10 Best Country Songs

Country songs can cover a vast group of sub-genres -- pulling anything from the classic Johnny Cash to pop country Lee Ann Womack. But the one thing that's constant comes from inspiration -- whether it's love, deceit, patriotism, or even a film -- the lyrics move us, as well as the clarity and pureness within the vocals. Including both modern country songs, classic country songs and everything in between, here out our 10 Best Country Songs, as rated by our AOL Radio listeners. Let us know what your favorite country songs are in the comments!

Hank Williams10) Hank Williams: 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' (1949)

Inspired by Williams' troubled relationship with his wife Audrey Sheppard, the song evokes loneliness with such lines as: 'Hear that lonesome whip-poor-will / He sounds too blue to fly.' Country crooners B.J. Thomas, Charlie McCoy, and ex-NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw have all covered this classic.



Lee Ann Womack I Hope You Dance9) Lee Ann Womack: 'I Hope You Dance' (2000)

Recorded with the band Sons of the Desert, the pop country hit reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts, reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song.



Tammy Wynette Stand By Your Man8) Tammy Wynette: 'Stand By Your Man' (1968)

Co-written by Tammy Wynette (one of the most influential country singers) and Billy Sherrill, this country song stayed at No. 1 on the U.S. country charts for three weeks and peaked at No. 19 on the U.S. pop charts, and even reached No. 1 in the UK 7 years later. The song was ridiculed by the Feminist movement of the late '60s and early '70s, but Wynette defended the song saying that the lyrics are more about women who truly love their husbands, and can overlook their husband's flaws and shortcomings: "And if you love him, oh be proud of him / 'Cause after all he's just a man."



Johnny Cash 7) Johnny Cash: 'Folsom Prison Blues' (1955)

Cash wrote our No. 7 best country song after he saw the 1951 flick 'Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison' while serving in in the United States Air Force in West Germany. One of the most renowned versions is Cash's live performance at the Folsom Prison on January 13, 1968, which was later included on the album 'At Folsom Prison' that same year.



Patsy Cline Showcase with the Jordanaires6) Patsy Cline: 'Crazy' (1962)

Willie Nelson originally wrote this song (which was initially more fast-paced) for country singer Billy Walker, who turned it down; Cline picked it up to follow 'I Fall to Pieces,' and worked with producer Owen Bradley, who arranged the song as a ballad, with jazz-pop and country overtones.The song was later recorded by LeAnn Rimes on her 1999 self-titled album.



Brad Paisley Then5) Brad Paisley: 'Then' (2009)

A mid-tempo ballad with predominant piano and a string set, the song expresses a man's love for his partner with lyrics that recall milestone events in their relationship, emphasizing how much stronger his love has grown since their first meeting: "Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been / We've come so far since that day / And I thought I loved you then." The song peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.



George Strait Pure Country4) George Strait: 'I Cross My Heart' (1992)

This track was the lead single to Strait's album 'Pure Country' -- a soundtrack to the same-titled film. Our No. 4 best country song peaked at No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the Canada RPM Country Tracks Chart.



Garth Brooks the Dance3) Garth Brooks: 'The Dance' (1990)

To emphasize the song's meaning, the music video features several American icons who died for a dream, such as World Champion Bull rider Lane Frost, Country singer Keith Whitley, the crew from the Space Shuttle 'Challenger,' JFK, and of course Martin Luther King, Jr.




Toby Keith Courtesy of the Red White and Blue The Angry American2) Toby Keith: 'Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)' (2001)

The song was written about his late father's patriotism and was inspired shortly after the 9/11 attacks, but was not recorded until Commandant of the Marine Corps James L. Jones strongly requested so -- after the positive feedback Keith received singing it to military personnel at his concerts. The song was also one of many causes of patriotic dispute between Keith and Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines -- who stated the song was "ignorant, and makes country music sound ignorant."



George Jones I Am What I Am1) George Jones: 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' (1980)

What's a No. 1 country song without love and deceit? Jones, one of the all-time favorite country singers, sings about a man who was betrayed by his lover: 'He said I'll love you 'til I die / She told him you'll forget in time / As the years went slowly by.' In 1980, the song won Jones a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and was awarded Single of the Year and Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.






Filed under: Best Songs, Top 10 Lists

Share & Bookmark :

Recent Posts

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New Users

Current Users