Introduction
#1. Merle Haggard
#2. George Jones
#3. Willie Nelson
#4. Johnny Cash
#5. Hank Williams
#6. Jimmie Rodgers
- George Jones, Charlie Louvin, & Ralph Stanley Hospitalized In the Past Week; Year End Lists; RIP Gary Claxton | The 9513
- George Jones, Charlie Louvin, & Ralph Stanley Hospitalized In the Past Week; Year End Lists; RIP Gary Claxton | The 9513
- 100 Greatest Men: #86. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Songcography.com
I agree with a comment made by Paul Dennis that all quibbling aside, this is one fantastic job. Just putting together a list of the top 100 is no easy thing. Doing it with thoroughly researched and well written write-ups for each artist is a monumental task. I congratulate you.
I was happy to see a few of my favorites, John Denver, Everly Brothers, the Eagles, Collin Raye and Gene Watson and to a lesser degree (I don’t play them as frequently) Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Alabama, Garth Brooks and Glen Campbell. My #1 country artist, Hal Ketchum …
…so Steve Earle isn’t as good and/or influential as Rascal Flatts? Or Lee Greenwood? Or Brad Paisley?
Great list, but Earle is a glaring omission.
As is Townes Van Zandt, although I suppose one could argue that he’s more of a folk guy.
Now that the list is complete the most startling omissions from the list were Jack Greene, Cal Smith, and Dave Dudley all of whom I would have slotted somewhere in the 50s
I would make the case for Grandpa Jones and Ernest Stoneman as well.
Of course this would mean deleting five artists , which would be a difficult task (I’d dump Eagles, Eck Robertson, Fiddlin’ John Carson, Sawyer Brown and Keith Urban)
No Earl Thomas Conley? He had something like 15-20 #1’s in the 80s. Think I’d have him somewhere in the 80-90 range and probably drop Rascal Flatts.
ETC had 18 #1s and 26 total top 10s between 1981 and 1991. And I agree that he should have definitely made this list.
are you insane!!! george jones is #1, if any one else could be #1 it would be hank! mayby you should try doing something else for aliving!
Hmmm,
I’m thinking Keith Whitley is a little far down the list!!! As well as Gene Watson, John Denver, John Conlee, Oakridge Boys… by the way where are the Statler Brothers? List starts out ok but should be rethought!!!!
Subjective…..I would say Elvis and Conway Twitty would be at the top….Randy Travis? Ferlin Husky? Jim Reeves? Really….I’ll make my own list…
Good list, but Roger Miller seems absent, Sonny James, Earl Thomas Conley, Billy Currington , Ty Herndon should be on there as well
Keith Urban is not country, talented but is more pop and Eagles, Oak Ridge, Louvins and the groups should not be contenders
I cannot believe Earl Thomas Conley is not on this list. He had 18 # 1 singles.
I rounded up a few more glaring omissions. I’ve listened to some of their stuff, and I can tell you that any one of these four would’ve been more worthwhile candidates than some of the men that did make the list:
Johnny Rodriguez: The idea of a Hispanic country singer was unheard of before Johnny came along in 1972. Not only was his stuff Latin-flavored, he’d even sing whole verses in Spanish. (Sadly, none of whatever of his I’ve heard to date show this.)
Mickey Gilley: You call Lee Greenwood “the definitive male vocalist of post-Urban Cowboy country music”. Thanks to his return to the top in 1980 (three straight #1 singles, his nightclub Gilley’s being featured in the movie, and a #8 album, That’s All That Matters to Me – also his first to reach the Billboard 200), Gilley pretty much began that era!
Moe Bandy: He made hard country relevant again just as soft country was taking over in the mid-Seventies.
Mac Davis: A star of the 1970s, and also a great songwriter. Listen to “Texas in My Rear View Mirror” and you’ll know what I mean.
@Thomas
Roger Miller is on the list. He’s #43.
And you say Keith Urban should be omitted for being more pop-flavored? Well, John Denver made this list too, and he took a poppier approach. As did the Oak Ridge Boys (post-gospel group days), Kenny Rogers, and a number of the other men on here. If all 100 were traditional solo artists, I think the list would be kinda boring.
Should have stopped at 50…
I agree with most of these names but if Bill Monroe is on here and rightfully so where’s Flatt and Scruggs, Jim and Jesse, Stringbean, the Osborne brothers, Grandpa Jones etc. As much as I love the Eagles I think the previously mentioned did more to contribute to country music than the Eagles or asleep at the wheel.
I’d love to see this one updated like the women one was! Eric Church seems to be one to add to the list, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton as well.
I guess an argument can be made for Jason Andean, Luke Bryan, and Blake Shelton but blah haha
To me the original list’s biggest miss was no Earl Thomas Conley which would hopefully be fixed.
Every time I look at this list, I see an extra digit in Travis Tritt’s ranking. And some kind of typo made Moe Bandy disappear.
Travis Tritt should be #6 or #9? Right above Jimmie Rogers or Bob Wills?
No, but I thought that was a quicker way of saying “He’s rated far too low.” Really, I could find room in the top 30. His lack of historical importance is an issue.
Who should be removed from the top thirty to make room for Travis Tritt, and why?
Alabama on general principles. Jr. is a lot too high. And now I have to slide Randy Travis up a few spots. It’s tough at the top.
looks great.
I would have put Box Car Willie at least a round the 50 mark.
Reason one of the few Artists to travel a round Europe and spread country music to other countrys Should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Thank you for the feedback! I’ll take a fresh look at Boxcar Willie when we revise this list!