I also love "Cactus and a Rose". Stewart was such a great honky tonk crooner.

In no particular order

I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams Sr.
You Never Even Called Me by My Name - David Allen Coe
Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis
Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean
Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley
Right Where I Need to Be - Gary Allen
Good Ride Cowboy - Garth Brooks
She Got the Best of Me - Luke Combs

When one of those first few songs plays and I'm at the Chicken Oil, it just feels perfect and everything else seems to melt away.

No particular order:

Ain't That Lonely Yet - Dwight
Gringo Honeymoon - REK
Luckenbach, Texas - Waylon
A Country Boy Can Survive - Hank Jr.
New San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills
He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones
Amarillo By Morning - George Strait
London Homesick Blues - Gary P. Nunn
Waltz Across Texas - Ernest Tubb
Whiskey River - Willie


Too hard when you have to pick one Waylon, Dwight, Willie, REK song

1. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams
2. Crazy - Patsy Cline
3. He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones
4. Friends In Low Places - Garth Brooks
5. Amarillo By Morning - George Strait
6. I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
7. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain - Willie Nelson
8. El Paso - Marty Robbins
9. Georgia on My Mind - Ray Charles
10. Eastbound and Down - Jerry Reed

1. Marina Del Rey George Strait
2. Big Iron Marty Robbins
3. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way Waylon Jennings
4. A Country Boy Can Survive Hank Williams, Jr.
5. I Never Picked Cotton Roy Clark
6. That's My Job Conway Twitty
7. Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash
8. Backside of Thirty John Conlee
9. I Believe In You Don Williams
10. Trying To Love Two Women Oak Ridge Boys

Hard to narrow it down to 10.

Hagen95 said:

---

1. Marina Del Rey George Strait
2. Big Iron Marty Robbins
3. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way Waylon Jennings
4. A Country Boy Can Survive Hank Williams, Jr.
5. I Never Picked Cotton Roy Clark
6. That's My Job Conway Twitty
7. Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash
8. Backside of Thirty John Conlee
9. I Believe In You Don Williams
10. Trying To Love Two Women Oak Ridge Boys

Hard to narrow it down to 10.

---

Great, great song.

Sonora's Death Row- Robert Earl Keen
Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain- Willie Nelson
Lonesome Fugitive- Merle Haggard
Folsom Prison- Johnny Cash
He Stopped Loving Her Today- George Jones
Fraulein- Bobby Helms
Faded Love- Ray Price
Where Rainbows Never Die- Steeldrivers
Old Country- Mark Chestnut
Empty Glass- Gary Stewart

Like many of the guys said here, it's just too damn hard to pick the ten 'best'. The ten I pick today would probably vary from the ten I picked yesterday, or the ten I'd pick tomorrow.

But, I've seen some great records mentioned in this thread, and I've been surprised how guys much younger than I am have both a knowledge of, and respect for, some of the 'older' country music.

Anyway, I'll throw three more out here that I think are worthy -- one each from the 60's, 70's and 80's.

Six Days on the Road - Dave Dudley (original Golden Wing recording)

It's not just the best ever truck driving song sung with the booming voice of the high priest of diesel country, it's got intoxicating guitar playing by a 17-year-old Jimmy Colvard.

On that, Dudley commented:

Quote:

---

I thought I sang pretty good. It had a shotgun guitar, first eight bars. When he [Colvard] hit it with his thumb, he got the note and the harmonic. When he hit that lick on the guitar, they bought it.

---

Smokey Mountain Memories - Mel Street

Street recorded this Earl Thomas Conley composition and arranged it with harmonica and fiddle. Combine that arrangement with Mel's hauntingly hurt sounding vocals and you've got a great record.

Sadly, Street was a troubled guy. Like both Gary Stewart and Faron Young, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong, Do It Right - Vern Gosdin

Gosdin wasn't known as 'The Voice' for no reason. Tammy Wynette once said that he was the only country singer who could hold a candle to George Jones, and she should know.

Great lyrics on the common country theme of marital infidelity, and the deep emotion that Vern delivers through his voice just leaves you speechless.

Bobby Bare was recently on SiriusXM and remarked that he thought that recording was one of the best country records ever made. I'd have to agree.

Lots of great stuff listed but there is a glaring lack of Guy Clark:
LA Freeway
Desperados Waiting For A Train
Like a Coat From the Cold
Dublin Blues

Cstrickland05 said:

---

Lots of great stuff listed but there is a glaring lack of Guy Clark:
LA Freeway
Desperados Waiting For A Train
Like a Coat From the Cold
Dublin Blues

---

LA Freeway would have been my number 11.

This is an interesting thread. My favorite top 10

Good ole boys like me - Don Williams
Everything that glitters is not gold - Dan Seals
I was country when country wasn't cool - Barbara Mandrell
Lovers live longer - Bellamy Brothers
Luckenbach Texas - Waylon Jennings
Country Bumpkin - Cal Smith
Big City - Merle Haggard
Saginaw Michigan - Lefty Frizzell
The Cowboy Rides Away - George Strait
Home again in my heart - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Hagen95 said:

---

1. Marina Del Rey George Strait
2. Big Iron Marty Robbins
3. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way Waylon Jennings
4. A Country Boy Can Survive Hank Williams, Jr.
5. I Never Picked Cotton Roy Clark
6. That's My Job Conway Twitty
7. Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash
8. Backside of Thirty John Conlee
9. I Believe In You Don Williams
10. Trying To Love Two Women Oak Ridge Boys

Hard to narrow it down to 10.

---

Solid list

1. Amarillo by morning - the king
2. Highwayman - the highwaymen
3. Road goes on forever - REK version
4. Seminole wind - Jon Anderson
5. Poncho and lefty - Merle
6. I can still make Cheyanne - the king
7. This cowboys hat - Chris ledoux
8. The man comes around - Johnny cash
9. Straight tequila night - Jon Anderson
10. Luckenbach, TX - Waylon Jennings

Modern songs

1. Whitehouse road - Tyler Childers
2. Bury my bones - Whiskey Myers
3. Down the river - Chris Knight
4. Live oak - Jason Isbell
5. Follow you to Virgie - Tyler Childers
6. Hippies and cowboys - Cody Jinks
7. Broken window serenade - Whiskey Myers
8. Every girl - turnpike
9. Speed trap town - Jason Isbell
10. Heading south - Zach Bryan

Faded Love - Patsy Cline
San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills
Heard it in a Love Song - Marshall Tucker Band
Good Ol' Boys Like Me - Don Williams
Saddle Tramp - Charlie Daniels
Big Iron - Marty Robbins
Pop-a-Top - Jim Ed Brown
Hungry Eyes - Merle Haggard
Blues Eyes Cryin' in the Rain - Willie
Statue of a Fool - Jack Greene

Least Favorite? He Stopped Loving Her Today - as George told his producer when he finished recording the song:''You've got your record; See if anyone buys the morbid SOB."