June 9, 201412 yr One of my favorites is I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Rimes It is Lee Ann Womack, but I agree, great song! There are a slew of Alan Jackson and George Strait songs I'd have on the list. I'd also have a few Garth Brooks songs, but I know that in spite of being the #1 selling artist of all time, that is incredibly unpopular around these parts. I dare to be different. Any list of the best Country songs that doesn't have "Austin" on it is pure jibberish.
June 9, 201412 yr I would not put Crazy at #2 I'm the biggest Johnny Cash fan ever but #4 should be #1 on any list of country music songs ever made...with all respect to David Allen Coe, "He stopped loving her today" Is the Perfect Country Song! I think "I Walk The Line", "Crazy", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" get top billing because of the importance of the songs within country music combined with their popularity across the board. There are thousands, if not millions of folks who know those three songs who wouldn't necessarily identify themselves as 'country music fans'...yet they know those songs, and may well even know the words to them. As great as George Jones was, and as great a song as "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is, I don't think it's quite as popular amongst music fans at large as the other three. That's why it still makes top 5, but not top 3.
June 9, 201412 yr Would be very hard to convince me that only one Strait song deserves to be on that list. Especially any over Run. I think he sneaks in there for helping carry the country music torch during the 80's. The 80's were some tough years for country music - particularly the late 80's. With the Hank Juniors and David Allen Coes of the world working hard on turning country music into redneck music, and the Randy Travises and Kieth Whitleys of the world working hard at stripping away country songwriting and making it a genre of formulaic "pop music wearing a cowboy hat"....country music was struggling. George Strait was one of the only folks trying to still do country music right during that time period. That being said, George Strait did eventually turn to the dark side of country music, aligning himself more with the Garth Brooks/Nashville/Pop Country scene in the 90's and his later career.
June 9, 201412 yr Several of these artists in your list are very, very good. You need to get out more. I may need to get out more. However, I would consider myself a little more well versed in the entire scope of country music than most folks (those that think country music started with Garth Brooks). I grew up listening to my dad's albums of Tex Ritter, Sons of the Pioneers, Hank Williams and such, along with Hank Snow, Charley Pride, Sonny James, Marty Robbins and a lot of the others that today's country fans would look at you and say, "Who?" Kris Kristofferson, Bill Anderson, and Tom T. Hall just seem underappreciated on the RS list. I didn't see "Sunday Morning Coming Down" make the list at all, and "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine" was in the 90's. Hank Sr., Johnny, Merle, Willie, Waylon, Dolly and Loretta all deserve to be there, and in fact, could likely have multiple songs each. Some of those other artists that I mentioned, just don't seem to fit. Just my opinion.
June 9, 201412 yr I think he sneaks in there for helping carry the country music torch during the 80's. The 80's were some tough years for country music - particularly the late 80's. With the Hank Juniors and David Allen Coes of the world working hard on turning country music into redneck music, and the Randy Travises and Kieth Whitleys of the world working hard at stripping away country songwriting and making it a genre of formulaic "pop music wearing a cowboy hat"....country music was struggling. George Strait was one of the only folks trying to still do country music right during that time period. That being said, George Strait did eventually turn to the dark side of country music, aligning himself more with the Garth Brooks/Nashville/Pop Country scene in the 90's and his later career. I think your assessment of Keith Whitley stripping anything away from country songwriting towards pop is very inaccurate. Keith Whitley was a very talented musician who had toured with major bluegrass acts since his teenage years. His country songs weren't the least bit pop sounding IMO and had he lived would have been one of the greatest country acts of all time.
June 9, 201412 yr I think he sneaks in there for helping carry the country music torch during the 80's. The 80's were some tough years for country music - particularly the late 80's. With the Hank Juniors and David Allen Coes of the world working hard on turning country music into redneck music, and the Randy Travises and Kieth Whitleys of the world working hard at stripping away country songwriting and making it a genre of formulaic "pop music wearing a cowboy hat"....country music was struggling. George Strait was one of the only folks trying to still do country music right during that time period. That being said, George Strait did eventually turn to the dark side of country music, aligning himself more with the Garth Brooks/Nashville/Pop Country scene in the 90's and his later career. Won't disagree with the bolded, although he's still as close to "authentic country" as you'll find today. I just don't see anything of his topping Run. It would almost certainly be a top 10 for me. There's quite a few others I have a hard time not including off the original list. Good Ole Boys, how is that not there? I'm a big fan of The Gambler by Kenny Rogers but if that's on there, I'd have to include Coward of the County as well IMO.
June 9, 201412 yr I think your assessment of Keith Whitley stripping anything away from country songwriting towards pop is very inaccurate. Keith Whitley was a very talented musician who had toured with major bluegrass acts since his teenage years. His country songs weren't the least bit pop sounding IMO and had he lived would have been one of the greatest country acts of all time. Yeah, I've never heard anyone consider Whitley "poppy" before.
June 9, 201412 yr I think your assessment of Keith Whitley stripping anything away from country songwriting towards pop is very inaccurate. Keith Whitley was a very talented musician who had toured with major bluegrass acts since his teenage years. His country songs weren't the least bit pop sounding IMO and had he lived would have been one of the greatest country acts of all time. Yeah, I've never heard anyone consider Whitley "poppy" before. That was just 100% a brain fart on my part. Had a lot of thoughts going through my head as I was typing. Meant to say Vince Gill. I have no idea why Keith Whitley is what came out :lol2:
June 9, 201412 yr the Randy Travises.....of the world working hard at stripping away country songwriting and making it a genre of formulaic "pop music wearing a cowboy hat" It would be impossible for me to more heartily disagree with this sentiment than I do. This popular sentiment that everything since Garth Brooks (inclusive) has stunk and been pop-ish, while everything early 80's and older is awesome, just cracks me up. I'm old enough to remember the Buck Owens' and Roy Clark's of the world when they were popular, and certainly old enough to remember the 80's transformation from Don Williams to Kenny Rogers to George Jones to Lee Greenwood to George Strait to Vince Gill (ugh) to the "hated" (but wildly popular) Garth Brooks era (and beyond). There is no bigger David Allen Coe fan on this site than I, and Clyde can vouch for that, but I also can appreciate stuff from the last 20 years. I just love the disgust with all things country music, ironically, during their most popular era ever.
June 9, 201412 yr Here's something that is probably blasphemous for any country music fan to say, but I wouldn't have any Johnny Cash on the list. I don't consider him country. I consider him more "rock" than country. Am I the only one?
June 9, 201412 yr Here's something that is probably blasphemous for any country music fan to say, but I wouldn't have any Johnny Cash on the list. I don't consider him country. I consider him more "rock" than country. Am I the only one? Personally, I very much consider him country. I don't think he is as "god-like" as some others, and I think it has become "cool" to like Johnny Cash, but I do think he is country. I'd take George Jones over him 100x out of a 100, but I'm certain I'm alone on that one.
June 9, 201412 yr Personally, I very much consider him country. I don't think he is as "god-like" as some others, and I think it has become "cool" to like Johnny Cash, but I do think he is country. I'd take George Jones over him 100x out of a 100, but I'm certain I'm alone on that one. Not alone at all. I'd take George Jones, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and possibly even George Strait over Cash, if we're considering him country music.
June 9, 201412 yr Personally, I very much consider him country. I don't think he is as "god-like" as some others, and I think it has become "cool" to like Johnny Cash, but I do think he is country. I'd take George Jones over him 100x out of a 100, but I'm certain I'm alone on that one. Not alone. I feel the same.
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