A Guide To Country Music Part Two
Part Two of the guide covers classic country so for the most part country made pre-65. I decided to do a songs list instead of an albums list since most of this shit isn't in the database anyways. I've gotta do better addin' shit to the database but I've got a life outside of the internet (sort of). The list is of course not anywhere close to definitive so if you believe I've missed something let me know. |
| 1 | Jimmie Rodgers
T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)
The Singin' Brakeman / America's Blue Yodeler is the one who started it all. He's the first to ever become famous singin' rural folk songs, and his influence is even felt on blues and lyrics like "If you don't want me mama, you sure don't have to stall / 'Cause I can get more women than a passenger train can haul" share a spirit w/ rock 'n' roll. Other great Rodgers songs: "Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standin' On the Corner)" - which features none other than Louis Armstrong on trumpet, "T.B. Blues", and "Frankie and Johnny" |
| 2 | The Carter Family
No Depression
Other great songs: "Single Girl, Married Girl", "Wildwood Flower", and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" |
| 3 | Roy Acuff
Steel Guitar Blues
The King of Country Music, he's the guy everyone ripped off, and for good reason.
Other Great Songs: "The Great Speckled Bird", "Night Train to Memphis", and "Wreck on the Highway" |
| 4 | Bill Monroe
Song |
| 5 | Wayfaring Stranger
The best mandolin player ever. He invented bluegrass (w/ some help from the Carter Family). He and his band The Bluegrass Boys made some of the most beautiful country music ever made.
Other Great Songs: "In the Pines", "Blue Moon of Kentucky", and "Walking in Jerusalem" |
| 6 | Bob Wills
Faded Love
Wills along with his Texas Playboys invented Western Swing which mixed country, jazz, and even tejano music to make some of the most lively music of his day. I don't know anyone who has gotten more tribute albums than Bob has got and there's still "Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys" groups touring the country even though ole Bob has been dead for 40 years.
Other Great Songs: "San Antone Rose", "Goin' Away Party", and "Bubbles in My Beer" |
| 7 | Cliff Carlisle
Shanghai Rooster Yodel
I'm just now discoverin' this guy now (spotify's a damn good place to find new music) but he seems to be the other blue yodeller of the late 20s and well it's damn good. I can't believe I've never heard of him until now.
Other Great Songs: "The Devil's Train" and "Hobo Blues" |
| 8 | The Blue Sky Boys
I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail
The brother duo that inspired all the brother duos that followed (The Louvin Brothers, The Wilburn Brothers, The Delmore Brothers, Jim and Jesse, and The Everly Brothers)
Other Great Songs: "Story of the Knoxville Girl" and "Sunny Side of Life" |
| 9 | Ernest Tubb
Filipino Baby
Classic honky tonk music. When Jesus Christ sits down to put away a beer he makes sure Ernest Tubb is playing on the jukebox.
Other Great Songs: "Walking the Floor Over You", "Waltz Across Texas", and "Yellow Rose of Texas" |
| 10 | Hank Snow
Unwanted Sign Upon Your Heart
Thank you Canada!
Other Great Songs: "I've Been Everywhere", "Wreck of the Old 97", and "The Sun Has Gone Down On Our Love" |
| 11 | Hank Williams
Ramblin' Man
I don't need to say anything do I? He's amazing, worth all the efuusive praise. Plus his music is really sad : - (
Other Great Songs: "Lost Highway", "I'll Never Make it Out of This World Alive", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" |
| 12 | Lefty Frizzell
Cigarettes and Coffee Blues
Other Great Songs: "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)" and "Look What Thoughts Will Do" |
| 13 | Webb Pierce
More and More
Other Great Songs: "Teenage Boogie", "In the Jailhouse Now", and "I Ain't Never" |
| 14 | Kitty Wells
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Riot grrl 'fore there was such a thing.
"Heartbreak U.S.A." and "I Can't Stop Loving You" |
| 15 | Faron Young
I'm Gonna Live Some Before I Doe
Faron Young's a badass, man.
Other Great Songs: "I Hate Myself", "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young", and "I Guess I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" |
| 16 | Carl Smith
It's a Lovely Lovely World
Other Great Songs: "Hey Joe!", "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way", and "There's a Bottle Where She Used to Be" |
| 17 | Marty Robbins
Big Iron
John Ford in music form and Christ Almighty is it awesome. I bumped Eddy Arnold from the list just to add Marty, so yeah he's real good.
Other Great Songs: "They're Hangin' Me Tonight", "El Paso", "The Running Gun", and "The Streets of Laredo" |
| 18 | Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild Wild Women
Other Great Songs: "House of the Rising Sun", "Sadie Brown", and "1913 Massacre" |
| 19 | The Louvin Brothers
The Great Atomic Power
I recently read the memoir of the late Charlie Louvin titled "Satan is Real: the Ballad of the Louvin Brothers" and I already loved the Louvins but it made me love 'em even more. Charlie was a really cool guy and well his brother was troubled to say the least. There's also a lot of great stories involving country stars.
Other Great Songs: "Knoxville Girl", "Mary of the Wild Moor", and "There's a Higher Power" |
| 20 | George Jones
Why Baby Why
One of the more legendary drinkers in the history of country music. There's a funny story in "Satan is Real" when in the middle of a conversation George pulls out a baggy of coke, says "I'm workin' on my drinkin' problem" and takes a big ole whiff o' the white stuff.
Other Great Songs: "Heartaches and Hangovers", "White Lightnin'", and "King of the Road" |
| 21 | Buck Owens
Hello Trouble
I bumped Johnny Cash from the list to make sure Buck Owens gets his due (Don't worry Johnny Cash we'll be on one of these lists I promise). Owens is one of my favorite country singers. Plus he hosted Hee Haw.
Other Great Songs: "My Heart Skips a Beat", "Act Naturally", "Close Up the Honky Tonks" and "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line" |
| 22 | Patsy Cline
Crazy
I never realized that Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy" but he did. Anyways Cline's a terrific singer, one of the great female singers of her time. She also had some of the best Nashville session players so her songs are real goddamned good.
Other Great Songs: "Walkin' After Midnight", "San Antonio Rose", "Sweet Dreams (Of You)" and "Crazy Arms" |
| 23 | Porter Wagoner
The Rubber Room
Other Great Songs: "The First Mrs. Jones", "Cold Hard Facts of Life", "Let Me In", and "The Bottom of the Bottle" |
| 24 | Johnny Horton
Battle of New Orleans
Other Great Songs: "When It's Springtime in Alaska", "Comanche (The Brave Horse)", and "The First Train Headin' South" |
| 25 | Skeeter Davis
The End of The World
I was gonna put Charley Pride here but it seems he didn't really start until the late-60s the same as Tammy Wynette, so I decided to put Skeeter Davis here. I wan't familer with her music until tonight but she was a contemporay of Patsy Cline and like Cline did some rockabilly songs aswell as classic 'Nashville Sound' songs. |
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