The 50 Greatest Country Songs of All Time

[Jason]

Now, just like my 50 Greatest Songs In Rock History list, this one is completely based on opinion. I'm sorry if songs like I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, or Mama Tried didn't make number one (though, they are on the list).

I used original album covers for every song in my 50 Greatest Rock Songs list, but not every song in this list has an album, many of the older ones were released as singles. So, for ol' Hank, and maybe a few others, I'll just use a picture of them. Here's the list!

50










Hurt

Album: American IV: The Man Comes Around
Artist: Johnny Cash



















49










One Way Ticket (Because I Can)

Album: Blue
Artist: Leann Rimes



















48










No One Needs To Know

Album: The Woman In Me
Artist: Shania Twain



















47










L.A. International Airport

Album: None
Artist: Susan Raye



















46










Man In Black

Album: Man In Black
Artist: Johnny Cash



















45










Crazy

Album: Showcase With The Jordanaires
Artist: Patsy Cline



















44










Guitars, Cadillacs

Album: Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
Artist: Dwight Yoakam



















43










Unchained Melody

Album: Unchained Melody
Artist: Leann Rimes



















42










Play Something Country

Album: Hillbilly Deluxe
Artist: Brooks & Dunn



















41










Honky Tonk Blues

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams

[Jason]

40










Down On The Farm

Album: Not A Moment Too Soon
Artist: Tim McGraw



















39










D-I-V-O-R-C-E

Album: D-I-V-O-R-C-E
Artist: Tammy Wynette



















38










Walkin' After Midnight

Album: Patsy Cline
Artist: Patsy Cline



















37










Hello Darlin'

Album: Hello Darlin'
Artist: Conway Twitty



















36










North To Alaska

Album: None
Artist: Johnny Horton



















35










Jambalaya (On The Bayou)

Album: Honky Tonkin'
Artist: Hank Williams



















34










Little Rock

Album: Extremes
Artist: Collin Raye



















33










The Red Strokes

Album: In Pieces
Artist: Garth Brooks


















32










I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams



















31










Coat Of Many Colors

Album: Coat Of Many Colors
Artist: Dolly Parton

[Jason]

30










Carrying Your Love With me

Album: Carrying Your Love With Me
Artist: George Strait



















29










Move It On Over

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams



















28










Prop me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I Die)

Album: Honky Tonk Attitude
Artist: Joe Diffie



















27










Don't Take The Girl

Album: Not A Moment Too Soon
Artist: Tim McGraw



















26










I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams



















25










Hillbilly Deluxe

Album: Hillbilly Deluxe
Artist: Brooks & Dunn



















24










God's Gonna Cut You Down

Album: American V: A Hundred Highways
Artist: Johnny Cash



















23










I Saw The Light

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams


















22










Jolene

Album: Jolene
Artist: Dolly Parton



















21










All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight

Album: Major Moves
Artist: Hank Williams Jr.

[Jason]

20










The Grand Tour

Album: The Grand Tour
Artist: Aaron Neville



















19










A Boy Named Sue

Album: At San Quentin
Artist: Johnny Cash



















18










Kaw-Liga

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams



















17










The Battle Of New Orleans

Album: None
Artist: Johnny Horton



















16










I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Album: Legend Lives Anew With Strings
Artist: Hank Williams



















15










Mama Tried

Album: Mama Tried
Artist: Merle Haggard



















14










He Stopped Loving Her Today

Album: I Am What I Am
Artist: George Jones



















13










Honky Tonk Man

Album: None
Artist: Johnny Horton


















12










Moanin' The Blues

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams



















11










A Thousand Miles From Nowhere

Album: This Time
Artist: Dwight Yoakam

[Jason]

10










Friends In Low Places

Album: No Fences
Artist: Garth Brooks



















9










Hard Workin' Man

Album: Hard Workin' Man
Artist: Brooks & Dunn



















8










There's A Tear In My Beer

Album: None
Artist: Hank Williams



















7










Folsom Prison Blues

Album: With His Hot And Blue Guitar
Artist: Johnny Cash



















6










On The Road Again

Album: Honeysuckle Rose
Artist: Willie Nelson

[Jason]

5










The Thunder Rolls

Album: No Fences
Artist: Garth Brooks



















4










Fast As You

Album: This Time
Artist: Dwight Yoakam



















3










Flowers On The Wall

Album: Flowers On The Wall
Artist: The Statler Brothers



















2










The Devil Went Down To Georgia

Album: Million Mile Reflections
Artist: The Charlie Daniels Band

[Jason]

1










Ramblin' Man

Album: Ballad Of The Broken Seas
Artist: Hank Williams

[Man in Black]

Honorable Mention... some that hurt me to leave out...

