Country Music, Y'all!

[UYI]

We're almost to the 200's, folks.

#310: Alan Jackson--“Remember When”

#309: Jack Greene--“There Goes My Everything”

#308: Lorrie Morgan--“Except For Monday”

#307: Luke Bryan--“All My Friends Say”

#306: George Jones--“She Thinks I Still Care”

#305: Tim McGraw--“Real Good Man”

#304: The Judds--“Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)”

#303: The Statler Brothers--“Do You Know You Are My Sunshine”

#302: Luke Bryan--“Country Girl (Shake it For Me)”

#301: Hank Williams Jr.--“A Country Boy Can Survive”
 

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/02/22/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-310-301/

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, UYI said:

#310: Alan Jackson--“Remember When”

This song is so beautiful, it can bring me to tears if I'm in just the right mood when I hear it.

4 hours ago, UYI said:

#308: Lorrie Morgan--“Except For Monday”

I join the CU commentators in being surprised that if Sirius was going to pick only one Lorrie Morgan song for the list, this is the one they went with.

4 hours ago, UYI said:

#306: George Jones--“She Thinks I Still Care”

In their commentary on this low ranking, the CU folks reveal there is only ONE George Jones song in the top 100.  What.the.fuck?

4 hours ago, UYI said:

#304: The Judds--“Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)”

I normally hate good ol' days sentiment (since it ignores those days were, ya know, not very good for women, BIPOC, LGBT, disabled, etc.), but I like this one.  As one CU commentator said:

Quote

Plus, it feels more sincere coming from a child’s perspective, one watching the world change and not fully understanding why, even if certain parts of that change, ultimately, are for the better. I don’t know, I always feel the need to defend this one.

I also agree with another one that this song being ranked higher than "Mama, He's Crazy" and "Why Not Me" is nuts, though.

4 hours ago, UYI said:

#301: Hank Williams Jr.--“A Country Boy Can Survive”

The commentary on this piece of shit is so fiercely accurate, I'm going to quote all three in their entirety:
 

Quote

 

ZK: Look, I think most of Williams’s output from this decade is underrated, but I can’t stand these types of “us versus them” songs that stem from overblown, unnecessary, reactionary anger. Kevin sums it up best below. Too High 

KJC: This tiresome mythology building seems almost quaint now that most crime has moved from big cities to smaller towns, but it was always just mythology building, even back then.  I understand it’s a classic hit.  But I trust my fellow NYC folk more than country boys when it comes to my survival, and I find this entire record ridiculous.  Too High

JK: It’s the open contempt for differences that makes this song so repellent as ideology. Jr has plenty of strong material, but his performance on this just drips with hatred. And I’m exactly one generation removed from deep rural poverty, and this song can fuck the entire way off on principle. Drop it back several hundred spots for the fact that there’s a huge swath of the genre for whom it’s become an ethos, but whatever. Too High

 

 

[proserpina65]

51 minutes ago, Bastet said:

In their commentary on this low ranking, the CU folks reveal there is only ONE George Jones song in the top 100.  What.the.fuck?

Exactly.  I'm pretty sure it's He Stopped Loving Her Today, which is absolutely sublime and better damned sight be top ten, but there should still be lots of George Jones in the top 100.

Edited February 22, 2021 by proserpina65

[UYI]

And now the 200's are here!

#300: Don Gibson--“I Can’t Stop Loving You”

#299: Kenny Chesney--“The Good Stuff”

#298: Garth Brooks--“Two Piña Coladas”

#297: Dolly Parton--“Coat of Many Colors”

#296: Tracy Byrd--“Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo”

#295: Trisha Yearwood with Don Henley--“Walkaway Joe”

#294: Buck Owens and His Buckaroos--“Together Again”

#293: Josh Turner--“Why Don’t We Just Dance”

#292: David Lee Murphy--“Dust On the Bottle”

#291: Vince Gill--“Tryin’ to Get Over You”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/02/25/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-300-291/

[Bastet]

I can't say it any better than the folks at CU:

Quote

It’ll take ten rounds with Jose Cuervo and two piña coladas to cope with the absolute travesty at #297.

Are these Sirius dudebros living in such a warped reality their minds can't even properly process the pure greatness that is Dolly Parton or something?  First "Jolene" and now this. 

I love that, as we enter the top 300, the commentary on the sheer lunacy of some of these rankings is seeping into what had been the straightforward so wrong/about right/too high/too low formula -- now we get things like "too fucking high" and "can't further comment (because I blew a gasket)".

