Country Music Television's list of the 100 greatest songs in country

Date: 15 Jun 2003 20:37:14 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.music.country.old-time
Size: 9,208 bytes

(AP) -- Country Music Television's list of the 100 greatest songs in
country
music, along with the artist who popularized it:
1. "Stand by Your Man" by Tammy Wynette
Classic, but not Top 5 quality
2. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones
Probably #1; top 3 at least
3. "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson
Top 5 song
4. "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash
Over-rated Song; not top 50
5. "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams
Credit where credit is due; it influneced countless generations
6. "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
Over-rated; not top 50
7. "I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline
Good; but not top 10
8. "Galveston" by Glen Campbell
Not as good a 'song' as "lineman for the county"
9. "Behind Closed Doors" by Charlie Rich
Great Song, but Not top 10
10. "Mommas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon
Jennings, Willie Nelson
Over-rated; not top 20
11. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe
Bluegrass; not top 50 in country category
12. "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait
Not strait's best; not top 20
13. "Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn
Should've been top 10, maybe top 5 - Loretta is Country
14. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks
over-rated; Not top 30
15. "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis
over-rated; Not top 30
16. "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton
over-rated; Not top 30- Coat of Many Colors better Dolly Song
17. "Hello Darlin' " by Conway Twitty
Another Conway shaft...should've been top 3...50+ #1's, and only one
entry?
18. "Country Roads" by John Denver
Pop/folk Song; not top 20 coutry
19. "Hey Good Lookin"' by Hank Williams
Not top 50
20. "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by Soggy Bottom Boys
Not top 50
21. "Okie from Muskogee" by Merle Haggard
Conway and the Hag were the most shafted; This one wasn't top 50.
'Mama Tried' & "December" top 20 & top 10
22. "Wide Open Spaces" by Dixie Chicks
Not their best; and not top 25...there only pure 'country' song in
spirit is Earl
23. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson
Not top 25
24. "The Chair" by George Strait
Not Top 25
25. "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash
Not Top 25
26. "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers
Kenny's Best Country? The judges are cowards of the county!
27. "Fancy" by Reba McEntire
Reba's Best Song? Did they forget how 'You Lie' cut clear to the
bone?
28. "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson
Patriotic Definately; Top 30...nope.
29. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Hank Williams Sr.
Not top 30
30. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack
This is pop; not top 100 country
31. "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash
Best Cash song so far
32. "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell
Too High for a 'silly song'
33. "Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson
Probably Willies best Country Classic
34. "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley
Classic
35. "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" by Tammy Wynette
Classic
36. "Will the Circle be Unbroken" by Carter Family, Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band
HHhhhmmmm....Carter Family created Country Music; and only managed a
top 40 mention....
37. "King of the Road" by Roger Miller
Not top 40
38. "Breathe" by Faith Hill
Pop; not country....not that good a Faith song anyway
39. "Make the World Go Away" by Eddy Arnold
Not top 40
40. "Hello Walls" by Faron Young
Classic
41. "Sweet Dreams" by Patsy Cline
Should've been higher
42. "El Paso" by Marty Robbins
Should've been higher; Marty was snubbed along with Conway and Haggard
43. "Delta Dawn" by Tanya Tucker
How much more raw country could you get? TNT should've been in top 20
here.
44. "When I Call Your Name" by Vince Gill
Vince and Patty sing chills up your spine; His best song ever outside
of Pure Prairie League
45. "Guitars, Cadillacs" by Dwight Yoakam
Not Yoakam's best song
46. "Desperado" by the Eagles
Eagles? Sure the greatest American Country-Rock Band; but you can't
remove the Rock (remember Leadon?)
47. "Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)" by Loretta
Lynn
Ok
48. "Boot Scootin' Boogie" by Brooks & Dunn
Bar tune; But not B&D's best country song
49. "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Ray Charles
Should'nt be listed; guest spot token
50. "Independence Day" by Martina McBride
Mrs. 2 lungs and a larnyx aka sing your tiny little butt off only one
entry? She is the best country female vocalist outside
of Patsy Cline; sure would've loved to heard them do a duet
together...Many good years to come!
51. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" by Kitty Wells
Not top 75
52. "On the Other Hand" by Randy Travis
Not top 75
53. "Walking the Floor Over You" by Ernest Tubb
Classic if you can remember
54. "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton
Dolly's best
55. "Act Naturally" by Buck Owens
Not Bucks best...Where is Roy and "Where o Where, are you tonight?"
