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. 10. "Long Black Veil" by Lefty Frizzell (1959)
The actual story of Lefty Frizzell’s fall from mainstream country prominence is one that’s often overlooked. In a nutshell, Frizzell essentially slipped away into the darkness, and no better song captures that lonesome, wandering troubadour spirit better than this song. Like many songs here, “Long Black Veil” has seen its fair share of covers, but none, not even Johnny Cash, could cut to the song’s deepest, darkest core like Frizzell. It’s a surprising feat, especially when none of Frizzell’s works had ever been this morose; this tale of forbidden love and its consequences offered just the right details to string out a coherent story worthy of being called a folk standard, yet also opened up mysteries and questions surrounding the content itself. Why was a friendship worth more than life itself? Why must this woman mourn her secret lover in private if he was, after all, a friend? Like some of the best country songs, it invites the listeners to fill in the blanks of this tragic tale. ZK
9. "Crazy" by Patsy Cline (1961)
“Crazy” was born to be a classic the moment it was released, if only for its excellent foundation. Take Willie Nelson’s gut-wrenching lyrics about finding love only to lose it all again, a complex melody and chord structure that country music hadn’t quite yet seen at that point, and then leave it all to Patsy Cline herself to deliver it with a breathtakingly gorgeous performance. If country music listeners and historians are looking for the defining moment of the Nashville Sound era, it’s this song. ZK
8. "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" by Johnny Cash (1970)
Not only did the song help give Kris Kristofferson his break, it entered country music history as a different kind of hit - something that didn’t follow the basic formula of country songwriting. Its downtrodden and out-of-luck point of view gets the listener sympathizing with the lyrics. People across the world wake up every Sunday feeling like the narrator describes and have done so for years. The beauty of a Kristofferson song is the ability he possesses to create these pictures and vignettes for the listener. He can take a simple concept and turn it into a poignant portrait. And that’s without even mentioning Johnny Cash’s legendary interpretation of the song. NK
7. "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash (1955)
“Folsom Prison Blues” had two lives. The first came in 1955 when it was one of the first songs cut by Johnny Cash at Sun Records and became a top-five hit in 1956. Cash had written the song in the early ‘50s when stationed in Germany while in the Air Force and had seen the film “Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison.” He was inspired to tell the tale of a man stuck in prison for the rest of his life after he “shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die” (one of the most iconic lyrics ever written). Cash seemed to understand the plight of the incarcerated better than anyone and began performing for prisoners across the nation – with his songs, especially “Folsom Prison Blues” speaking to them. In 1968, Cash recorded a live version of “Folsom Prison Blues” to open his At Folsom Prison album. It’s this version of the song that topped the country music charts and became a top-40 crossover giving one of the greatest country songs ever written and recorded a second life. JS
5. "Sing Me Back Home" by Merle Haggard (1968)
More than any other singer/songwriter, Merle Haggard truly wrote from his own experiences. On “Sing Me Back Home,” he blends two of the things he knows best – prison and music – to craft something emotionally gripping. If anything, this song feels like a sobering experience for Haggard, especially with that crushing last verse. If “Mama Tried” was Haggard mockingly poking fun at himself, “Sing Me Back Home” was his most serious moment on record that will live on as an ambassador for the best of what the genre has to offer. ZK
4. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones (1980)
“He Stopped Loving Her Today” helped revive George Jones’ career. The lyrics took unending love to a new level. Jones called it “morbid” and thought no one would buy the record. Perhaps the greatest vocal performance in country music history, the importance of “He Stopped Loving Her Today” cannot be overstated. It’s still hard to fathom how Jones was able to get in the studio and record the song, given his severe alcohol and drug problems. Severe being an understatement. The life of George Jones was truly spectacular. The Possum’s contributions to the greatest genre in music will never be forgotten, and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” plays such a massive role in the story of George Jones. NK
3. "El Paso" by Marty Robbins (1959)
“El Paso” by Marty Robbins is the greatest story song ever written and recorded. And, I’m not just talking country music, but any genre of music. Period. Robbins essentially wrote and sang an entire Western movie in the span of four and a half minutes and it’s perfection. The song, released in 1959, was included on Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, which was basically the first concept album in the history of country music. “El Paso” is the story of a cowboy who falls in love with an enchanting Mexican girl named Feleena, but kills another man out of jealousy when he notices he’s not the only one falling for her. After killing the man the song’s narrator flees the town, but his love for Feelena is too strong and he returns to El Paso to see her, despite it certainly meaning his own death. The vocal laid down by Robbins, one of the genre’s legendary voices, is among the greatest ever recorded anywhere. JS
2. "Mama Tried" by Merle Haggard (1968)
Merle Haggard essentially lived “Mama Tried.” Sure, the song adds some poetic liberties – Haggard only spent a few years in prison; he didn’t serve a life term like the narrator of the song – but he understood the feeling of losing a father at an early age and turning to a life of crime despite the solid upbringing from his mother. “Mama Tried” is only two minutes and 12 seconds long, but it’s absolute country music perfection with that twangy guitar lick that’s definitely one of the most memorable sounds in the history of the genre. “Mama Tried” would top the country music charts in 1968 and essentially give Haggard his lifelong theme song. JS
1. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Hank Williams (1949)
It’s straight-forward but poignant. Somber and melancholy. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is the greatest country song of all-time. Hank Williams took visions of the American South to convey the feelings of loneliness and isolation he was dealing with in his own marriage; he was the master of conveying his own emotions and troubles in a manner in which every single person could relate. Williams has been called the “Hillbilly Shakespeare,” and it’s songs like this that exhibit why. The song is elegant yet plain-spoken, as the best country songs are. NK
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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 ![]() by Julian Spivey The inaugural Yadaloo Music & Arts Festival took place in North Little Rock’s North Shore Riverwalk Park on Sunday, September 24 bringing a lot of fun and Texas country music to central Arkansas. The festival, which focused on Americana and Country Music acts in its debut run (and hopefully in the future), began mid-afternoon with local acts like Bree Ogden, Ashtyn Barbaree and more. The event also featured food trucks, arts and crafts vendors and a kiddie section giving the entire family something to do. Texas country performer William Clark Green took the stage around 5:30 p.m. and there were clearly many in the audience who are major fans of his. I’ve enjoyed a handful of his songs over the last few years, but this was my first time seeing him in person and he puts on a helluva show. Green, a 33-year old from Flint, Texas, has released five albums, but took off in the Texas music scene with his third release Rose Queen in 2013. The album’s title track would prove to be one of the biggest hits among the crowd on Sunday afternoon. Green opened his probably 45-minute set with “Next Big Thing” off his 2015 release Ringling Road. He would perform more tracks off that album than any other during his show, including my two favorite cuts from his discography “Creek Don’t Rise” and “Sticks and Stones.” Green would also play the title cut from Ringling Road, which he said before the performance was his mom’s least favorite song of his. It’s a little more “out there” than much of his repertoire featuring the story of drug addicted circus performers. Green would finish his show with potentially his most popular song to date, “She Likes the Beatles” off Rose Queen, which was a No. 1 hit on the regional Texas Music Chart in 2013. The catchy tune is the tale of a relationship that just works, even if the two involved are often polar opposites. Green and his talented band through in snippets of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” at the beginning of the performance and finished their performance with the “na na na nas” section of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” The Yadaloo Festival performance was my fourth time seeing Jason Boland & the Stragglers, one of my absolute favorite acts from the Red Dirt Country genre. The band has been going at it hard on the road for 20 years now and have built up a very loyal following in central Arkansas thanks to many performances at the Rev Room just across the river from where the Yadaloo Festival took place on Sunday. Boland and his terrific band is down to a four-piece (at least for this show): Boland on vocals and guitar, Grant Tracy on bass (the last remaining original member with Boland), the fantastic fiddle player Nick Worley and Jake Lynn (at least I believe that’s what Boland said from the stage) on drums. Drummer Brad Rice and guitarist Cody Angel have left the band since I last saw them live. The group began their show with “Hank,” which is truly one of the finest protest songs about real country music not being played in mainstream country music and was actually released a while before many even started making that claim. After this great opener the band would launch into one of its biggest crowd favorites in “Pearl Snaps,” which was the title track off their 1999 debut. Boland had a shorter set for the festival than you’d typically see him play so he mostly stuck to crowd favorites and honky-tonkers and didn’t get to perform much from his most recent album Hard Times Are Relative from last year. The one track from the album he did perform was the standout love song “I Don’t Deserve You.” He would follow this up with another love song, and the sets most quiet tune, in “Lucky I Guess,” off 2013’s Dark & Dirty Mile. Also making the set off that album was the raucous “Electric Bill,” which has become a fan-favorite since the album’s release. Boland & the Stragglers would amp the crowd up with high-energy performance of concert staples like “Somewhere Down in Texas,” which may be his most popular song, the frequent cover of the Don Williams hit “Tulsa Time” and “My Baby Loves Me When I’m Stoned.” The band would also rock the audience with terrific performances of “Blowing Through the Hills” and “Pushing Luck.” Boland & the Stragglers would end their set, as they always do, with my personal favorite track of their discography in the Bob Childers-penned “Outlaw Band,” which is has been one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen all four times I’ve seen them perform it now. The performance features some of the best fiddling you’ll ever hear by Worley, who also plays a mean mandolin on the song. After the Boland & the Stragglers performance the night would wrap up with another Texas country music standout in Stoney LaRue, who’s set I was unable to stick around to hear. I sincerely hope the Yadaloo Festival people had a great turnout for the entirety of the day – for the performances I was in attendance for – I’m not quite sure how much money they would’ve pulled in. Hopefully it was enough to continue to do these for years to come because the talent they brought to the festival is the kind of stuff I’d love to see more in the area. 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. 30. "East Bound & Down" by Jerry Reed (1977)Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down” is one of the songs of the ‘70s. It’s one of those rare songs that is just *perfect.* As in, I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. The chorus just begs to be sung out at the top of your lungs, and the driving guitar literally gives you a ride down the highway in the passenger seat of a Burt Reynolds-driven Trans Am. An iconic song fitting of such an iconic movie in “Smokey & the Bandit.” NK 29. "Hello Walls" by Faron Young (1961)Truth be told, “Hello Walls” will always shine more of a spotlight on its writer, Willie Nelson, than its singer, Faron Young, but that’s not to discount Young’s ability as an artist. In fact, the two artists helped one another during this time – Young, the still budding honky tonk superstar influenced by Hank Williams, found his biggest hit through “Hello Walls,” the tune that also helped launch a young Nelson’s career into the spotlight. On that note alone, this song would naturally make a list of this caliber, though there’s always been something strangely appealing about a song where the narrator has a subdued, one-sided conversation with himself. If it weren’t so damn catchy, you’d swear it’s one of the saddest country songs you’d ever heard, and that’s saying something. ZK 28. "Seminole Wind" by John Anderson (1992)Rarely in the history of country music has there ever been a song that served as a protest song and a socially conscious one as John Anderson’s 1992 top-five country hit “Seminole Wind.” The song told of the plight of the Florida Everglades, from Anderson’s home state, and how one of America’s greatest pieces of nature was being destroyed for profit. The soft piano and fiddle that opens the track gives it the dire feel it deserves and the song finishes out with the same while in between delivering a nice country-rock flavor while Anderson sings of the atrocities happening “in the land of the Seminole.” JS 27. "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers (1978)The setting? “A train bound for nowhere.” The time? Late at night. The year? Unknown. Tell me those elements don’t make a classic country song, and I’ll call you a liar. Kenny Rogers has always been one of those great artists that can tell a story like few others. He draws you in and dispenses words of wisdom or advice, none greater than “The Gambler.” I can’t imagine any other artist doing the Don Schlitz-penned song justice. Some songs are just meant for an artist, and “The Gambler” was meant for Kenny Rogers. NK 26. "On the Other Hand" by Randy Travis (1986)If you’ve read Randy Travis’s excellent new book, Forever And Ever, Amen, you know how much of a struggle it was to release a song like this in the mid-’80s. Yet it’s because of that struggle that Travis is hailed as a hero today, a performer who released a stone cold country song at a time when the industry didn’t know what to do with itself (it was still dealing with the aftermath of the “Urban Cowboy” movement, in a large respect). As great as the song is on its own, it was like a wake-up call for the industry, and a defiant proclamation from its singer that he wanted to be a country music singer, dammit! But that song sure is a goldmine on its own, featuring one of the simplest, yet best hooks the genre has ever heard, and laying down its case for why it’s a classic all on its own. As George Jones once said, he was so excited to hear this song he urged people to pick up a copy of Travis’s debut album, Storms Of Life. That’s a good enough reason for me to put this song here. ZK 25. "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle (1986)Sometimes I wish I were alive in the summer of 1986 (I would be born the following year) to see and hear the revolution that must’ve been Steve Earle’s “Guitar Town.” The song, which would be the second single off Earle’s debut album of the same name, would become the singer-songwriter troubadour’s highest charting single of his career at No. 7. With its throwback guitar sound, and one of the greatest solos in country music history, and a devil may care attitude of life on the road it served as a message that country-rock hadn’t died off with the end of the ‘70s. JS 24. "Midnight in Montgomery" by Alan Jackson (1992)Tributes to past musical heroes, while potent, are fairly hard to frame as anything other than a love letter from a fan. “Midnight In Montgomery” defied the concept, turning a tribute to Hank Williams Sr. into an actual story. Sure, it derives its concept from David Allan Coe’s “The Ride,” but Alan Jackson strips away the surprise bombast for something more eerie and everlasting – the young, budding country artist stops to pay respects only to be visited by the ghost of Williams himself. It’s the little details that have always made “Midnight In Montgomery” stand out, from one of the best pedal steel riffs ever in a country song to the lyrical odes; the artist is on his way to a show on New Year’s Eve, and even in death, Williams appreciates the fans who stop to pay their respects, but the company will never be enough to satisfy that aching loneliness he carried with him when he was alive. ZK 23. "Streets of Bakersfield" by Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens (1988)One of the great things about Dwight Yoakam when he burst upon the scene in the mid-‘80s was that he had modern day coolness about him, but also paid homage to the Bakersfield sound of the past that inspired him – no more so than to his obvious hero Buck Owens. Potentially my all-time favorite country music collaboration is Yoakam and Owens cutting “Streets of Bakersfield” together for Yoakam’s 1988 album Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, which became a No. 1 hit. The song was written by Homer Joy and released as a single, to shockingly little success, by Owens in 1973. “Streets of Bakersfield” features one of the all-time great country choruses in: “You don’t know me but you don’t like me/You say you care less how I feel/But how many of you that sit and judge me/Ever walk the streets of Bakersfield?” This one’s cool as hell. JS 22. "Guitars, Cadillacs" by Dwight Yoakam (1986)Man, what I’d give to have been around in 1986 when Dwight Yoakam burst out of the gates with an update of rockabilly and the Bakersfield Sound all thrown into one with some modern flare on “Guitars, Cadillacs” from his debut album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. The song, which went to No. 4 on the country charts, was Yoakam showing the mainstream of country music that he was a rebel and was going to do things his way – and all these years later he’s still doing just that. Yoakam’s sound is throwback, but cool and this song which Billboard’s Larry Flick called “a pure hillbilly delight” sounds as good as it did more than 30 years ago when it debuted. JS 21. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels Band (1979)“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” seems like a song that could’ve been passed down generation to generation with Charlie Daniels providing a new rendition. But it’s an original, with a few elements of Southern folk-lore thrown in. The Devil plays first in the fiddle matchup, giving Johnny a tune more aligned with the disco of the era. Flashy but unsubstantial. Then Johnny goes and blows the Devil out of Georgia with a few Southern traditional standards. “I done told you once you son of a bitch, I’m the best that’s ever been...” It’s an iconic piece of country music. NK 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. 40. "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline (1957)In a twist of pure irony, some of country music’s greatest songs were pure accidents. “Walkin’ After Midnight” is one example, a song Patsy Cline never wanted to record, and yet went on to become her first huge hit. More than that, though, the song would go on to define the quintessential Nashville Sound. Sadly, it was Cline’s only hit for several years until she signed to Decca Records, where she’d have several hits until her untimely demise in 1963. Still, “Walkin’ After Midnight” was the hit that showed the world why Cline needed to become a star, a huge presence behind the microphone who cemented her legacy right then and there. ZK 39. "Silver Wings" by Merle Haggard (1969)It's going to sound negative when I make the following statement, but Merle Haggard stood in stark contrast to, say, Townes Van Zandt or Guy Clark. All of them are phenomenal songwriters, and lyrics are the backbone of country music, but the difference stems from how these writers approach a song. Whereas performers like Van Zandt or Clark (among many other names) veiled their poetry behind dark metaphors or hidden meanings, Haggard always performed and wrote his songs direct and to the point. Some of his best compositions, like “Misery & Gin” or “If We Make It Through December,” are stories told through sparse production and with an easy frankness. “Silver Wings,” one of his earlier hits, was one of his first moments of truly shining in that regard. The meaning is simple – an airplane carries away his lover on “silver wings” - but the way Haggard delivers the sentiment is downright crushing, and if one were to watch any old footage of this song performed live, sooner or later there wouldn't be a dry eye in the audience. ZK 38. "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait (1983)George Strait has compiled a country music (and all music for that matter) record of 60 No. 1 hit songs over his almost 40 year career, but his greatest song of all-time “Amarillo By Morning” only topped out at No. 4 on the Billboard country chart in 1983. Funny how things happen sometimes. “Amarillo By Morning,” co-written by Paul Fraser and Terry Stafford and originally released in 1973 by Stafford, is the greatest rodeo song ever written. It tells the tale of a rodeo cowboy giving his life to the sport he loves. The fiddle solo that plays the song out is one of the quintessential sounds in country music history. JS 37. "The Grand Tour" by George Jones (1974)“The Grand Tour” is the greatest artist in country history singing the saddest song you’ll ever hear. I don’t want to even try writing about “The Grand Tour,” because just like “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” no words can do it justice. All I’ll say is if the last verse