God Bless The U.S.A. - Lee Greenwood

Honey (Open That Door) - Ricky Skaggs

Do We Remember These - The Statler Brothers

Elvira - The Oakridge Boys

Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line - Waylon Jennings

King Of The Road - Johnny Miller

Somebody's Knocking - Terri Gibbs

Her Name Is - George Jones

Hard to Be Humble - Mack Davis

Tennessee Mountain Home - Dolly Parton

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - Charlie Rich

And about 20 Cash songs!





And here is my top 50 Country Songs:





50. [[Stand by Your Man]] - [[Tammy Wynette]]

49. [[Friends in Low Places]] - [[Garth Brooks]]

48. [[Battle of New Orleans]] - [[Johnny Horton]]

47. Fancy - [[Reba McEntire]]

46. [[Hello Darlin]] - [[Conway Twitty]]

45. [] - [[Barbara Mandrell]]

44. [[Cross the Brazos at Waco]] - [[Billy Walker]]

43. [[The Fightin' Side Of Me]] - [[Merle Haggard]]

42. [[Sixteen Tons]] - [[Tennessee Ernie Ford ]]

41. [[The Gambler]]- [[Kenny Rogers]]

40. [[Coal Miner’s Daughter]] - [[Loretta Lynn]]

39. [[If You're Gonna Play In Texas]] - Alabama

38. [[Chattahoochee]] - [[Alan Jackson]]

37. [[Ramblin' Fever]] - [[Merle Haggard]]

36. [[Rhinestone Cowboy]] - [[Glen Campbell]]

35. [[Kiss an Angel Good Morning]] - [[Charlie Pride]]

34. [[All the Gold in California]] - [[The Gatlin Brothers]]

33. [[Seven Spanish Angels]] - [[Ray Charles]] and [[Willie Nelson]]

32. [[Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes]] - [[George Jones]]

31. [[The Highwayman]] - Cash, Jennings, Kristofferson, Nelson

30. [[Fishing In The Dark]] - [[The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band]]

29. [[Hey Good Lookin’]] - [[Hank Williams]]

28. [[American Made]] - [[The Oak Ridge Boys]]

27. [[Smokey Mountain Rain]] - [[Ronnie Milsap]]

26. [[Flowers on the Wall ]]- [[The Statler Brothers]]

25. I Love - [[Tom T-Hall]]

24. [[He Stopped Loving Her Today]] - [[George Jones]]

23. [[Man of Constant Sorrow]] - [[Ralph Stanley]]

22. Rose Garden - [[Lynn Anderson]]

21. [[Harper Valley P.T.A.]] - Jeannie C. Rile

20. [[Man in Black]] - [[Johnny Cash]]

19. [[Forever And Ever , Amen]] - [[Randy Travis]]

18. [[Song Of The South]] - Alabama

17. El Paso - [[Marty Robbins]]

16. Holy Water - []

15. [] - [[Johnny Cash]]

14. [[Please Don’t Take the Girl]] - [[Tim McGraw]]

13. Jolene - [[Dolly Parton]]

12. [[Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys]] - Waylon and Willie

11. [] - [[Bocephus]]

10. [[I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry]] - [[Hank Williams]]

Song Facts: Written by Hank Williams and released in 1949 it has appeared in the top 100 billboard charts 7 different times with 6 different vocalists and is ranked at #111 on Rolling Stones Top 500 songs list.

You really don't have to say much about Hank Williams. It's all been said. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry is the cream of the crop for me... The most amazing thing about Hank is the "What could have been" factor.

9. [[Good Ole Boys Like Me]] - [[Don Williams]]

Song Facts: From his 1975 album, Portrait, a biographical song about the path that led him to success.

There are more "Good Ole Boys" like Don Williams than the South gets credit for. Well read, Soft spoken and kind hearted are not traits often attributed to rednecks, but we do exist and this is our theme song.

8. [[Folsom Prison Blues]] - [[Johnny Cash]]

Song Facts: Released in 1955, Cash wrote it four years earlier while serving in West Germany in the U.S. Air Force.

I always liked Folsom Prison Blues. I gained a new appreciation for it after watching Walk the Line and learning how instrumental the piece was in the creation of Johnny Cash as a performer.

