money The Top 35 Country Songs That Will Never, Ever Get Old
- 1/34
1) “I Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash
And basically every other Cash song! This one’s pretty much a no-brainer, as Johnny Cash’s legendary footprint on country music—and music in general—is irrefutable. “I Walk The Line,” though, is perhaps his most iconic song, being his first big hit that lingered on Billboard’s Top 200 charts for 23 weeks upon release. In 2014, Rolling Stone gave it the number one spot on its list of 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
Jaime Flores@Youtube - 2/34
2) “Jackson” by Johnny Cash and June Carter
OK yes, technically this is another Cash track, but because it’s a duet with June Carter, “Jackson” got its own spot on the list. This song is equally as iconic as “Walk the Line,” and it earned the pair their first career Grammy in 1968 for Best Country and Western Performance, Duet, Trio Or Group.
JohnnyCashVEVO@Youtube - 3/34
3) “Stand by Your Man” by Tammy Wynette
This Wynette hit is as controversial as it is popular. In 2003, it claimed the top rank on CMT’s list of 100 greatest country songs, and it became her career’s most successful track by far, peaking at number one on Billboard’s Hot Country chart in 1968.
However, it was scrutinized by the women’s liberation movement of the time, which called it anti-feminist by nature. Wynette’s response to the criticism was candid. “A woman should be equal to a man for anything she’s capable of doing, but I still feel there’s a lot of things she isn’t capable of doing. Physically,” she reportedly told Melody Maker magazine.
TammyWynetteVEVO@Youtube - 4/34
4) “The Dance” by Garth Brooks
Brooks is known for a good tearjerker, but “The Dance” was one of his first. It released with his debut, 1989 self-titled album, and, according to Rolling Stone, quickly became his second number one hit. “‘The Dance’ will be the greatest success as a song we will ever do,” Brooks told Playboy in 1994, per Rolling Stone. “I’ll go to my grave with ‘The Dance.’ It’ll probably always be my favorite song.”
Garth Brooks Song Lyrics@Youtube - 5/34
5) “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
A number one hit for Dolly Parton is automatically a number one hit for us. There are fewer country songs more recognizable than “Jolene,” and fewer more recognizable artists than Parton. In her Netflix series Heartstrings, the singer revealed that she wrote the catchy tune about a bank teller who fancied her husband.
DollyPartonVEVO@Youtube - 6/34
6) “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
West Virginians especially love this song, but as it aged, it became an ode to country roads everywhere, which is why people love it. In 1971, it peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot 100.
JohnDenverVEVO@Youtube - 7/34
7) “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell
This gleeful Campbell track is so catchy that it immediately stuck with both country and pop audiences, climbing both genres’ charts and eventually ending up at number one on the Hot 100 list for two weeks.
GlenCampbellVEVO@Youtube - 8/34
8) “Always on My Mind” by Willie Nelson
Hundreds of versions of “Always on My Mind” have been recorded over the years, including a notable one by Elvis Presley. But country fans have always adored Nelson’s take. In 1982, the version won Grammys for Song of the Year, Best Country Song, and Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
WillieNelsonVEVO@Youtube - 9/34
9) “Galveston” by Glen Campbell
This track was another easy hit for Campbell because it’s quintessential country. Try not to get the chorus stuck in your head.
Warmer Music Videos@Youtube - 10/34
10) “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton
We all know and love the Whitney Houston version of this song that rose to fame on the Bodyguard soundtrack, but “I Will Always Love You” was actually written and originally performed by Dolly Parton as a farewell to her old boss and music partner, Porter Wagoner, and it’s equally memorable when she sings it.
DollyPartonVEVO@Youtube - 11/34
12) “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks
Nothing unites a dive bar full of people like “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and this Brooks hit. It won Single of the Year at the 1991 Country Music Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, and will always be in the jukebox rotation.
TheMusicMan4111@Youtube - 12/34
13) “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
Although “The Gambler” was recorded by a number of artists—even Johnny Cash—it was made famous by Rogers. Released on his 1978 album with the same name, the song took off and not only topped charts but won Rogers the Grammy for Best Male Vocal Performance in 1980.
KennyRogersVEVO@Youtube - 13/34
14) “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait
Strait has plenty of hits, and surprisingly enough, this isn’t his biggest one. Plus, it’s a cover that was originally written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser. Still, it remains one of his signature songs and was named one of the top 100 Western songs by Western Writers of America. It also has over 83 million plays on Spotify.
GeorgeStraitVEVO@Youtube - 14/34
15) “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra
Even Nancy Sinatra, who recorded this classic number, could smell a hit coming before it was released in 1966. “I knew what this record had. It does happen—you actually feel a hit,” she said of the song, according to her website. “I had been recording for almost six years without such a feeling. I just knew we had a hit.” And she was right.
weissebrauen@Youtube - 15/34
16) “Fancy” by Reba McEntire
What’s a country hit list without a Reba song? This one is definitely one of her most famous, if not the most. It was originally recorded by Bobbie Gentry in 1969, but when McEntire covered it in 1990, its popularity soared. It peaked at number eight on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1991.