doesn’t just rip your heart right out, you can’t call yourself a fan of country music. Absolutely heart-wrenching. NK 36. "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams (1953)As the old cliché usually goes when discussing this artist, Hank Williams truly lived every song he wrote. But there's always been something (even more) eerie about his final recordings. Released posthumously, “Your Cheatin' Heart” was like picking the lock to a diary that revealed more than anyone could have ever wanted to know. Those around Williams knew of his spiral downward, and no, this wasn't exactly the first time the audience caught a glimpse at what was going on behind the curtain, but it was certainly the most damning song of his yet. It's a tragic reminder of what might have been. ZK 35. "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell (1968)“Wichita Lineman” is the second great collaboration between Glen Campbell and songwriter Jimmy Webb on this list and is the beautifully sung and performed ballad of a lineman for a telephone company daydreaming about the girl he loves back home while performing his lonely job. Webb got the idea for the song while driving through rural Oklahoma and seeing the silhouette of a lineman working atop a pole in the distance and thinking it was “the picture of loneliness.” Campbell’s vocal on the song is the epitome of capturing the idea of lonesome through one’s voice. JS 34. "Jolene" by Dolly Parton (1974)When you break it down to the nitty-gritty, “Jolene” is just a simple song about a woman begging another woman not to take her man, but it’s one of Dolly Parton’s most covered songs for good reason. When it comes to her autobiographical songs, the “flavor” of those tunes stems from her warm ability as an emotive interpreter, inviting the listener to hear her story. Therefore, it’s no wonder she’s able to play up the drama and add some higher stakes to this song. But “Jolene” has always been the complete package of a perfect song, featuring an instantly recognizable guitar lick matched against a minor key, which adds to the urgency and sorrow of the plea. The audience knows the deal is already done from that first note, and that’s because Parton is one of country music’s best performers. ZK 33. Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By) by The Carter Family (1935)This was my personal No. 1 song for this list, not so much because it’s a favorite of mine or anything, but because of what it symbolizes to country music history. As it is, “Can The Circle Be Unbroken” is a gospel standard that A.P. Carter reworked for commercial release. Today, not only does the title loom over the top of the rotunda of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, it’s also the everlasting question of country music. As the genre continues to embrace the future (I’m hesitant to use the word “evolves”), country music is a genre that always needs to be cognizant of its past in order to thrive. The music itself is a circle that tests us at points, as music fans. Yet the core of the genre’s roots always remain intact – the simple instrumentation and the real-life storytelling the genre was built upon. Thankfully, the circle remains unbroken. ZK 32. "Smoke Rings in the Dark" by Gary Allan (1999)It might sound like heresy to say this, but Gary Allan was better off ditching the tired neotraditional shtick of his first two albums. Of course, it’s a good sound, but certain artists thrive better in certain environments than others. When Allan embraced his California roots for his third album, the results were pure magic. Among his greatest songs, and the greatest songs of country music, was the title track, a dark, dusty, yet moody tune that cast Allan in a new light. Among showcasing his incredible knack for selling the role of the wandering troubadour, “Smoke Rings In The Dark” draws on the classic country music antihero and gives him no rest as his relationship with another draws to a close. As for what makes it stand out, however, is the frank honesty in which it’s portrayed – neither side has any love left for one another, his loneliness hasn’t faded despite the companionship, and yet it all ends with him simply lurking back to the shadows from which he came. As I mentioned before, too, Allan is a key part of why this is so excellent. ZK 31. "Act Naturally" by Buck Owens (1963)As great of a song as “Act Naturally” is, it’s another example of its cultural influence shining even brighter than its quality. It’s the original take of a song written by Johnny Russell (who failed to garner any attention with it at first) that’s gone on to inspire countless cover versions. The best known version, of course, is by the Beatles, showing that country music could appeal to outside popular culture for more than just its backward, incorrect stereotypes of Southern culture. There’s naturally going to be (and already has been) a lot of pining for nostalgia on this list, and justifiably so. But the other key driver to country music’s success is knowing where to turn for the future. “Act Naturally” wasn’t the first song to showcase Buck Owens’s trademark Bakersfield Sound to the country music public, but it’s certainly one of his best known ones. ZK 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. 50. "Much Too You (To Feel This Damn Old)" by Garth Brooks (1989)“Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” was the very first taste we ever got of Garth Brooks and for my money he’s never recorded a better song. The song, co-written by Brooks and Randy Taylor, was the first single of his self-titled debut album in 1989 and is the tale of a cowboy who’s been trying to make a living on the rodeo circuit for years and not having much to show for it but a bruised body and a broken home life. It’s, without a doubt, one of the finest rodeo songs ever written and recorded. JS 49. "Highwayman" by The Highwaymen (1985)This song is so good that it made Glen Campbell, who wanted to release the song as a single and was denied the chance, storm out of Capitol Records, never to return. There’s no doubt that Jimmy Webb is one of the finest songwriters ever, and this philosophical tale of reincarnation really did fit multiple voices best. Thankfully, the voices enlisted to tackle this were among country music’s best. Beyond the pure magnificence and scope of the song, the pure magnitude of this union can’t be overstated. Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson formed the country super group, and they sounded like a polished group – not just some people thrown together as a marketing gimmick. Despite the obvious lapses in time between the character’s numerous times on earth, the verses all fit the singers perfectly. Nelson is the wild western cowboy who winds up paying a heavy price for his ways. Kristofferson is the dreamy-eyed sailor never content with letting the journey end. Jennings takes on the dangerous, reckless job because … well, someone has to, just as someone had to fight for artistic rights for all not long ago. And then there’s Cash just trying to find a place to rest his soul, especially with how many adventures he had in his time. And like they all say, they’ll be gone eventually (two of them already are). But they’ll be back again and again and again and again, if not in body or spirit, then certainly in the music they leave behind for all of us. ZK 48. "In Color" by Jamey Johnson (2008) Jamey Johnson is one of country music’s finest songwriters of the last quarter-century and his 2008 Top 10 country hit “In Color,” which won him Song of the Year honors at both the ACM and CMA Awards is his career