he’s on death row, we as the listeners are left with nothing but goosebumps and our own thoughts. As once again, the narrator will reach the “green, green grass of home.” NK 18. "Dreaming My Dreams with You" by Waylon Jennings (1975)Much like Waylon Jennings’ rendition of “Amanda,” “Dreaming My Dreams with You,” exemplified the range of his artistry. It’s a slow, quiet, and reflective composition written by Allen Reynolds that strikes a tone of optimism that the narrator can move on from a past love but will always have a piece of his heart with her. The production is brilliant with Ralph Mooney’s incredible steel guitar work whining softly below Waylon’s tender vocal. The chorus picks up the power a bit, but Jennings still allows the song to breathe. Jennings is known as the Outlaw singer with a rough, powerful voice. And that’s true to a degree. But like most country singers, he had a soft croon. If you truly study the history of country music, you’re well aware that most country singers began with a croon and then went from there. And “Dreaming My Dreams with You” shows off a country croon in the greatest of ways. NK 17. "Walking the Floor Over You" by Ernest Tubb (1941)“Walking the Floor Over You” electrified the genre and helped create the style of country known as honky-tonk. Ernest Tubb’s voice, while nothing spectacular, is distinctive and perfect for honky-tonk. The song features plenty of steel and lead guitar, as well as relatable, authentic subject matter. “Walking the Floor Over You” is the blueprint for so much great country music. The hard-working men of the Texas farms and oil fields needed something to dance and drink to after their long days, and Tubb was determined to give them exactly what they wanted. NK 16. "Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn (1970)No one quite told their life stories with the same sort of frank honesty as Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn did. To us, especially when listening in the modern day, those tales scream of struggles we’d wish to never have to endure, yet it’s that upbringing that’s always meant the world to them. For Lynn, her anthem (not just best song) is “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” a tale of love and devotion even through the worst times. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” is one of those songs that speaks to childhood innocence, with Lynn never fully understanding just how hard her family had it in Butcher Holler, Ky. For one, she didn’t know any other way of living, but her appreciation comes from fully understanding her parents’ sacrifices as she gets older. Underneath her mother’s smile and surrounded by her father’s love was a lasting comfort that equated to more than just having money. This song’s overall theme would be echoed time and time again in country songs, but none would have the acute specificity as Lynn’s anthem did. ZK 15. "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash (1963)Even before he had everyone convinced that “Hurt” was his original song (unintentionally, of course), Johnny Cash showed why no other artist could sell a song the way he could. Cash didn’t write “Ring Of Fire,” but from that opening trumpet melody and gravelly vocal, every bit of this song is nothing short of iconic. Yet it speaks even further to his creative process that, in a midst of a dry spell of low-charting hits, Cash ultimately wanted mariachi horns in this song through a dream he had. Not only did it deviate from past Cash material, but it could have been the kind of creative risk to sink his career. Yet ultimately, the song became Cash’s biggest hit at that point. Even when speaking to the power of the song itself, Cash sings it with a certain kind of desperation, giving a violent undertone to the feeling of literally falling in a ring of fire to profess how much his love burns. ZK 14. "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash (1956)On most lists such as these, if it’s not George Jones’s “He Stopped Loving Her Today” nabbing the top spot, it’s either Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” or this song in particular, usually. That’s, of course, not exactly a bad decision; Cash’s gravelly baritone gives just about any song a certain kind of life to it that can’t be replicated by anyone else. But “I Walk The Line” is the quintessential declaration of love, written with a poetic mastery that’s only bolstered by the fantastic technical playing by the Tennessee Two. The pure irony of the song is that, while it was made with good intentions as an ode to Cash’s then-wife, Vivian Liberto Cash, the song is more associated with June Carter Cash than anyone else. But despite the messy story behind it all, “I Walk The Line” shines for its power as a masterpiece. ZK 13. "Pancho & Lefty" by Townes Van Zandt (1972) & Willie Nelson with Merle Haggard (1983)“Pancho & Lefty” for me is a tale of two performances. It’s one of the greatest story songs in the history of country music telling the tale of two outlaws and how one betrays the other leading to his death. The original version, written by the great Townes Van Zandt, is a more country-folk performance released in 1972 that’s essentially just Van Zandt and his guitar and a more somber – maybe appropriately so – take. The version that many of us, myself included, became familiar with is the 1983 cover hit by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard that brings a bit more cinematic grandiosity to the performance. No matter which performance you enjoy more they’re both unquestionably great, but I must say one of my favorite moments in country history is when Haggard’s booming vocal comes in during the collaboration with Nelson. Less than a year before Haggard’s death I got to see the two legends perform this song together at Nelson’s 2015 Fourth of July Picnic in Austin, Texas – a moment I’ll never forget as long as I live. JS 12. "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" by Waylon Jennings (1975)Waylon Jennings’ 1975 No. 1 hit “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way,” off his iconic Dreaming My Dreams album, is the quintessential outlaw country song. The song takes on the glitz and glam that had become popular in Nashville, while also paying homage to the influence of Hank Williams on himself and country music. By the end of the song I believe Jennings is even a bit tongue and cheek about himself, admitting to the fact that he’s doing things his own way, with his own sound, despite following in Hank’s footsteps. I think Hank would’ve dug it. J 11. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson (1975)Willie Nelson is known as perhaps the greatest songwriter in the illustrious history of country music, but the song I consider to be his greatest performance was not written by him. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” appeared as the standout track on Nelson’s 1975 concept album Red Headed Stranger and topped the Billboard country chart and crossed over to be a top-25 pop song, but it was originally recorded nearly three decades before by Roy Acuff and had been written by Fred Rose. The touching ballad of departed lovers hoping to meet again “one day up yonder” had been recorded by a who’s who of country legends like Hank Williams, Hank Snow and Conway Twitty, but it’s Nelson’s 1975 track that has become the definitive performance. JS
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |