Best Country Songs
Jason Fraley
Sunday marks the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards. So what are the best country songs ever?
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WTOP News
Top 101 Country Songs of All Time:

101. Taylor Swift – “Tim McGraw“ (2006)

Who knew this debut tribute single would ignite the career of a global country-pop megastar?

100. Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys – “Faded Love” (1950)

Bob Wills’ weeper is a bona fide country standard covered by the likes of Patsy Cline.

99. Little Big Town – “Girl Crush” (2015)

Few artists could flip expectations to make jealousy sound so deliciously heartbreaking.

98. Trace Adkins – “You’re Gonna Miss This” (2008)

If you’re not misty-eyed by the end of this “smell the roses” journey, you have no soul.

97. Diamond Rio – “Meet in the Middle” (1991)

With this hit, Diamond Rio became the first country band with a debut single to reach No. 1.

96. Rosanne Cash – “Seven Year Ache” (1981)

The eldest daughter of Johnny Cash proved she had the goods with a slight Stevie Nicks vibe.

95. Lonestar – “Amazed” (1999)

Boyz II Men passed on it before Lonestar turned it into one of country’s biggest crossover hits.

94. Johnny Paycheck – “Take This Job and Shove It” (1977)

Written by David Alan Coe, Johnny Paycheck recorded the ultimate “f-off” to your boss.

93. Dierks Bentley – “Long Trip Alone” (2006)

Bentley sings raw from the gut, topping his hits “What Was I Thinking” and “Settle for a Slowdown.”

92. Gretchen Wilson – “Redneck Woman” (2004)

Related to Nancy & Ann Wilson from Heart, Gretchen struck across country music like a meteor.

91. The Judds – “Mama He’s Crazy” (1984)

Wynonna and Naomi Judd nailed this mother-daughter exchange with unrivaled authenticity.

90. Sammy Kershaw – “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” (1993)

Something tells us this piece of ’90s gold will be in heavy rotation as long as country radio exits.

89. Jason Aldean – “Dirt Road Anthem” (2011)

This pioneer in the “hick-hop” sub genre blended country and rap with a must-sing catchy hook.

88. Joe Diffie – “John Deere Green” (1993)

Aldean paid tribute in “1994” because Diffie ruled country with hits like this watertower paint job.

87. Tennessee Ernie Ford – “Sixteen Tons” (1955)

At once snappy and droopy, this is the ultimate ode to the overworked and underpaid.

86. Phil Vassar – “Just Another Day in Paradise” vs. Travis Tritt – “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” (2000)

This pair of 2000 upbeat tunes made us stop and appreciate the small details of the daily grind.

85. Jeannie C. Reilly – “Harper Valley P.T.A.” (1968)

A widowed mother fights back after her daughter brings home a scandalous note about her teacher

84. Keith Urban – “Days Go By” (2004)

The future “Idol” judge unleashed a fast-paced argument asking us to slow our fast-paced lives.

83. Ernest Tubb – “Walkin’ the Floor Over You” (1941)

This country classic will have you pacing around the room, yearning sleeplessly for your sweetheart.

82. Deana Carter – “Strawberry Wine” (1996)

These caressing lyrics recall the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of losing your virginity at age 17.

81. Doug Stone – “I’d Be Better Off in a Pine Box” (1990)

This heartbreaking tale of lost love builds and builds until its chilling final wail into hell.

80. Hank Thompson – “The Wild Side of Life” (1952) vs. Kitty Wells – “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels” (1952)

These two 1952 hits fueled a dis battle between two ex-lovers referencing each other’s songs.

79. Carrie Underwood – “Before He Cheats” (2006)

If Kitty Wells nailed Hank Thompson for cheating, Carried Underwood took it up another notch.

78. Eddy Arnold – “Make the World Go Away” (1965)

Originally recorded by Ray Price, Eddy Arnold’s grief can bring a tear to your eye.

77. Shania Twain – “You’re Still the One” (1998)

Few country artists crossed into the mainstream like Shania Twain.

76. Lee Greenwood – “God Bless the USA” (1984)

Arriving in the age of Reagan, this uber-patriotic tune fit its time like a red, white and blue glove.

75. Mary Chapin Carpenter – “Passionate Kisses” (1993)

This gem demands basic needs by repeatedly asking “Is it too much?” and “Shouldn’t I have this?”

74. John Michael Montgomery – “I Swear” (1994)

Playing out like a wedding vow, this slow dance favorite became a crossover R&B hit for All 4 One.

73. Ricky Skaggs – “Country Boy” (1985)

The defining song of the 14-time Grammy winner’s career came as CMA Entertainer of the Year.

72. Emmylou Harris – “Two More Bottles of Wine” (1978)

This chart-topper finds Harris moving in with her lover 1,600 miles from home, only for him to leave.

71. Zac Brown Band – “Colder Weather” (2010)

“Chicken Fried” is their feel-good anthem, but “Colder Weather” is visual storytelling at its best.

70. Roy Rogers & The Sons of the Pioneers – “Tumbling Tumbleweed” (1946)

Before giving us a fast-food chain, Roy Rogers was a singing cowboy on screen and on the airwaves.