shining moment. “In Color,” a simple, mostly acoustic number co-written by Johnson, James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller, is the story of a young boy asking his grandfather about old black and white photos and listening to the stories of important moments in his grandfather’s life. The song was initially to be recorded by Trace Adkins, who gave Johnson the permission to record his own song first. It became the best mainstream country hit of the last dozen years. JS 47. "Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again" by Kris Kristofferson (1971)“I have seen the mornin' burnin' golden on the mountain in the skies/Achin' with the feelin' of the freedom of an eagle when she flies. Turnin' on the world the way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dyin'/Healin' as the colors in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes...” Kris Kristofferson gave us the greatest ever opening verse to a song in those words right there. The imagery. The picture that Kristofferson paints. Pure poetry. The production is quiet and understated. We’re not sure if the two lovers are still together or if the narrator is fondly looking back at a previous relationship. The ambiguity of what Kristofferson gives the listener to work with is one of the many things that makes the song a classic. NK 46. "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson (1978)There are many fantastic lyrics in the legendary history of country music, but potentially my absolute favorite is: “them that don’t know him won’t like him/and them that do sometimes won’t know how to take him/he ain’t wrong/he’s just different/but his pride won’t let him do things to make you think he’s right” from “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. I’m not sure there’s ever been a lyric that more explains the Outlaw Movement that those two essentially founded. The song, co-written by Ed and Patsy Bruce, was recorded for the collaborative 1978 Waylon & Willie album and would be one of the duo’s most successful duets of their friendship. JS 45. "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train" by Guy Clark (1975)Guy Clark was proof that you could have a career outside of mainstream country music and Nashville and become a legend and an inspiration to many. His “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train,” that appeared on 1975’s Old No. 1, is potentially the greatest story song in the history of country music telling the story of an old man and young boy (possibly a grandfather and grandson) and the times they spend together. It’s the perfect example of Clark’s literary songwriting that’s had a huge mark on the Americana and alt-country subgenres of today. JS 44. "King of the Road" by Roger Miller (1965)“Misunderstood” is a huge understatement when describing Roger Miller and his context in country music history. Not many people understood his goofball zaniness or that he had a much darker side. Music fans can certainly hear that side blatantly with “One Dyin’ And A Buryin’,” for instance, but “King of the Road” was another subtle portrait of Miller’s life. As someone who knew poverty all too well in his first 20 years of life, Miller combined that with his gypsy-loving lifestyle to create a child-like ode to adventure and not having to rely on anyone. In a word, it’s one of the catchiest ditties known to man with a surprisingly dark backstory. ZK 43. "Hurt" by Johnny Cash (2002)Sure, it’s an obvious choice, but that doesn’t make it wrong. Johnny Cash’s commercial career declined by the early ‘80s, and by the early ‘90s, it was deader than a doornail. That is, of course, until producer Rick Rubin came along to make the American Recordings with Cash, giving his career not just a second wind, but a complete reinvention of what comprised a Johnny Cash song. During this time, Cash recorded plenty of unexpected songs from artists of all genres, but the one that sticks out the most is a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” In a word, it was the masterpiece among many other masterpieces the two created together, and as for why it’s good … I mean, just listen to it. ZK 42. "Delta Dawn" by Tanya Tucker (1972)The delivery Tanya Tucker gave us in the original recording of “Delta Dawn” showed the music world an artist mature beyond her years. The subject matter of the song is something we expect from an adult, not a 14-year-old. As far as the song itself: Incredible. The powerful song opens with a choir-like chorus letting the listener know he or she is in for one hell of a story (I’d love to see “Delta Dawn” turned into a movie). The subtle steel buried underneath Tucker’s voice lends itself perfectly to the heavy presence of the vocal, and the use of drums and harmonica complement the chorus so well. NK 41. "For the Good Times" by Ray Price (1970)Ray Price’s 1970 performance of Kris Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times” might be the most beautiful sounding song to ever top the country charts, and surprisingly it was his first No. 1 in more than a decade. It’s essentially Price turning into Frank Sinatra for a song about lovers realizing their relationship has come to an end, but are trying to forget all the sadness of it for one last night together. It’s one of the most heartbreaking songs you’ll ever hear and helped, along with “Me & Bobby McGee” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down” to solidify Kristofferson as one of the world’s best songwriters. JS 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. 60. "Too Cold at Home" by Mark Chesnutt (1990)Mark Chesnutt is not just one of the most underrated and underappreciated country artists of the 1990s, but of all-time for my money. The Beaumont, Texas native has a near perfect voice for country music, especially a beer-soaked, tear-jerker ballad like “Too Cold at Home,” the very first single he ever released off his 1990 album of the same name. The Bobby Harden-penned song has just the perfect amount of lonesome in its tale of a man seeking respite at the local bar from his cold relationship at home. JS 59. "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert (2010)“The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert is the most recent song to make our list of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All-Time being released in 2010. The ode to remembering where you came from is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time and sees Lambert with the finest vocal of her already stellar career. The song, written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, would become the first No. 1 hit of Lambert’s career and go on to win Song of the Year at the CMA and ACM Awards, in addition to winning her a Grammy. The song was originally supposed to be recorded by Lambert’s then fiancé Blake Shelton, but when she heard it, she knew it had to be hers. It turns out it’s maybe the best thing she got out of that relationship. It’s a modern classic no doubt. JS 58. "Gone Country" by Alan Jackson (1994)“Gone Country” is an anthem, plain and simple. Ironically, like “Murder On Music Row,” the message of “Gone Country” resonates to this day; that is, it’s questionable how many people hopping on “yeehaw culture” are in it for the love of the music or just hopping on a fad. When country music went widespread in the early ‘90s, “Gone Country” poked fun at that very same thing, and very few artists could sing it without coming across as hypocritical. Thankfully, Alan Jackson, one of the genre’s best performers, handled it with class. For a twist of irony, Bob McDill, the writer of