I'll calm down for just a moment to say I love "Dust on the Bottle" and am off to listen to it to cheer myself up.

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, Bastet said:

I can't say it any better than the folks at CU:

Are these Sirius dudebros living in such a warped reality their minds can't even properly process the pure greatness that is Dolly Parton or something?  First "Jolene" and now this. 

I love that, as we enter the top 300, the commentary on the sheer lunacy of some of these rankings is seeping into what had been the straightforward so wrong/about right/too high/too low formula -- now we get things like "too fucking high" and "can't further comment (because I blew a gasket)".

I'll calm down for just a moment to say I love "Dust on the Bottle" and am off to listen to it to cheer myself up.

I know the Top 20 would have about 100 songs if we were making the list, but seriously, Coat of Many Colors is just about the most perfect country song ever and absolutely should be Top 20, not stuck in in the 290s between that charlatan Garth Brooks and his stupid pina coladas and Tracy Byrd's dumbass Jose Cuervo song.  And for Buck Owen to also be this low is ridiculous.  UGH.

[UYI]

Don't hurt me, but I actually love "Ten Rounds of Jose Cuervo." It shouldn't be anywhere NEAR "Coat of Many Colors", but I love Tracy Byrd and that song.

**ducks for cover** 

[UYI]

I'm two days past my 32nd birthday, but we'll see if this section of the list feels like much of a present (the signs do not appear to be promising so far):

#290: Sam Hunt--“Leave the Night On”

#289: Porter Wagoner--“Green, Green Grass of Home”

#288: Shania Twain--“Any Man of Mine”

#287: Joe Nichols--“Gimmie That Girl”

#286: Waylon Jennings--“Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way”

#285: John Anderson--“Straight Tequila Night”

#284: Jana Kramer--“I Got the Boy”

#283: Randy Travis--“On the Other Hand”

#282: Loretta Lynn--“She’s Got You”

#281: George Jones--“White Lightning”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/03/02/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-290-281/

[Bastet]

Ooh, the CU commentary is getting really good.  First, there's this about Sam Hunt:

Quote

Sam Hunt appropriates music made infinitely better by black and Latino/Latina artists in the pop and hip-hop spheres and makes it safe for a genre that continues, even in this exact moment, to refuse to address its problems with race. He’s an utter hack– an utter hack who has been, bizarrely, embraced and overpraised by members of the general music press– and represents the modern country music industry at its most insidious.

Then there's every word all three said about the Shania Twain ranking (too long to quote here, but do go give it a read).

And some great snark about the Jana Kramer inclusion; an artist I've never heard of, and it certainly doesn't sound like I'm missing anything.

This section of ten is an infuriating collection of songs that don't belong here at all and songs that are grossly underrated.  I threw a fit when I learned Patsy Cline's "She's Got You" is not on the list, and now to see that Loretta Lynn's cover of it is?  WTF, Sirius?

"White Lighting" is, I think, the only George Jones classic I don't like.  But I like the Randy Travis, Waylon Jennings, and Shania Twain entries, and absolutely love John Anderson's "Straight Tequila Night" - by far my favorite song of his, and when it comes up on my iPod, I play it multiple times before letting the shuffle continue.

[proserpina65]

On ‎02‎/‎27‎/‎2021 at 5:19 PM, UYI said:

Don't hurt me, but I actually love "Ten Rounds of Jose Cuervo." It shouldn't be anywhere NEAR "Coat of Many Colors", but I love Tracy Byrd and that song.

**ducks for cover** 

It's not that it's a bad song, or one that isn't enjoyable.  "Dumbass" is actually overstating it - yeah, it's kind of dumb, but also entertaining, and that definitely has its place.  So I apologize a bit for the characterization. It's just the placement which is the problem.  It's definitely waaaaay better than the stupid Garth Brooks pina colada thing.

[UYI]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

And some great snark about the Jana Kramer inclusion; an artist I've never heard of, and it certainly doesn't sound like I'm missing anything.

 

Maybe this is my sympathetic side towards female artists--new or old--coming out, but I thought they were a bit harsh on her. I haven't heard everything of hers, but from what I've heard, she's fine. She shouldn't have been this high on the list, but again, I don't have much of an issue with her, aside from her douchebag of a husband. 

