Top 100 Country Music Songs of All Time

This list of the Top 100 Country Music Songs of All Time comes from CMT.com. This list includes the greatest country music hits from all time.

Introduction

Welcome to CMG’s Top 100 Country Music Songs of All Time. This special countdown covers the entire history of country music, from its early roots in folk and bluegrass to the blockbuster country-pop sound that continues to dominate radio today. We’ve tallied up your votes over the past month to determine which 100 songs are truly the greatest of all time, and we’re excited to finally share the results with you.

To compile thislist, we polled more than 100 country music insiders –– artists, producers, songwriters, radio programmers, and other industry professionals –– to find out which songs they feel deserve a place among the genre’s all-time greats. We also took into account each song’s historical impact and cultural significance, as well as its commercial success. The result is a definitive collection of country music’s most important and influential tracks.

So sit back, crank up the stereo, and get ready to celebrate 100 years of great country music.

The Top 100 Country Songs of All Time

If you are a country music lover, you will definitely enjoy this list of the top 100 country music songs of all time. These songs are a mix of classic and contemporary hits that are sure to get you singing along. So, without further ado, let’s get into the list.

“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

“I Will Always Love You” is a song written and originally performed by American country music artist Dolly Parton. It was released on June 6, 1974, as the second single from Parton’s 1974 album Jolene. The song was written as a farewell to Parton’s former partner and mentor of seven years, Porter Wagoner, with whom she was formally splitting both professionally and personally.

“I Will Always Love You” reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart twice: first in June 1974, and again in October 1982, seven years after Parton’s original recording topped the chart. Upon its release as a single, “I Will Always Love You” debuted at number 54 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated June 15, 1974. In October 1982, almost eight years after its original release, the song reached number one for a second time. It remained at number one for two weeks and became Parton’s second single to achieve crossover success after ” Jolene “. With “I Will Always Love You”Parton became the only artist ever to earn a number-one record on each of Billboard ‘s three country singles charts: Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs ), Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs ), and Country Airplay .

The song has been recorded by many other artists including Whitney Houston, who recorded her version for The Bodyguard soundtrack in 1992. Her single spent 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart making it one of the best-selling singles of all time . The song has been ranked among the greatest love songs of all time by various publications including Time , Rolling Stone , and CMT .

“I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton

Written by Dolly Parton and released in 1974, “I Will Always Love You” tells the story of a love that endures despite the couple’s separation. The song became one of the most popular country songs of all time, and has been covered by many artists including Whitney Houston, who recorded a version for the 1992 film “The Bodyguard.” “I Will Always Love You” topped the country charts for 14 weeks and also reached number one on the pop charts, making it one of only a handful of country songs to achieve this feat.

“Stand by Me” by Ben E. King

“Stand by Me” is a song co-written by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and recorded by Ben E. King and The Drifters. It was released on September 20, 1961, as a single in the United States, and later included on The Drifters’ album of the same name. “Stand by Me” received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998 and is included in the National Recording Registry.

The song was written by King and Jerry Leiber (who also co-wrote “Hound Dog” and “Yakety Yak” with Mike Stoller) in response to a request from record producer Bill Medley for a new single for The Drifters. It consists of an eight-bar solo guitar intro followed by four verses of lyrics. The lyrics are based on an experience King had when he was 12 years old and his friends were looking for the body of a man who had supposedly been murdered near their neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. They never found the body but always remembered their experience, which inspired the lyrics to “Stand by Me”.

The song has been covered by many artists including John Lennon, who recorded it with The Beatles in 1970 for their album Let it Be, and Bruce Springsteen, who recorded it with his E Street Band in 1981. In 2012, the song was selected as one of the Songs of the Century (a list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America).

“You Are My Sunshine” by Jimmie Davis

“You Are My Sunshine” is a song recorded by Jimmie Davis and Patsy Montana. It was released as a single in 1940 and became a hit for both artists that year. The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, and Christina Aguilera.

The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and was ranked #37 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music in 2003.

“Crazy” by Patsy Cline

“Crazy” is a ballad composed by Willie Nelson. It was first recorded by Patsy Cline in 1961 and later became one of her signature songs. “Crazy” was ranked No. 85 in CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music in 2005 and No. 5 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Love Songs list in 2003. In 2002, Cline’s version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

“Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash

“Ring of Fire” is a song written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and recorded by Johnny Cash. The single appeared at No. 17 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart in 1963. The song was derided by some critics as “the gaudiest three minutes in pop music history”. Nevertheless, it was a major hit for Cash, becoming one of his signature songs. It was voted No. 4 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music in 2004 and was ranked at No. 87 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

“Jolene” by Dolly Parton

“Jolene” is a song written and performed by American country music artist Dolly Parton. It was released in October 1973 as the first single and title track from her album of the same name, produced by Bob Ferguson. The song was ranked No. 217 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and No. 4 on CMT’s list of “100 Greatest Songs of Country Music”. Billboard ranked the song as the No. 2 country song of 1974.

The song tells the tale of a woman pleading with Jolene to not take her lover away, as she is afraid she will never find another one like him. The song struck a chord with many people, as it spoke to the fear of losing a loved one to someone else. Dolly Parton has said that the song is one of her favorites that she has written, and it has become one of her signature songs.

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta Lynn

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” is a song written by Loretta Lynn and Ronnie Self. Lynn recorded the song in 1970, and it was released as a single in 1971. The song tells Lynn’s life story from her birth in a cabin in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, to her rise to fame as one of the most successful country music singers of all time. The song is considered one of Lynn’s signature songs, and it helped to establish her as a working-class hero for millions of Americans.

“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers

“The Gambler” is a song written by Don Schlitz and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in October 1978 as a single from the album of the same name. The song is about an old gambler teaching a young man about life through a series of metaphors involving cards and dice.

The Gambler was originally released as a single in 1978, but it was not until 1980 that the song became a huge hit, reaching #1 on the Country charts and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of the song led to the release of an album of the same name, which was certified platinum by the RIAA.

“The Gambler” has since been covered by numerous artists, including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash. In 2014, Bettman/Odot’s “The Evolution ofcountry Music” named “The Gambler” as one of the top 100 country songs of all time.

“He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones

“He Stopped Loving Her Today” is a song co-written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, originally recorded by Jones. It was released in April 1980 as the second single from his album I Am What I Am. The song is considered one of the greatest country songs of all time.

The single became Jones’s signature song, spending months atop various charts and earning him the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. It remains his only single to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2000, member of the Grand Ole Opry George Jones was voted into The 50th Anniversary Diamond Award of Honor by The Academy of Country Music as a recognition of his defining influence on country music throughout his career which spanned six decades.

Conclusion

So there you have it! The top 100 country music songs of all time according to Ranker.com. This list was compiled based on votes from Ranker users, so be sure to vote for your favorite country songs to make sure they make the list next time!