this song, initially tried to write pop and rock songs until he heard George Jones’ “A Good Year For The Roses.” Perhaps it’s a pot-meets-kettle situation, but not too many people hear a Jones song and still don’t consider themselves country music fans. ZK 57. "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson (1980)Willie Nelson admittedly has “better” songs in his catalog, but it’s hard not to view “On the Road Again” as anything less than an iconic classic. In a nutshell, it’s Nelson’s right to brag about how much he tours. While we’ve heard many singers adopt the perspective of how draining the road can be in song, Nelson’s upbeat, positive approach brings a different angle to the story. And, like with just about any Nelson song, it’s hard to find much fault with it. ZK 56. "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Keith Whitley (1988)You could throw all of Keith Whitley’s songs into a hat and randomly pick which one would make this list, and chances are it wouldn’t be wrong. Still, there’s always going to be something special about his first No. 1 single, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” First of all, it’s the song that provided him with the game-changing song he needed, and it also signaled a more traditional direction for him. And like any Whitley song, its strengths often come from Whitley himself, bringing that no-frills delivery to one of the best slow dance songs in the entire genre. ZK 55. "Seven Year Ache" by Rosanne Cash (1981)There were a lot of high expectations when Rosanne Cash broke out in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s simply based on her lineage with her father being the iconic Johnny Cash. She lived up to these expectations with a sound of her own in 1981’s No. 1 hit “Seven Year Ache,” the pop-infused with the unusual use of synthesizers in country music tale of a man who goes out on the town to forget his marital issues at home while his wife, the song’s narrator, imagines a conversation with him. It was a crossover success for Cash, becoming a top 25 Billboard Pop hit. JS 54. "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley (1968)Before Kacey Musgraves, there was “Harper Valley PTA.” “Harper Valley PTA,” written by Tom T. Hall, finds the narrator deriding her conservative community as a bunch of hypocrites after the local PTA criticized the widowed narrator’s fashion choices and personal behavior. Many similarities can be drawn between the hypocrisy of a small, conservative town and the Nashville industry circa-1968 (and now). Riley herself later distanced herself from the song but continued to perform it, even as she became a gospel singer. NK 53. "I'm Not Lisa" by Jessi Colter (1975)Jessi Colter stuck by Waylon Jennings’ side for years, and her patience paid off when he quit cocaine cold turkey in the early ‘80s. Colter also recorded some of the most tender, sincere country music of the ‘70s. I’ve always been struck with a vivid portrait of the events of “I’m Not Lisa” when I hear it. I can just see a wounded woman sitting up in bed while her lover is crying in his sleep, calling out the name of his former love. It must be such a helpless feeling. Knowing your loved one isn’t cheating. Rather, some memories just don’t burn out and fade away. Colter’s vocal is sweet and soothing and fits perfectly with the mood of the song. NK 52. "Golden Ring" by George Jones & Tammy Wynette (1976)George Jones and Tammy Wynette were destined to be intertwined. Both lived through chaos - with and without each other. Both were massive stars who recorded some of the greatest songs of all-time in any genre. Listening to a Jones and Wynette duet is like somehow hearing the world stop. The chemistry, the magic. “Golden Ring” is their greatest work and possibly the best duet in country history. Bobby Braddock’s writing is as clever as always, and George and Tammy’s interpretation is authentic and believable. Plus, Billy Sherrill didn’t let his countrypolitan leanings get in the way - as they too often did. NK 51. "Hello Darlin'" by Conway Twitty (1970)I am of the opinion that Conway Twitty is one of the most underrated artists country music has given the world. Sure, he’s known for his hits, but when we talk about the greats, rarely does Twitty get mentioned. And yet listen to a song like “Hello Darlin’,” and you can’t help but be struck by Twitty’s ability to write heartbreaking and relatable love songs that would be considered overly-sappy by any other artist. The listener only hears his side of the conversation in “Hello Darlin’,” as he speaks to an ex-lover who has found someone new. But it’s so easy to follow where the conversation is going. And how we’ve all been there at some point in time. NK 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. 70. "Behind Closed Doors" by Charlie Rich (1973)Over the last decade or so there has been a lot of debate and ire over the combination of pop and country music, but in 1973 Charlie Rich proved that a pop-flavored country tune could be one of the best and biggest country hits of all-time and an incredible one at that. The piano-driven love ballad, written by Kenny O’Dell, is the frankly out of date tale of a lover who makes her husband proud by not acting promiscuous in public. Rich’s vocals are among the smoothest in country history and helped take the privately sultry “Behind Closed Doors” to the top of the country charts and crossover to the top 20 on the pop chart. It would be crowned Song of the Year at both the CMAs and ACMs. JS 69. "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" by Rodney Crowell (1978)There’s little doubt in my mind that Rodney Crowell is both one of the greatest country music singer-songwriters of all-time, as well as one of the genre’s most underrated and underappreciated. You know the hits he’s written: “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” for Waylon Jennings, “Please Remember Me” for Tim McGraw and “Making Memories of Us” for Keith Urban, but my favorite is the story song “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” which tells the tale of a woman running off with a fast-talking man. The Oak Ridge Boys had a No. 1 hit in 1979 with the song, but I much prefer the stripped down version that appeared on Crowell’s own debut the year before. JS 68. "The Chair" by George Strait (1985)One of the most well-written country songs of all-time comes courtesy of an all-night songwriting binge courtesy of Dean Dillon and Hank Cochran, and it just so happens to be the final song that stemmed from that binge on that fateful night. More than that, however, “The Chair” is also known for its smaller, more subtle elements - “Can I drink you a buy?,” not featuring a chorus at all, and, in the hands of George Strait, helping one of country music’s (still then) young performers distance himself from the pack with that smooth delivery behind it all. Trying to pick a favorite Strait song is like trying to pick a favorite child, but surely “The Chair” can be universally considered one of his best. ZK 67. "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton (1974)Dolly Parton today is remembered more of an icon for her ventures outside of music. Amusement parks, movies, causes; She’s a renaissance woman who has parlayed her legendary music into so much more. And she has earned it all. Yet it’s important to remember those formative years in which Parton was just another up-and-coming artist trying to leave her own unique mark on country music. “I Will Always Love You” revealed a more complex side of her writing as she ended her professional partnership with her mentor