The Best Country Songs & Artists

These are the best country songs and country artists in one music lover's opinion. Please feel free to make nominations in the comments. Who did I leave out or rank too low?

The Highwaymen: Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash, left to right.

THE BEST COUNTRY SONGS & ARTISTS

I have ranked each country artist just once in my top 100, beginning with what I consider their best song. When Rolling Stone has ranked a song of which I am aware, I have indicated the ranking like this: (RS#).

1. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (RS#165), Lovesick Blues, Your Cheatin’ Heart (RS#237), I Can’t Stop Loving You, Lost Highway, I Saw the Light, Jambalaya, Hey Good Lookin’ and Kaw Liga by Hank Williams Sr.

2. He Stopped Loving Her Today (RS#142) by George Jones. Also, She Thinks I Still Care, Tennessee Whiskey, White Lightning, The Grand Tour and The Race Is On.

3. I Walk the Line (RS#76) and Ring of Fire (RS#201) by Johnny Cash.
   
   I find it very, very easy to be true
   I find myself alone when each day is through
   Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
   Because you're mine, I walk the line.
   
   Johnny Cash wrote "I Walk the Line" in 1956, when he was newly married, and presumably faithful. Years later he recorded Ring of Fire, a song about the torrid love affair that caused him to leave his wife for June Carter of the singing Carter Family, who is also represented in this list. June Carter wrote "Ring of Fire" with Merle Kilgore. Johnny Cash had a dream in which he was singing the song with mariachi horns in the background, which was how it was recorded. Other notable Johnny Cash songs include Hurt, Folsom Prison Blues, Wildwood Flower and A Boy Named Sue.

4. Crazy (RS#195) by Patsy Cline; also I Fall to Pieces (RS#238), Walkin’ After Midnight, Sweet Dreams, She’s Got You, The Wayward Wind, So Wrong, That’s My Desire and Tennessee Waltz.

5. Jolene (RS#63), Eagle When She Flies, He’s Alive, Coat of Many Colors (RS#263) and I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton, who has had 25 #1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

6. Go Rest High on that Mountain by Vince Gill, a song he wrote for the brother he lost. I’m not normally a country music fan, but this song, a modern hymn, is wonderfully moving and exquisitely sung by Vince Gill, a former lead singer of Pure Prairie League. Gill wrote the song originally for Keith Whitley, a fellow country music singer who died in 1989, but didn't finish it until after the death of his brother Bob in 1993. Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless sang the background vocals on a song that is sure to be an enduring classic. Other songs by Vince Gill include When I Call Your Name, I Still Believe, Pocket Full of Gold, Never Knew Lonely and Whenever You Come Around.

7. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Always on My Mind, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (RS#253), Crazy, Hello Walls and On the Road Again by Willie Nelson; also Seven Spanish Angels with Ray Charles, and Pancho and Lefty with Merle Haggard.

8. Coal Miner’s Daughter (RS#255), You Ain’t Woman Enough and The Pill by Loretta Lynn.

9. I’ll Fly Away, Down to the River to Pray, When You Say Nothing at All and Baby Now That I’ve Found You by Alison Krauss. Also Whiskey Lullaby with Brad Paisley.

10. It’s Only Make Believe and Hello Darlin’ by Conway Twitty the most operatic of country singers. Twitty had an amazing 55 singles reach #1 on the various charts.

11. Stand By Your Man (RS#473), D-I-V-O-R-C-E, I Don’t Want to Play House and Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad by Tammy Wynette, the first lady of country. Also, Golden Ring and Two Story House with George Jones.

12. The Gambler, Lady, Crazy, Lucille and Coward of the County by Kenny Rogers. Also, Islands in the Stream with Dolly Parton, Every Time Two Fools Collide with Dottie West, Make No Mistake She’s Mine with Ronnie Milsap, Buy Me a Rose with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean, Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer with Kim Carnes, and We’ve Got Tonight with Sheena Easton. All these songs reached #1 on the Billboard Country charts.

13. Independence Day, Broken Wing, Concrete Angel and O Holy Night by Martina McBride.

14. Seven Spanish Angels and Georgia on My Mind by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.

15. Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas) by Jimmie Rodgers, the father of country music, published in 1927. This was country’s first big hit, and Rodgers taught everyone the advantages of falsetto, from Howlin’ Wolf to Elvis Presley.

