Top 10 Country Songs of All Time

well they only four things in life that make it worth living throw on your jeans shine up your boots and grab yourself a cold one welcome to watchmojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 country songs of all time number 10 friends in low places Garth Brooks dukey's first recorded as a demo friends and low places launched Garth Brooks into the country stratosphere when it was re-recorded for a sophomore effort in the early 1990s with the Billboard Country chart topper Brooks soon became the face of country music while the rock is tune is already a rowdy beer filled number the singer typically adds a more angst driven third verse during live performances you were always on my number nine always on my mind Willie Nelson though it was previously recorded by artists like Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley Willie and his battered guitar trigger proved the oldie was still a goodie a decade later I guess I never told you I'm so happy that you're the redheaded stranger didn't only net three Grammys for his cover but also earned a top five spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and eclipsed his top 20 1980 single on the road again all in all not bad for a song that took original songwriter Wayne Carson a mere 10 minutes to write you were always number 8 the gambler Kenny Rogers he said son I've made a life by the way the hill they're full of standard country music motifs like trains and hard livin this tune is also home to one of the most well known country courses undoubtedly Kenny Rogers most famous song the gambler earned the roaster a Grammy in 1980 it also led its title to a series of TV movies starring the singer and is a favorite of both king of the hills Hank Hill the hell knows when to fold um he knows when to hold him and the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets figured that one out when the deal number seven Amarillo by morning George Strait saddle tone although originally written and recorded by Terry Stafford in 1973 Amarillo by morning wasn't really a huge hit a decade later it was dusted off by George Strait for his second album straight from the heart they took for sadder than used this fresh recording went to number four in the American country charts and set the stage for straight to become the king of country number six your cheatin heart Hank Williams dipping into the same well of despair as he did on I'm so lonesome I could cry on solo this song was put to tape during Hank Williams last recording session it became a posthumous hit following his death on New Year's Day of 1953 released as a b-side the country standard was written about Williams first wife and mother to his son Hank Williams jr. number five stand by your man Tammy Wynette sometimes it's written in just 15 minutes by Wynette and co-writer Billy Sherrill this song became the first lady of country music's signature tune not surprisingly it also became one of the most covered songs in all of country music but not everyone was happy about that since it was released amid the feminist movement the singer often had to defend the song as an anthem of understanding rather than a call to servitude number four mama tried Merle Haggard country music may have its share of prison songs but none ring as true as this one no one gets teary right mama the self-penned tune is a semi-autobiographical take on Merle Haggard's troubled upbringing including jail time following an escape attempt the hag was transferred to San Quentin and kept living the thug life until witnessing Johnny Cash's infamous performance at the facility in 1958 number three crazy patsy cline penned by future superstar Willie Nelson this was Klein's follow-up to her crossover hit I fall to pieces crazy helped the singer maintain her newfound popularity on the pop charts and saw her hit the number-two spot on the country charts owing to its gender-neutral lyrics the song has since been covered by both male and female singers crazy for feeling so including Nelson himself for his 1962 debut album crazy I want to see number two he stopped loving her today George Jones she by 1980 the opossum was much more a has-been than a legend first time I'd seen you smile here that all changed with this heartbreaker they push through getting George Jones to record this ballad was no easy task as the singer openly hated the song initially Plus Jones heavy drinking and slurred speaking voice made recording the spoken portion of the song nearly impossible only through careful editing was producer Billy Sherrill able to create a vocal track and rebuild the singers legacy you stop before we unveil our top pick here are a few honorable mentions while in complicated while it's the West Texas way number one ring a fire Johnny Cash love is a burning thing written by Merle Kilgore and the man in blacks future bride June Carter Ring of Fire documents June's take on the love affair between her and Johnny Cash first recorded by her sister Anita Carter the country rock and roller eventually earned him his first country number one in four years Cash's edition of mariachi horns saw him break new ground and also add new flavor to country music that was light-years beyond his previous material like Folsom Prison Blues you agree with our list what's your favorite country song for more hard-working top 10s published Bailey be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com

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Keywords: country, music, country music, folk, blues, rock, southern us, 1920s, johnny cash, george jones, patsy cline, merle haggard, tammy wynette, hank williams, george strait, kenny rogers, willie nelson, garth brooks, top 10, wmsuggest, best, greatest, watchmojo, ranked, lists

Id: OOcH1oHz68c

Length: 12min 2sec (722 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 15 2014