Porter Wagoner. Unlike most breakup songs in the country music world at the time, “I Will Always Love You” found the narrator speaking to her loved one from a place of respect. No chaotic troubles ended the relationship; rather, the narrator simply felt it was time to move on by herself. NK 66. "Waitin' Around to Die" by Townes Van Zandt (1968)Townes Van Zandt. One of the three greatest American songwriters of all-time with Bruce Springsteen and Kris Kristofferson. Van Zandt conveyed the emotions found in the deepest and darkest depths of the human heart. “Waitin’ Around to Die,” much like most of his material is poetry set to music. Simple as that. Just phenomenal writing. The subject matter finds Van Zandt singing from the perspective of a man who suffers through several different traumatic and formative experiences - from problems with a mother and father to drug and alcohol issues and later prison. The definitive version can be found in the documentary “Heartworn Highways.” NK 65. "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down" by Hank Williams Jr. (1981)What Hank Williams Jr. has accomplished, when viewed in the context of his lineage, is one of the most impressive feats in country music history. Everyone, including his own mother, wanted Hank Jr. to make music that sounded like his Dad’s. And he did. Until he fell off Ajax Peak in 1975. The fall nearly killed him. But he walked away, grew a beard and started wearing dark sunglasses to cover the scars. Most importantly, he gained the courage needed to step out from his father’s long shadow and record music that *he* wanted to record. Much of Hank Jr’s best material is the perfect blend of Waylon-esque Outlaw country and Marshall Tucker-esque Southern Rock. “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)” is a fun, rousing stomp in which Hank Jr. looks around and wonders where all the wild times have gone. NK 64. "Take This Job and Shove It" by Johnny Paycheck (1977)Country music is built on songs like “Take This Job and Shove It.” Sure, I go on and on and on about my favorite songwriters that weave poetic and narrative standards like Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt. But I also love the working-man songs. The Hag. Paycheck. Buck Owens. Songs that seem so easy to write but are actually incredibly hard. “Take This Job and Shove It,” written by David Allen Coe (before he lost his mind), expresses one of the most common sentiments from men and women across the country sitting down on a barstool after a long day of work. That’s country music. NK 63. "Man of Constant Sorrow" by The Soggy Bottom Boys (2000)Here’s another example of a song where its legacy and impact triumph over its pure quality, which is saying something considering this is still an excellent song. But what “Man Of Constant Sorrow” is remembered most as is the revitalization of the American art form of bluegrass and helping it race straight to the top of the charts. The biggest recording of this song comes courtesy of Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright as The Soggy Bottom Boys for the Coen Brothers film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” but it also helped light a spark for the likes of other bluegrass greats like Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss and Union Station and the Whites. While country music was beginning to radically shift as a result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it can’t be overstated how much of a travesty it is that a movie soundtrack which sold over eight million copies couldn’t even find support from country radio. Regardless, considering the song won a Single Of The Year award at the CMAs and brought bluegrass into the mainstream, it’s not a bad day’s work for a band that doesn’t technically exist. ZK 62. "I'm Movin' On" by Hank Snow (1950)“That big eight-wheeler, rollin' down the track/Means your true-lovin' daddy ain't comin' back...” The first two lines in “I’m Movin’ On” let the listener know he or she is in for a wild ride down the road with this song. Plenty of fiddle and whining steel guitar drive each verse into the other while Hank Snow’s distinct voice carries the song 100 MPH down the highway. NK 61. "Tulsa Time" by Don Williams (1978)Don Williams had the smoothest voice in the history of country music bar none. His silky bass-baritone could make anyone swoon and fit No. 1 songs like “You’re My Best Friend,” “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” and “I Believe In You” perfectly. His most recognized song, however, was potentially his most raucous in the Danny Flowers-penned “Tulsa Time,” which he topped the country charts with in 1978. “Tulsa Time” is the tried and true story of a dreamer wanting to make it big in Hollywood before realizing he actually had things good back home in Tulsa. It’s an infectious tune that’s sure to be stuck in your mind the remainder of any day you hear it. JS 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. 80. "Amanda" by Waylon Jennings (1974)Originally recorded by “The Gentle Giant” Don Williams, the Bob McDill written “Amanda” was taken to beautiful, legendary heights by the greatest Outlaw country performer music has ever seen. Waylon Jennings stood out from all his contemporaries thanks to his ability to slow it down and sing slow tempo ballads from time-to-time. Not everything Jennings did was four on the floor Outlaw country-rock. The blend of Ralph Mooney’s steel and Waylon’s lead guitar complimented the weary, tired thematical elements and the ragged but tender vocal Jennings delivered. NK 79. "Stand By Your Man" by Tammy Wynette (1968)If we’re looking at this song through a 2019 lens, let’s be honest, there’d be a lot of outrage on Twitter about the content of one of Wynette’s signature songs. And yet, there shouldn’t be. I’ve never viewed “Stand by Your Man” as a call to overlook every single thing that a woman’s husband does wrong - rather, I see it as a song written to paint the flaws of man as an inevitability. Should egregious sins go unpunished? Of course not. But can a woman love her husband and forgive him for smaller transgressions? Of course. What makes “Stand by Your Man” so controversial is also what makes the song one of the greatest of all-time. NK 78. "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks (1991)“The Thunder Rolls,” co-written by Garth Brooks and Pat Alger, was the fourth single off Brooks’ 1990 sophomore release No Fences and became his sixth No. 1 hit off of just two albums. The fantastic story song tells the tale of a cheating husband driving home through a torrential storm late one night and his wife realizing he’s been in the arms of another woman, and in the “missing” fourth verse, you ridiculously won’t hear on country radio, gets her revenge. The “missing” verse is always performed live by Brooks and makes the version heard on his Double Live album the definitive one, in my opinion. Despite co-writing the song, it was actually first recorded by Tanya Tucker, but not released. JS 77. "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton (1971)At her core, Dolly Parton is a fantastic storyteller first and foremost. Part of her everlasting appeal has been her connection with her fans, not just in her impressive social media usage, but in her songs which resonate to this day. “Coat Of Many Colors” is a prime example of what country music is all about, a true story about Parton’s upbringing in Sevier County, Tenn. Yet while Parton invites listeners freely into her world, she doesn’t aim to draw sympathy, but rather inspire optimism in the way she loved her life even if