16. El Paso and Devil Woman by Marty Robbins. In the latter, Robbins sings the chorus with a little falsetto flip that he probably learned from Jimmie Rodgers.

17. The Highwaymen by the Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson); the song was written by Jimmy Webb. Also, City of New Orleans, Deportee and (Ghost) Riders In the Sky.

18. Man of Constant Sorrow as performed by the Soggy Bottom Boys, Home Free and Sawyer Fredericks.

19. Mama Tried (RS#376), Workin’ Man Blues, I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink and Today I Started Loving You Again by Merle Haggard.

20. Can the Circle Be Unbroken and Wildwood Flower by the Carter Family.

21. Amarillo By Morning, The Chair and All My Exes Live in Texas by George Strait.

22. The Thunder Rolls, Shameless, Friends in Low Places, Unanswered Prayers and The Dance by Garth Brooks.

23. Kiss an Angel Good Morning and Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone by Charlie Pride, who had 29 number one songs on the Country charts, and 12 number one albums.

24. Wichita Lineman (RS#206) as performed by Glen Campbell; written by Jimmy Webb. Also, Gentle on My Mind, Galveston, By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Rhinestone Cowboy. Betcha didn’t know Glen Campbell once played with the Beach Boys!

25. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way, If We Make It Through December, Good-Hearted Woman, Rainy Day Woman, Luckenbach Texas and Honky Tonk Heroes by Waylon Jennings; also Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys with Willie Nelson.

26. Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson; written by Joe South.

27. Sunday Morning Coming Down (RS#476), Help Me Make It Through the Night, For the Good Times and Me and Bobby McGee by Kris Kristofferson.

28. Delta Dawn, What’s Your Mama’s Name, Two Sparrows in a Hurricane, Blood Red and Goin’ Down and Would You Lay with Me in a Field of Stone by Tanya Tucker.

29. The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band.

30. Long Black Veil by Lefty Frizzell.

31. Wabash Cannonball, Tennessee Waltz, Blue Moon of Kentucky and Great Speckled Bird by Roy Acuff.

32. Blue Moon of Kentucky, Kentucky Rain, I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Your Cheatin’ Heart, Help Me Make It Through the Night, Green Green Grass of Home, Gentle on My Mind, Snowbird and She Thinks I Still Care by Elvis Presley. Amusingly, when the young Elvis appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, he was advised not to quit his day job as a truck driver! Love Me Tender was nominated by Bob Zisk.

33. Seven Year Ache and Tennessee Flat Top Box by Roseanne Cash, the daughter of Johnny and June Carter Cash.

34. My Maria, Neon Moon, You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone and Boot Scootin’ Boogie by Brooks and Dunn.

35. Strawberry Wine as performed by Deana Carter; written by Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison.

36. Fancy and Rumor Has It by Reba McEntire.

37. You Don’t Know Me by Ray Charles; written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker. Also, Georgia on My Mind (RS#283) and Seven Spanish Angels with Willie Nelson.

38. Take Me Home Country Roads, Thank God I'm A Country Boy, Sunshine on My Shoulder and Annie’s Song by John Denver.

39. Bless the Broken Road and What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts.

40. Forever And Ever, Amen and Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis.

41. I'm No Stranger to the Rain and Don’t Close Your Eyes by Keith Whitley.

42. Any Man of Mine, You’re Still the One and Man! I Feel Like a Woman! by Shania Twain.

43. Breathe, This Kiss and Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill. Also, It’s Your Love with Tim McGraw.

44. Angel From Montgomery (RS#351) by John Prine.

45. Why Not Me, Grandpa, Mama He’s Crazy, Love is Alive and Love Can Build a Bridge by the Judds, the mother-daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd.

46. No Gettin’ Over Me, In the Still of the Night, Smoky Mountain Rain and A Stranger in My House by Ronnie Milsap.

47. Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Dueling Banjos and Orange Blossom Special by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.

48. Ode to Billie Joe (RS#191) by Bobbie Gentry.

49. Rose Garden and Drift Away by Dobie Gray, who had five singles on the Country charts, although not his biggest hit, “Drift Away.” However, Waylon Jennings covered “Drift Away” and called it one of his favorite songs.

50. Harper Valley PTA by Jeanie C. Riley.

51. Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton.

