• Top 100 country songs of all time

  From classic country tunes to contemporary country sounds, these 100 songs are an essential part of music history and showcase some of the most impressive storytelling skills in the country music genre. To find the top country songs of all time, Stacker analyzed Billboard’s Greatest of All-Time Top Country Songs to create a ranked list of classic tracks and modern hits from 1959 to present day.

  This list is remarkably varied, proving country music as a genre is broader than some may believe; it also shows how the genre has grown to feature a redefined picture of the classic country superstar, from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson to Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Sam Hunt, and Kacey Musgraves. Some even say the sound of country music has changed: Younger subgenres of country music include bro-country (Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line), stadium country (Garth Brooks, Keith Urban), and pop country (Taylor Swift)—and some artists are even experimenting with country rap (Bubba Sparxxx, Colt Ford).

  Read on to see if your favorite country hit made it to the top.

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• #100. 'Good Hearted Woman' by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson

  - Artist: Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
  - Billboard rank: #100

  Jennings convinced Nelson to record the iconic song during a poker game in 1971, inspired by an advertisement for Ike and Tina Turner. It won a CMA for Single of the Year and helped form the two artists' outlaw image.

• #99. 'This Is It' by Jim Reeves

  - Artist: Jim Reeves
  - Billboard rank: #99

  Jim Reeves died in an airplane accident in 1964, though his records made the charts from the 1950s to the 1980s. Reeves, also known as 'Gentleman Jim,' was more popular in South Africa than Elvis Presley, and recorded several albums in the Afrikaans language. 'This Is It' made waves as a heartfelt breakup anthem.

• #98. 'Thinkin' Of A Rendezvous' by Johnny Duncan

  - Artist: Johnny Duncan
  - Billboard rank: #98

  Johnny Duncan’s first-ever #1 single on the Billboard Country Chart spent 13 weeks in the top 40. The 1976 hit told the tale of a family man who meets up with a longtime friend he's had an affair with.

• #97. 'High Cotton' by Alabama

  - Artist: Alabama
  - Billboard rank: #97

  One of four songs in the album to reach the top of the country charts, “High Cotton” held the title the longest. The narrator reminisces about the good old days and bemoans life's unexpected changes.

• #96. 'You Look So Good In Love' by George Strait

  - Artist: George Strait
  - Billboard rank: #96

  Though George Strait is one of the biggest names in country music, this 1983 recording was his first hit song in many years. In the song, the narrator gloomily realizes that his former girlfriend is now in love, and he comes to terms with the fact it wasn’t meant to be.

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• #95. 'Breathe' by Faith Hill

  - Artist: Faith Hill
  - Billboard rank: #95

  Though the song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, 'Breathe' was still declared the top single of 2000—the first time that's occurred in 35 years. In this romantic tune, Faith Hill showers her significant other, presumably husband Tim McGraw, with sweet nothings.

• #94. 'Why Not Me' by The Judds

  - Artist: The Judds
  - Billboard rank: #94

  The red-headed family duo lament their relationships in 'Why Not Me'—this time, he’s not giving them the attention they crave. The 1984 single also hit #1 on the country charts.

• #93. 'Mind Your Own Business' by Hank Williams Jr.

  - Artist: Hank Williams Jr.
  - Billboard rank: #93

  The singer's father, Hank Williams, originally recorded this song in 1949. The song, which the original artist called a “prophecy,” has been covered over and over, frequently appearing on the country charts. Hank Williams Jr. released his rendition in 1986.

• #92. 'Cry Myself To Sleep' by The Judds

  - Artist: The Judds
  - Billboard rank: #92

  Wynonna and Naomi Judd’s condemnation of a misbehaving man marked the mother-daughter duo's eighth #1 country hit. The 1986 recording follows a women’s intent to stay with her partner at any cost.

• #91. 'If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry' by J erry Wallace

  - Artist: J erry Wallace
  - Billboard rank: #91

  “If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry” was Wallace’s only chart-topping hit. The heartbreaking 1972 recording described the end of a relationship, and was popularized in the hit horror show “Night Gallery.”

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Outlaw country, Bocephus, Just call me Hank 2016. Hank Williams III vs. Shooter Jennings The crux of the beef between two of country music’s most famous sons is that Hank3 felt Shooter Jennings stole his persona. Hank3 had a song called “Dick In Dixie” that included the line, “I’m here to put the Dick in Dixie, and the cunt back in country.”.

'All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight' is a song written and recorded by American country music performer Hank Williams Jr. It was released in October 1984 as the second single from his album Major Moves. It peaked at number ten on the country music charts. From 1989 to 2011, Williams performed a version of the song (reworked as 'All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night') as the opening theme to Monday Night Football.^[1] The song was reinstated in 2017, with a new version by Williams Jr., Florida Georgia Line and Jason Derulo.

Hank Williams Poker Player

Music video[edit]

Directed by John Goodhue, the music video for the song features artists such as George Jones driving a riding mower; Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings playing poker; Little Jimmy Dickens and Paul Williams carrying a keg of beer; Cheech & Chong stumbling out of a smoke-filled limousine; William Lee Golden (of The Oak Ridge Boys) hitchhiking; Duane Allen (The Oak Ridge Boys) as a chauffeur; and George Thorogood entertaining other celebrities like Mel Tillis, Kris Kristofferson, Grandpa Jones, Porter Wagoner, Jim Varney, at Hank Jr.'s 'party pad out in the woods.' At the end of the video, a ghostly Cadillac flies into the night sky, referencing the fact that his father, Hank Williams, died while riding in a Cadillac.

Single and album versions[edit]

Hank Williams Poker Game

The album version is different from the single (and video) version, which changes the lines 'ready to get the summer/summertime started' in the last two choruses to 'ready to get the music started' in the second chorus and 'c'mon and get your motor started' in the final chorus.

Commercial and critical success[edit]

The single would go on to become one of Williams' signature songs (thanks to Monday Night Football) and became his 26th career Top 10 single on the BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It also garnered a number of prestigious music industry awards and nominations. The music video became the inaugural winner for both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Music Video of the Year award. Williams' vocal performance earned him a nomination for Country Music Association Awards as well as Grammy Award nominations for Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1985.

Chart performance[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abWhitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 466. ISBN978-0-89820-177-2.
2. ^'Hank Williams, Jr. Chart History (Hot Country Songs)'. Billboard.