i used to dislike country, but over time my musical tastes have evolved. i recently decided to compile a playlist of what are – by various metrics – considered to be the best country songs of all time. this list is my own distilled version of all the other lists, as i don't think all country music is created equal. i tend to listen to country when i want a certain vibe, such as a carefree afternoon at a barbecue with friends on a warm and sunny day. any song marked with an asterisk is a song i particularly enjoy.
- alabama - mountain music
- alan jackson + martina mcbride - louisiana woman, mississippi man
- bob wills - san antonio rose
- bobbie gentry - ode to billie joe
- brooks and dunn - boot scootin' boogie **
- carrie underwood - before he cheats
- the carter family - can the circle be unbroken
- charley pride - kiss an angel good mornin'
- the charlie daniels band - the devil went down to georgia
- charlie rich - behind closed doors
- chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey
- corey kent - wild as her
- darius rucker - wagon wheel *
- deford bailey - fox chase - deford bailey is widely considered to be the first african american country music star.
- deford bailey - pan american blues
- dolly parton - i will always love you
- dolly parton - jolene
- dwight yoakam - a thousand miles from nowhere
- dwight yoakam - guitars, cadillacs - dwight has a cameo in the opening scene of weddings crashers.
- dwight yoakam - honky tonk man
- eddy arnold - make the world go away
- ernest tubb - walking the floor over you
- faron young - hello walls
- george jones - the race is on
- george strait - amarillo by morning
- george strait - the chair
- hank williams - a country boy can survive
- hank williams - family tradition
- hank williams - i'm so lonesome i could cry
- hank williams - your cheatin' heart
- highwayman - highwayman
- john denver - take me home, country roads *
- johnny cash - a boy named sue
- johnny cash - big river
- johnny cash - folsom prison blues
- johnny cash - get rhythm *
- johnny cash - home of the blues
- johnny cash - i walk the line **
- johnny cash - personal jesus
- johnny cash - ring of fire **
- johnny cash - rock 'n' roll ruby
- johnny cash + june carter cash - jackson **
- keith whitley - i'm no stranger to the rain
- kenny rogers - the gambler
- kris kristofferson - me and bobby mcgee
- lady a - need you now *
- leann rimes - blue
- lee ann womack - i hope you dance
- lefty frizzell - long black veil
- loretta lynn - coal miner's daughter
- luke combs - ain't no love in oklahoma *
- luke combs - fast car * - tracy chapman wrote the original version of this song in 1988.
- marty robbins - el paso
- merle haggard - mama tried
- merle haggard + willie nelson - pancho and lefty
- merle haggard and the strangers - if we make it through december
- morgan wallen - cowgirls *
- morgan wallen - last night *
- morgan wallen - you proof
- patsy cline - crazy
- patsy cline - i fall to pieces
- randy travis - forever and ever, amen
- ray charles - you don't know me
- reba mcentire - fancy
- roger miller - king of the road
- roy acuff - wabash cannonball
- sam hunt - body like a back road
- shania twain - man! i feel like a woman!
- shania twain - that don't impress me much
- shania twain - you're still the one
- skeeter davis - the end of the world
- tammy wynette - stand by your man - this song was used to comedic effect in goldeneye.
- tim mcgraw - just to see you smile
- tim mcgraw - something like that *
- tim mcgraw - where the green grass grows
- toby keith - should've been a cowboy
- tom t. hall - old dogs, children and watermelon wine
- waylon jennings - luckenbach, texas
- waylon jennings + willie nelson - mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
- webb pierce - there stands the glass
- willie nelson - on the road again *