RebaMcEntireVEVO@Youtube - 16/34
17) “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline
According to Rolling Stone, Cline was hesitant to record this ballad after it was passed over by Brenda Lee. Her producer, Owen Bradley, managed to talk her into it, and thank God he did because it became her first number one hit.
imhalfnutz@Youtube - 17/34
18) “There’s Your Trouble” by The Chicks
The Chicks (formerly known as The Dixie Chicks) released “There’s Your Trouble” in 1998 and it became their first big hit. That same year, they won the Grammy for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group for the song.
dixiechicksVEVO@Youtube - 18/34
19) “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw
This emotional, but powerful track quickly stole the hearts of many when McGraw released it on his album of the same name in 2004. It peaked on Billboard’s Top 200 for 86 weeks and swept the country category of awards season, taking home Single of the Year and Song of the Year at both the 2004 CMAs and ACMAs, and winning Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance, per Taste of Country.
Tim McGraw Official Videos@Youtube - 19/34
20) “Concrete Angel” by Martina McBride
Also named one of country music’s saddest songs of all time by Rolling Stone, McBride’s “Concrete Angel,” the story of a child’s experience with abuse, was a chart topper in 2003 and remains a staple for when you need a good, cathartic cry. It also represents a type of story that goes untold and unheard far too often.
martinamcbrideVEVO@Youtube - 20/34
21) “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day” by Luke Bryan
The upbeat tune reminiscing on life’s pleasures and enjoying the outdoors of Bryan’s home in Georgia is a favorite of the country singer’s fans. The song was so popular, it even became the title of his fifth concert tour back in 2017.
LukeBryanVEVO@Youtube - 21/34
22) “Tennessee Whiskey” By Chris Stapleton
This cover of a David Allan Coe country song skyrocketed Stapleton to the top. He added a bluesier and grittier undertone to the country favorite, reaching number one just days after its release.
ChrisStapletonVEVO@Youtube - 22/34
23) “Where Were You” by Alan Jackson
A heartbreaking anthem about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Jackson released this song just two months after the tragedy. Jackson says the song came to him in the middle of the night, and it later spent five weeks at number one.
alanjacksonVEVO@Youtube - 23/34
24) “Fishin’ in the Dark” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Quintessential ’80s country, this track quickly became the song of the summer after its release in June 1987, topping country music charts in the U.S. and Canada.
RHINO@Youtube - 24/34
25) “Breathe” by Faith Hill
Hill’s fourth album of the same name debuted this classic country hit. Though it teeters the link of country and pop, it won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2000.
Faith Hill@Youtube - 25/34
26) “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood
Calling this classic catchy is an understatement and the edgy lyrics make for a jam that will withstand the test of time. After just winning American Idol, Underwood snagged the song and it quickly became a chart-topper alongside “Jesus Take The Wheel” off the same album.
carrieunderwoodVEVO@Youtube - 26/34
27) “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves
Perhaps the song that made Musgraves a household name, “Follow Your Arrow” was the third single off her debut record and quickly became a massive success. The song touches on self-acceptance and not judging others’ choices, and hit the Billboard Hot Country Songs top 10 in the United States and the top 50 in Canada.
KaceyMusgravesVEVO@Youtube - 27/34
28) “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban
Remarking on the desperate need for self-love, Urban’s song was number one on the United States Hot Country Songs for six weeks straight. Later, it reached the 23rd spot of the Billboard Hot 100 and even became famous outside of the United States.
KeithUrbanVEVO@Youtube - 28/34
29) “Whiskey Lullaby” by Brad Paisley
Charting on the country music Billboard charts back in 2004, this incredibly sad song is a country favorite. Once taking on the song, Paisley decided to add female vocals to the second verse, inviting Alison Krauss to join in for the heartbreaking duet.
BRADPAISLEYVEVO@Youtube - 29/34
30) “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain
You don’t have to love country music to know every word to this song. The pop-country queen released this song as a single and it reached number four on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, the top 10 in over six countries, and it won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
ShaniaTwainVEVO@Youtube - 30/34
31) “How Do I Live” by Trisha Yearwood
The iconic love song featured in Con Air, this Yearwood track (also recorded by LeAnn Rimes) easily earned its spot in country music history. Both renditions are classics, and there’s nothing like a good ballad.
Trisha Yearwood - Topic@Youtube - 31/34
32) “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” by Charley Pride
In the 1970s, Charley Pride became the best-selling artist for RCA records since Elvis Presley, and this signature tune became his biggest hit, claiming the number one hit spot in country and making the top 40 pop list, per Billboard.
Charley Pride - Topic@Youtube - 32/34
33) “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
A father-daughter wedding dance classic, Womack’s Billboard number one single is an emotional ballad worth singing and dancing to, always.
LeeAnnWomackVEVO@Youtube - 33/34
34) “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell
A tribute to the working man, “Wichita Lineman” is a deep, introspective classic that, albeit about loneliness, makes the listener feel less alone. That explains the tune’s timeless success.
Glen Campbell - Topic@Youtube - 34/34
35) “Walkin’ After Midnight” by Patsy Cline
After Cline sang this twangy number on an episode of CBS’ Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, an overwhelming fan reaction rushed it to single release, and the rest is history. It was an immediate hit for Cline and is a classic today.
Patsy Cline - Topic@Youtube