52. Angel Of The Morning by Juice Newton.

53. Before He Cheats and Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood.

54. King of the Road by Roger Miller.

55. Pancho and Lefty (RS#499) by Townes Van Zandt.

56. Snowbird, Danny’s Song and Could I Have This Dance by Anne Murray.

57. It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels by Kitty Wells.

58. Jackson, Will the Circle be Unbroken and If I Were a Carpenter by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

59. Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton; written by the Bee Gees.

60. The Gospel According to Luke by Skip Ewing, nominated by my wife Beth, a former professional country singer.

61. He'll Have To Go by Jim Reeves.

62. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue and (You’ve Been) Talkin’ in Your Sleep by Crystal Gayle.

63. Flowers on the Wall and Bed of Roses by the Statler Brothers.

64. Broken Lady, All The Gold In California and Midnight Choir (Mogen David) by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers.

65. Heaven's Just A Sin Away by the Kendalls.

66. Tulsa Queen, Making Believe, Beneath Still Waters, Two More Bottles of Wine, Pancho and Lefty and The Boxer by Emmylou Harris. Also, Love Hurts with Gram Parsons and Only the Heart May Know with Dan Fogelberg, so beautiful!

67. Walking the Floor Over You by Ernest Tubb has been called the first honky tonk song.

68. Behind Closed Doors and The Most Beautiful Girl by Charlie Rich.

69. Make the World Go Away and For the Good Times by Ray Price.

70. Blue by LeAnn Rimes.

71. Landslide, Wide Open Spaces and Goodbye Earl (RS#469), by the Dixie Chicks.

72. I Will Remember You, Breath of Heaven and El Shaddai by Amy Grant.

73. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack.

74. Before the Next Teardrop Falls by Freddy Fender.

75. Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

76. Blue Moon of Kentucky by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.

77. Chattahoochee, Here in the Real World, Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) and Remember When by Alan Jackson.

78. Need You Now and I Run to You by Lady Antebellum.

79. Feels So Right and Song of the South by Alabama.

80. Somebody Like You and The Fighter by Keith Urban ft. Carrie Underwood.

81. Don’t Take the Girl and Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw.

82. Tulsa Time and Amanda by Don Williams.

83. You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive by Patty Loveless, nominated by Bob Zisk.

84. The House That Built Me (RS#441) by Miranda Lambert.

85. Merry Go 'Round (RS#362) by Kacey Musgraves.

86. Guitars, Cadillacs (Hillbilly Music) by Dwight Yoakam.

87. Springsteen (RS#381) by Eric Church.

88. Girl Crush by Little Big Town.

89. The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton.

90. Banks of the Ohio by Olivia-Newton John.

91. Kiss an Angel Good Morning by Sir Tom Jones.

92. Oh, Lonesome Me by Don Gibson.

93. Take This Job and Shove It by Johnny Paycheck.

94. Meet in the Middle by Diamond Rio.

95. Drivin’ My Life Away by Eddie Rabbitt.

96. God’s Country by Blake Shelton.

97. Bojangles and Will the Circle Be Unbroken by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

98. Wildwood Flower by Mother Maybelle Carter, nominated by Bob Zisk.

99. Aura Lea by Tom Roush in 1861, nominated by Bob Zisk.

100. You Never Even Called Me By My Name by David Allan Coe.

101. A Song for You by Leon Russell, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.

102. Beer Never Broke My Heart by Luke Combs.

103. Try That in a Small Town by Jason Aldean.

104. Put Some Drive in Your Country by Travis Tritt.

105. She's Everything by Brad Paisley.

106. I Swear by John Michael Montgomery.

107. Seminole Wind by John Anderson.

108. Killin' Time by Clint Black.

109. East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed.

110. Act Naturally by Buck Owens.

111. Old Town Road (RS#490) by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus.

112. Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys.

113. Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith.

114. Last Night by Morgan Wallen.

115. All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight, Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound and A Country Boy Can Survive by Hank Williams Jr.

HONORABLE MENTION: Trace Adkins, Chet Atkins, Gene Autry, The Bellamy Brothers, Kenny Chesney, Mark Chesnutt, Roy Clark, Joe Diffie, Eagles, Tom T. Hall, Tracy Lawrence, Chris LeDoux, Lonestar, Patty Loveless, Barbara Mandrel, Louise Mandrel, Roy Orbison, Minnie Pearl, Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish, Ricky Skaggs, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Josh Turner, Porter Waggoner, Trisha Yearwood