56. "Mama He's Crazy" by the Judds
Not Judds best either.
57. "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time" by Lefty Frizzell
Too high
58. "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" by Charlie Pride
Glad to see CP on here; should'be been higher; and more than one entry
59. "Family Tradition" by Hank Williams Jr.
Too High for this song, much better Bocephus that this
60. "Go Rest High on That Mountain" by Vince Gill
Too High for this lamentful song
61. "Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams
Too high
62. "Don't Rock the Jukebox" by Alan Jackson
About right
63. "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
Nope
64. "When You Say Nothing at All" by Alison Krauss
Pop Bluegrass...not country; not top 100
65. "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood
A Patriotic Standard of biblical proportions; not top 100 country
though
66. "Green, Green Grass of Home" by Porter Wagoner
Token for Porter
67. "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw with Faith Hill
Great pop duet; not country...where's Indian Outlaw?
68. "There Stands the Glass" by Webb Pierce
Not top 70
69. "Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels
Classic Fiddle Country...should've been higher
70. "Chiseled in Stone" by Vern Gosdin
The saddest Country lament besides George Jones topper; 'The Voice'
shouldve been top 20
71. "Don't Toss Us Away" by Patty Loveless
Patties best country? Her voice is pure country; Jealous Bone better
72. "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash
Classic Cash; better than higher entries
73. "You Are My Sunshine" by Gov. Jimmy Davis
Too high
74. "Flowers on the Wall" by Statler Brothers
A Statlers token..."Bed of Roses" should've been top 20; but since the
Oaks were shunned; they're lucky
75. "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter
Not after she butchered Willie's song....pop queen in wrong genre
76. "Good Hearted Woman" by Waylon Jennings
Should've been higher; should have highway's 7 spanish angels
77. "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain
Shania is top selling country singer of all time. When is she gonna do
a country song?
78. "My Home's in Alabama" by Alabama
Top 30 song....where's Dixieland Delight and Mountain Music?
79. "Is There Life Out There" by Reba McEntire
Not top 100 Reba Song
80. "She's in Love With the Boy" by Trisha Yearwood
Her most country song; she has the pipes
81. "Smoky Mountain Rain" by Ronnie Milsap
A token for Ronnie.
82. "Should've Been a Cowboy" by Toby Keith
It's early; but "Beer for My Horses" is classic country
83. "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson
Classic
84. "Please Remember Me" by Tim McGraw
Not country
85. "Blue" by LeAnn Rimes
Her first few years were country...what happened?
86. "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddie Fender
Classic
87. "Passionate Kisses" by Mary Chapin Carpenter
Top 100 Country? This is a joke, right? How pop is this song?
88. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" by Gene Autry
Classic; but not as good as 'Back in the Saddle Again'
89. "Here's a Quarter" by Travis Tritt
Nope; Tritt's 'Put some Drive in your country' is a top 50 country
song. Listen to it with
the top down real loud; and you'll understand
90. "He'll Have to Go" by Jim Reeves
Get a Reeves album; remember his voice; then keep him outta the top
50; wont happen.
91. "Seven Year Ache" by Rosanne Cash
Not top 100; where's Juice Newton's "Sweetest Thing"...Much better
song
92. "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson
Not top 100
93. "Take this Job and Shove It" by Johnny PayCheck
This one and John Anderson's Swinging should always be included.
94. "Something in Red" by Lorrie Morgan
Joke for top 100.
95. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" by Flatt & Scruggs
Where's Ballad of Jed Clampet?
96. "I'd Be Better Off in a Pine Box" by Doug Stone
Good song; top 100?
97. "Amazed" by Lonestar
Amazing song...a rare modern song that needs to move up the list
98. "Faded Love" by Bob Wills
Top 100
99. "Back in the Saddle Again" by Gene Autry
This Autry song belongs
100. "Killin' Time" by Clint Black
Not Clint's best
Four entries left off; that is unbelievable.
David Allan Coe's "You Never Even Call Me By My Name", which with last
verse added, is "the perfect country song"
Nothing from Larry Gatlin
"She's a Broken Lady", "Statues without Hearts", "Sweet Becky Walker",
"Love is just a Game"
Nothing from Tom T. Hall
"The Day Clayton Delaney Died", "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon
Wine"
Nothing from the Kentucky Headhunters
"Dumas Walker", "Only Daddy", "Spirit in the Sky"