Say what you will about the genre but you cant deny the genius the likes of Cash Nelson and Williams were. Some of the best songs of all time have come from this genre.
Not trying to argue or start anything, but did Hank Sr., Merle Haggard or George Jones record really notable albums? They made tremendous impacts on country (and music in general), but through singles.
As someone who is just getting into the country genre, this list is much appreciated. It's great to learn about the backbone of country as opposed to the stadium country that floods the radio.
For those debating Country's influence, well, other than helping make Nashville become a rather popular city, Country music, its attitude, guitar work, song writing, vocal harmonies and melodies, and lyrical content and style, was very influential for many a rock bands, from Pink Floyd, to Alice in Chains, to Neurosis to The Beatles. I blame the new wave of pop country for the hate it gets, which is sad because the indie country scene is amazing (No Nick Cave?)
Lee Torry fiddles, banjos, harmonicas, and *STEEL GUITARS* Love hearing Tanya, Tucker, Roseanne Cash, country pop Olivia Newton John,Linda Ronstadt,Eagles,
Taylor swifts 2008 first album Taylor Swift fearless great albums And broke for the first time country music into the top charts against electric and pop there very important albums and one of them should at least have an honorable mention.
Reminds me of bus scene in movie *Ray* he's sitting in back, service men begin Singing *Anytime* they get to part they forget words,Ray sings it.When finished they ask him about himself,he says he's jazz musician, guy says ,Jazz musician? Who sings Eddy Arnold? Ray replies...Music is Music.😊
Rhino - I think it was Rhino - did a really nice repackaging/collection of his country tracks, including both volumes of the "Modern Sounds" set. It's been many, many years, so it might be tough to track down physically.
Yeah... As important as Shania is Hank Williams should have been here. It's Hank Williams I thought he would be 1 or 2 on the list not no where near it.
Okay so this list include Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, The Nitty Gritty Band and The Dixie Chicks(even if it’s just an honorable mention) but has no mention of George Strait, Merle Haggard, or Hank Williams. The stupidity of those snubs is Oscar-worthy. How do you exclude three of the top 20 country artists of all time(according to Rolling Stone) and yet Shania Twain, who is ranked #25 gets the top 4 spot? I understand it’s a ranking of the importance of albums not the artists themselves but still to not even mention them is sinful.
I love metal and I remember having a interesting conversation with a goth girl I knew. I told her that I thought that Johnny Cash was the first goth. She agreed with me. lol Song were almost always a dark subject matter and always wore black.
Having been a fan of the genre my entire 28 years if life and taught the greats by my father and grandfather I called #1 as soon as I saw the video existed but I'll admit there were a few here I didnt expect. Great list!
"Fearless" for the Grammy Award for "album of the year" and it country. Her pop album "1989" won also the same prize years later. She is the first female artists who has won that prize twice! Your message proves that Taylor is important. Everybody is talking about her: How she should do another country album blah blah blah, how she is snake. If you are looking for a reason why people hate county, you should ask that for country fans who have always dissed artists like Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift etc. for not giving the same crap Dolly has offered since her debut album. I don't wanna hear her Loretta Lynn cover songs! She is dumb because she is dumb, her blonde hair has nothing to do with it!
Now this is real country music. Not that pop, rap, country crap they have going on today. Loved this top 10 (even though I know of people won't). Brings me back to just being with my family again.
You have to keep in mind that music is a continuously evolving medium. In the last 100 years you can see just how much it has changed. Genres will also evolve as well. While I agree with your statement to a point, not country today is terrible. However the introduction of rap was probably a genius idea to bring rap listeners into the fold. (fun fact, rap technically isn't defined as a music from a theory standpoint lol)
"real country music"? Do you speak about Dolly Parton making 42 albums with same formula? Even her pop albums sound the same as her country albums. She copies the style from Loretta Lynn. So tired of her. Someone needs to steal her silly wig! She is dumb but not just because she is blonde. She is dumb because she cannot write more good songs than "Jolene" and "I Will Always You". "Come on Over" has more well-known songs than Dolly has released during her life. Country music was dying in the 70's but Shania and other great country artists gave it a new life! We need artists like Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Sara Evans to keep country fresh and interesting. Not just some 70 year old woman who can sing only about her attractive cousins and alcohol.
Dolly Parton, and Shania Twain shouldn’t be at a bottom. I love their albums, but how many women cannot resist singing Man! I feel like a woman, and Jolie?
… We were Jesus save me, blue jean baby Born in the USA Trailer park truck stop, faded little map dots New York to LA We were teenage dreamin’, front seat leanin’ Baby, come give me a kiss Put me on the cover of the Rolling Stone Uptown down home American kids Growin’ up in little pink houses Makin’ out on living room couches Blowin’ that smoke on Saturday night A little messed up, but we’re all alright
Seriously....what is "Country" anymore? There's been so much crossover and melding of styles that it's rare to find actual, traditional "country" being released since about the late 1980s.
My dad is listening to the vinyl of "Red headed stranger" right now. Willie Nelson is just GOAT. His songs still are amazing. Good list. I mean I'm from Texas and even being Mexican I know all these and we have them. Except the Ray Charles one. We had it till we lost our old house, but still got it on spotify. It's not the same as Vinyl. I'm fucking 30 I need to stop sounding 80.
Snow Anaya I’m 22 and I grew up listening to red headed stranger and classic cash I still stand by red headed stranger might be the best album of all time
Shania Twain is not Country. All her stuff only had fiddles and steel guitar in it here in the US and Canada, the European releases were very different. Anything by Emmylou or Alison Krause would have been better choices.
Top 10 isn't enough Mojo 😆 should've been Top 15 with the additions of George Strait, Linda Ranstadt, Trisha Yearwood and Allison Krauss. I'm pretty sure they are important in someway lol. Completely agree with Johnny Cash as your number one pick. It felt like he's the name even the most ignorant people towards Country music would know or even heard of before 😀
I can't take the inclusion of the Shania Twain album seriously, especially given her position on the list. Way too high (though I wouldn't have included her at all). No Hank Williams? I understand the inclusion of Ray Charles, but what about Charley Pride? As a black country artist in the 1960s, he broke a lot of boundaries. He wasn't just dipping his toe into country music--it was his genre. What about Bill Monroe? He's pretty much the father of bluegrass. George Jones? I would have flipped a table if Johnny Cash hadn't been at the top.
As great as the Ray Charles record is, it’s not country. It’s Ray’s own bluesy version of the genre. It had more of an impact on the soul community than it did the country world
Yet Flatt & Scruggs, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash are the only Country musician's to make the list. The CMT stuff isn't country, it's just pop disguised as such, poorly disguised I might add.
So no hank sr, no hank jr, no waylon, no Conway, no David allan coe, no George strait, no George jones, no haggard, not even the highwaymen. WTF do some damn research