7. Convoy - [[C.W. McCall]]

Song Facts: The song hit #1 on the country and pop charts in the US as well as Canada even peaking at #2 in the UK. It jump started the CB radio craze and inspired the 1978 film of the same name.

I wore my Black Bear Road record thin listening to Convoy and pretending to be a trucker when I was growing up. Everyone knew this song and I guess everyone loved it.

6. [[Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground]] - [[Willie Nelson]]

Song Facts: Released in January 1981 it hit #1 and spent 11 weeks on the country charts.

I finally got to see Willie live a few years ago. When he began the legendary guitar chords to Angel... the crowd erupted, and he still plays it like magic.

5. [[Seminole Wind]] - [[John Anderson]]

Song Facts: The title track of Anderson's 1992 Seminole Wind album deals with the effects of man on the fragile environment of Florida and the Everglades.


I may have Cherokee blood running through my veins instead of Seminole, but I was still born in the Everglades and Seminole Wind still gives me goosebumps.

4. [[Good Hearted Woman]] - [[Waylon Jennings]]

Song Facts: The title track from Waylon Jennings' 1972 album. It was written by Jennings and Willie Nelson and performed by Jennings. The Duo released a live version and it became a #1 hit in 1976.

I've always thought Waylon had the coolest voice in country music. I think I'd enjoy hearing him read the backs of shampoo bottles. Good Hearted Woman is Jennings at his best.

3. [[The Devil Went Down to Georgia]] - [[Charlie Daniels]]

Song Facts: Vassar Clements originally wrote the melody in a tune called "Lonesome Fiddle Blues". The Charlie Daniels Band moved it up an octave and put words to it.

Charlie Daniels is the greatest fiddle player in the world... the Devil would never stand a chance!

2. [[Coat of Many Colors]] - [[Dolly Parton]]

Song Facts: Parton wrote the lyrics on a dry cleaning receipt belonging to Porter Wagner. Wagner framed the receipt and it now hangs in Dolly's Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood... beside the original coat from her childhood that inspired the song.

I'm not going to go into all the sappy details of the poverty I lived through. There have been plenty of poor people and they can all relate to this song. My Mom explained it's meaning to me when I was very young and having to wear hand me down clothes. She crocheted me a blanket using all the scraps of yarn she had saved up... it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen... My blanket of many colors. And the heart of that story remains at the core of my values today.

1. Pancho and Lefty - Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard

Song Facts: It was written by the legendary songwriter and poet Townes Van Zandt who always contended that it was not about the infamous Pancho Villa even though he later found out that Villa did have a friend whose name meant "Lefty" in Spanish.

The lyrics tell a story and the trumpets, guitars and piano bring that story to life with a rich Spanish flavor. There is no country song that gets in my head as much as Pancho and Lefty. I've loved it for over 25 years... enjoying it on records, tapes and compact discs. If I ever made my own country album it would be the first song I'd cover.

[Jason]

Great list!!

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World came pretty close to my list!
And kudos on your #3. ;D Made my #2
It was originally at #3, actually, until I decided to put it ahead of Flowers On The Wall.

[Man in Black]

OK, except for the first few you put up, I didn't look at all at your list until I was done. I just looked it over real good... while I'm definitely not a southern or classic rock historian... I do know a bit about the Country... I'm very impressed with your list. As you'll see we both got a lot of the same people on there and even a lot the songs were the same. I may have to go back and squeeze Garth Brooks' Low Places in as I had it in my head and forgot... it is truly worthy and an anthem of the south.

I'm impressed to find Johnny Horton, Dolly's Coat of Many Colors, Conway Twitty, from the old school, yet you realize the importance of Please Don't Take the Girl from the newer scene.

I'm most impressed, I think, by the inclusion of your George Jones song. In my opinion that is the crowning achievement of the greatest voice in country music. You ask any country star who has the untouchable voice and 99 out of 100 will say the Possum... the Rolls Royce... George Jones. He Stopped Loving Her Today was my Dad's favorite song of all time... I sang it in my head at his funeral so to not make my Mom cry in more... but he knows it was sung there.

The rest we can quibble over later... minor details like the choice of Willie's overplayed On the Road Again while leaving off the breath taking Angels Flying to Close to the Ground from the same Album - Honeysuckle Rose. But you've impressed me enough that we can let that one slide. I still think you have a ton of listening to do... but that will be a fun challenge if you are up to it.