it wouldn’t be considered a dream to anyone else. That managed to resonate with poor, rural Americans when the song first debuted, and it still does to this day. ZK 76. "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell (1975)Authenticity is a trademark feature for country music singers, but what happens when an artist manages to turn that concept on its head? Glen Campbell didn’t hide from the fact that he loved the calculated glitz and glamour brought on by the famous nudie suit, both for him and his heroes before him. In a way, “Rhinestone Cowboy” is Campbell’s most personal song (even if he didn’t write it) that also just so happens to be one hell of a great country-pop song. Not only did “Rhinestone Cowboy” give Campbell a career resurgence at the time, it’s also gone on to become his signature song. ZK 75. "Galveston" by Glen Campbell (1969)The singer/songwriter combination of Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb never failed to give incredibly polished, beautiful sounding country tunes. “Galveston,” Campbell’s No. 1 from 1969, is the tragic tale of love affected by war with the narrator waiting to go into battle while thinking of the girl he loves back home and whether or not he’ll ever return to her. Webb had imagined the war to be the Spanish-American War, but released during the height of the Vietnam War many considered “Galveston” to be an anti-war ballad. Campbell’s guitar solo that finishes out the song is one of the finest in country music history. JS 74. "Together Again" by Buck Owens (1964)The subject matter, though vivid and poignant, is not what makes this song great. Nor is it the vocal from Buck Owens, despite it being consistent and distinct as always. Rather, what makes “Together Again” an all-time classic is a short solo from one instrument - the steel guitar. Tom Brumley’s work on “Together Again” will never be replicated. It’s mournful yet contentedly satisfied. Never has so much been said by just a few licks of one instrument. NK 73. "Set 'em Up Joe" by Vern Gosdin (1988)What happens when you get a song written by Dean Dillon, Vern Gosdin, Buddy Cannon and Hank Cochran? A musical explosion. “Set ‘Em Up Joe” is up there with “Midnight in Montgomery” as one of the greatest tributes to a legend in country music. The chorus is catchy and gives the listener a big pay-off. And the production is simple yet modern enough to make it a number one hit. A fitting tribute to the Texas Troubadour, Ernest Tubb. NK 72. "Highway 40 Blues" by Ricky Skaggs (1983)It’s unfortunately sometimes easy to forget just what Ricky Skaggs meant to country music in the early-to-mid-‘80s with his traditional sound in a time when the pop-country sounds of the “Urban Cowboy” fad had taken over Nashville. “Highway 40 Blues,” Skaggs’ No. 1 hit from 1983, has always been my favorite song of his with its tale of life on the touring circuit and how it can take its toll on a musician. The infectious twang, both in Skaggs’ vocal and musicianship, just makes the Larry Cordle-penned song come to life. JS 71. "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" by Keith Whitley (1989)Keith Whitley, sadly, will always be remembered for what might have been. “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” was ominously released as the last single during Whitley’s lifetime. Taken in a vacuum without being aware of the circumstances of Whitley’s life and death, a listener finds the song as a carefree and reconciled manifesto of a man who always seems to find trouble. And yet listeners who are familiar with Whitley find the song taking on a much sadder and troubled meaning. Whitley suffered from alcoholism his entire life until it killed him at just 34. NK ![]() by Julian Spivey Ric Ocasek, the frontman and songwriter for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group The Cars, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Sunday, September 15. The majority of publications had his death at 75, though some have disputed he was younger. A cause of death has not yet been announced. Ocasek’s unique voice and his introverted, almost nonchalant performance style, along with his often mysterious, abstract lyrics made him one of the most interesting frontmen of any group in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Ocasek formed The Cars with bassist and occasional vocalist Benjamin Orr in the mid-‘70s in Boston after previously playing in other bands in the area with Orr since the late ‘60s. The group’s self-titled debut album debuted in 1978 and provided charting hits in “Just What I Needed” (with vocals from Orr), “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Good Times Roll,” which helped to usher in the new subgenre of rock and pop known as New Wave. This new sound proved to be a success with fans of not only rock and pop, but also punk, giving The Cars a wide array of fan. In a 1978 profile for the New York Times critic Robert Palmer would summarize why the group’s sound appealed to so many by saying: “They have taken some important but disparate contemporary trends – punk minimalism, the labyrinthine synthesizer and guitar textures of art rock, the ‘50s rockabilly revival and the melodious terseness of power pop – and mixed them into a personal and appealing blend.” The band would be named Best New Artist in a 1978 Rolling Stone magazine readers’ poll. The Cars would receive a lot of airplay on the new televised medium of MTV throughout the ‘80s, with their music video for “You Might Think” winning the very first Video of the Year award at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 where it now infamously beat out Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The band would have a major pop culture moment in 1982 when the synth-y instrumental for “Moving in Stereo,” off their debut, would be prominently placed in director Amy Heckerling’s coming-of-age comedy “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” in one of cinema’s sexiest scenes where then Hollywood “it girl” Phoebe Cates coming out of a swimming pool in slow motion in a fantasy sequence. That scene and the song’s involvement would be paid homage in a recent season three episode of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” in which Dacre Montgomery’s character Billy enters a pool. The Cars would have seven top-20 Billboard hits throughout the ‘80s, with their most successful track “Drive,” an unusually soft ballad for the group with vocals by Orr, charting at No. 3 in 1984. The group would break up in 1988 but had made their mark on the music world known in the decade prior. Ocasek would go on to release five solo albums after the group’s demise. He had released two during the band’s run. In 2000, Orr died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 53 meaning a complete reunion for the band would never take place. However, in 2011 Ocasek and the rest of the group would reunite for the album Move Like This, which would be the seventh and final studio album for The Cars. For years The Cars were absent from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in consistently curious voting decisions, especially given how popular the band was and how important of a group they were mixing many different sounds of music to help bring a completely new subgenre in New Wave to the forefront. The band was finally inducted in 2018 with the living members of the group reuniting once again for the induction, as well as a performance of some of their greatest hits for the ceremony. This would be the last time Ocasek would perform with the group. |
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