69. Miranda Lambert – “The House That Built Me” (2010)

This award-winning yarn tracks the heartache of returning home years later searching for answers.

68. Brooks & Dunn – “My Maria” (1996)

After pioneering the line dance with “Boot Scootin Boogie, this duo delivered its signature hit.

67. Keith Whitley & Alison Krauss – “When You Say Nothing at All” (1988, 2002)

Alison Krauss covered it like a champ, but there’s something raw about Whitley’s original.

66. Trisha Yearwood – “She’s in Love with the Boy” (1991)

What a joyous salute to young love in a small town — despite what the parents think.

65. The Statler Brothers – “Flowers on the Wall” (1965)

This jam traps us in a room playin’ solitaire, smokin’ cigarettes and watchin’ Captain Kangaroo.

64. Clint Black – “Like the Rain” (1996)

Garth Brooks sang “The Thunder Rolls,” but his biggest rival Clint Black nailed “Like the Rain.”

63. Faith Hill – “Breathe” (1999)

One of country’s biggest stars gave us one of the biggest crossover hits that country ever produced.

62. Jim Reeves – “He’ll Have to Go” (1959)

This piece of crooner country paints a most unique portrait of jealousy.

61. Kenny Chesney – “The Good Stuff” (2000)

He built a career on nostalgic summer anthems, but this contemplative song is perfection.

60. The Band Perry – “If I Die Young” (2010)

This instant classic tragically lays out bittersweet instructions for “the sharp knife of a short life.”

59. Johnny Lee – “Lookin’ for Love” (1980)

It’s got a simple message, but it’s the type of song that if you hear it once, you’ll never forget it.

58. Rascal Flatts – “What Hurts the Most” (2003)

If you had just one song to encapsulate the Rascal Flatts sound, it’s this devastating breakup song.

57. Eddie Rabbit – “Drivin’ My Life Away” (1980)

The ultimate driving song will have your windshield wipers slapping out a tempo.

56. LeAnn Rimes – “How Do I Live” (1997)

With a voice sent from God, Rimes set a record with 69 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

55. Sawyer Brown – “The Race is On” (1989)

This galloping George Jones cover creates a genius horse-racing analogy for heartbreak.

54. Dolly Parton – “Jolene” (1973)

She begged Jolene not to take her man, and we couldn’t get the hook out of our heads.

53. David Allan Coe – “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” (1975)

Dubbing itself the “perfect country-western song,” it’s hard to argue with this crowd pleaser.

52. Marty Robbins – “El Paso” (1959)

This Tex-Mex tale tells of a border romance sung by the ever smooth voice of Marty Robbins.

51. Hank Williams Jr. – “A Country Boy Can Survive” (1992)

This backwoods anthem skins bucks and runs trot lines with an unapologetic survivalist attitude.

50. George Strait – “The Chair” (1985)

Only George Strait could make a song about a chair — with no chorus — into an all-time classic.

49. Patsy Cline – “I Fall to Pieces” (1961)

The first four words alone are proof that no one could hit notes the way Patsy Cline did.

48. Dwight Yoakam – “Guitars, Cadillacs” (1986)

With one of music’s most unique voices, this song is one of the catchiest ever done.

47. Gene Autry – “Back in the Saddle” (1939)

Like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry was a singing cowboy whose timeless tunes will be around forever.

46. John Denver – “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” (1974)

Played at the 7th-inning stretch at Baltimore Orioles games where Denver gave one of his last shows.

45. Lynn Anderson – “Rose Garden” (1970)

This catchy classic reminds us that love is not always sunshine and rainbows.

44. Alabama – “Mountain Music” (1982)

Taking pride in rural roots, this is backwoods music “like grandma and grandpa used to play.”

43. Brad Paisley – “Welcome to the Future” (2009)

Paisley is a profile in courage for penning this song of racial healing after the historic 2008 election.

42. Charley Pride – “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” (1971)

The Jackie Robinson of country music scored a groundbreaking gem for the ages.

41. Tim McGraw – “Live Like You Were Dying” (2004)

Tim McGraw capped a legendary run of hits with this end-of-life lesson on bucket-list living.

40. Vince Gill – “Go Rest High on That Mountain” (1995)

With piano keys and angelic voice, this funeral standard has made more people cry than any other.

39. Charlie Daniels Band – “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979)

This rapid-fire masterpiece tells of a hot fiddle player who beats the devil at his own game.

38. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – “Fishin’ in the Dark” (1987)

From the very opening chords, this song revs up a crowd for a classic sing-along chorus.

37. Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs – “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” (1949)

These legendary pickers brought a legendary backdrop to the “Bonnie and Clyde” soundtrack.

36. Buck Owens – “Act Naturally” (1963)

This sarcastic classic turned a case of heartache into a tale of Hollywood ambition.

35. Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now” (2010)

With an opening piano like falling tear drops, the hook is a powerhouse of late-night loneliness.

34. Hank Williams Jr. – “Family Tradition” (1979)

All his rowdy friends recite the song’s unwritten call-and-response lyrics whenever it’s played.

33. Waylon Jennings – “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” (1978)

Waylon & Willy were rebel rousers with the guts to look in the mirror for this self-depricating gem.

32. Lee Ann Womack – “I Hope You Dance” (2000)

Many songs have tried to match its sage advice, but none will ever match its endless wisdom.

31. Toby Keith – “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” (1993)

Before his troop salutes and bar songs, Toby Keith inspired us to “go west, young man.”

30. Hank Williams – “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (1949)

The father of country wails with twangy heartache in one of the most influential songs of any genre.

29. Martina McBride – “Independence Day” (1994)

It seems like a patriotic anthem, but it’s really about an abused girl getting her fiery revenge.

28. Merle Haggard – “Okie from Muskogee” (1969)

Merle Haggard bucked hippie culture by insisting that being a square can be a ball. If you say so.

27. Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys – “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (1946)

Let’s face it. Much of what we know of country music was built on the back of Bill Monroe.

26. Johnny Cash – “Ring of Fire” (1963)

The Man in Black introduced a brass horn section into this instantly recognizable country gem.

25. Reba McEntire – “Fancy” (1991)

Reba’s gutsy career song told a powerful tale of a mother prostituting her daughter toward fame.

24. Kenny Rogers – “The Gambler” (1978)

This haunting poker metaphor for life reminds us that you’ve got to know when to hold and fold ’em.

23. Dixie Chicks – “Wide Open Spaces” (1998)

The now-vindicated Dixie Chicks created country’s definitive song about moving out on your own.

22. Glen Campbell – “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1975)

Six years after Jon Voight hit Manhattan in “Midnight Cowboy,” Campbell landed this eternal gem.

21. Ronnie Milsap – “Smokey Mountain Rain” (1980)

An authentic hurt cries from Milsap’s voice as the piano and violins cut right to your heart.

20. John Denver – “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (1971)

John Denver’s voice will live on forever as he cries out for the mountains of his West Virginia home.

19. Loretta Lynn – “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1970)

This blue-collar anthem became the subject of a 1980 film starring Sissy Spacek & Tommy Lee Jones.

18. Alan Jackson – “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” (2001)

Just a month after 9/11, Alan Jackson penned a song of mourning that captured a nation’s grief.

17. Roger Miller – “King of the Road” (1964)

This snappy hit follows the ultimate drifter who knows every hotel room, train car and padlock.

16. Tanya Tucker – “Delta Dawn” (1972)

Few could belt like Tanya Tucker, and the haunting “Delta Dawn” was her crowning masterpiece.

15. Johnny Cash – “Folsom Prison Blues” (1955)

The Man in Black jammed for a live prison crowd, hollering their approval with each edgy line.

14. Dolly Parton – “I Will Always Love You” (1974)

Whitney Houston’s cover became the definitive version, but Dolly’s original made it all possible.

13. Randy Travis – “Forever and Ever, Amen” (1987)

The most unique voice in country music turned a simple love song into something downright spiritual.

12. Garth Brooks – “The Dance” (1990)

Garth is a rambunctious stage performer, but when he slows it down, he brings absolute chills.

11. Willie Nelson – “Always on My Mind” (1982)

Elvis sang this tale of lost love before Willie Nelson elevated it to Grammy-winning legendary status.

10. David Allan Coe – “The Ride” (1983)

Is there a premise cooler than a hitchhiker getting a ride from the ghost of Hank Williams?

9. Conway Twitty – “Hello Darlin'” (1970)

With one of the genre’s smoothest voices, Conway Twitty created a classic song for parting lovers.

8. Charlie Rich – “Behind Closed Doors” (1973)

The lyrics tell of lovers who don’t flaunt their feelings in public, because they burn it down in private.

7. Tammy Wynette – “Stand by Your Man” (1968)

Gender politics aside, it’s a monumental piece of country history boasting a rafter-shaking voice.

6. George Strait – “Amarillo By Morning” (1983)

The painterly imagery, clever turns of phrases and timeless cowboy themes make this one eternal.

5. Hank Williams – “Your Cheatin’ Heart” (1952)

The father of country music lent his signature twang of pain to the ultimate anti-cheating song.

4. Johnny Cash – “I Walk the Line” (1956)

In a genre of cheating songs, Cash flipped it to pen his steadfast devotion to June Carter Cash.

3. Patsy Cline – “Crazy” (1962)

One of history’s most famous songs, regardless of genre, Patsy’s voice was from another world.

2. George Jones – “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (1980)

Poetic, creative lyrics tell a haunting tale of a man who only stops loving a woman the day he dies.

1. Garth Brooks – “Friends in Low Places” (1990)

This saloon singalong has taken on a life of its own that will outlive Garth Brooks and the rest of us.

VERDICT: If it feels odd placing such a living, touring artist like Garth Brooks atop such legends as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, consider this: Garth Brooks just passed Elvis Presley as the top-selling solo artist of all-time and trails only The Beatles for the overall top slot. End of story. No further evidence, your honor.