But as y'all probably know by now, there's a lot of newer artists I like/know of more than most here. ;) 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by UYI

[UYI]

Because I'm stubborn as hell, I'm not going to let any weird choices and places on this list stop me from continuing to share it, so, here we go!

#280: Deana Carter--“Strawberry Wine”

#279: Gary Allan--“Nothing On But the Radio”

#278: Eddie Rabbitt--“Two Dollars in the Jukebox”

#277: Travis Tritt--“Anymore”

#276: Blake Shelton--"Austin”

#275: Tammy Wynette--“I Don’t Wanna Play House”

#274: Kenny Rogers--“Through the Years”

#273: Brett Eldredge--“Don’t Ya”

#272: Jeanne Pruett--“Satin Sheets”

#271: Garth Brooks--"What She’s Doing Now”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/03/07/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-280-271/

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, UYI said:

#280: Deana Carter--“Strawberry Wine”

Oh, come on, Sirius.  I get that at some point on the list everything good is going to feel "too low", but this barely cracking the top 300 is too fucking low.

(Did I Shave My Legs For This? is one of the greatest debut albums; not a single dud to be found on the track listing.  I need to pull out my CD and listen to it; it has been a while and this reminds me how much I love it.)

2 hours ago, UYI said:

#278: Eddie Rabbitt--“Two Dollars in the Jukebox”

The baffling inclusion of this song is another entry that makes me think they assigned some interns to Google "old country artists" and pick some songs from them to fill out the list, aiming to look like they know the genre in its entirety rather than just the last 20 years of it, but instead proving they don't.

2 hours ago, UYI said:

#275: Tammy Wynette--“I Don’t Wanna Play House”

Again, at some point I'm not going to be able to fairly claim "too low" and I think this ranking on a list of actual top 1000 songs in country music history is fine.  On this list, though, it's bullshit.  (As a side note, the song is perfectly used on the Thelma & Louise soundtrack.)

2 hours ago, UYI said:

#274: Kenny Rogers--“Through the Years”

Come on.  Even if you don't find this song to be trying way too hard, it's not top 300 material.

[bankerchick]

On 3/7/2021 at 3:32 PM, Bastet said:

On 3/7/2021 at 12:52 PM, UYI said:

#278: Eddie Rabbitt--“Two Dollars in the Jukebox”

The baffling inclusion of this song is another entry that makes me think they assigned some interns to Google "old country artists" and pick some songs from them to fill out the list, aiming to look like they know the genre in its entirety rather than just the last 20 years of it, but instead proving they don't.

Not a great song, but will always remind me of a new boyfriend who had literally thousands of albums and cd's but not a single country option.  We were going on a roadtrip and he decided to surprise me with this country cd he had bought.  I'm not sure if it was Eddie Rabbitt's Greatest Hits or just a random album, but I knew all the words to this song by the time we got home, and I still smile when I think of it.  Unfortunately, the music did nothing to convince him that country was a genre he should be interested in.

[UYI]

I will say that I love Eddie Rabbitt, "Drivin' My Life Away" is my JAM! Such a shame he died so young. :'( 

[UYI]

From last night's Grammy Awards, the first black woman nominated (she didn't win, unfortunately) for Best Country Solo Performance, Mickey Guyton, with her song "Black Like Me". You better SING, girl! <3 

 

[UYI]

Going back to our list again:

#270: Billy Currington--“I Got a Feelin’”

#269: Ray Price--“For the Good Times”

#268: Brooks & Dunn--“Brand New Man”

#267: Willie Nelson--"Whiskey River”

#266: Lady A--“Just a Kiss”

#265: Hank Williams--“Honky Tonk Blues”

#264: Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson--“As She’s Walking Away”

#263: John Michael Montgomery--“Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)”

#262: Tom T. Hall--“(Old Dogs – Children And) Watermelon Wine"

#261: Joe Nichols--“Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/03/21/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-270-261/

[bankerchick]

I've been listening to For the Good Times by Ray Price a lot over the last month or so.  Such a beautiful song.  Ray Price country is very unlike anyone else's country.

[UYI]

The folks at CU are starting to be in a MUCH better mood about what songs are on the list, so yay, I guess?

#260: Waylon Jennings--“Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line”

#259: Mary Chapin Carpenter--“Down at the Twist and Shout”

#258: Luke Bryan--“Drunk On You”

#257: David Frizzell & Shelly West--“You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma”

#256: Alan Jackson--“Who’s Cheatin’ Who”

#255: Claude King--“Wolverton Mountain”

#254: Rodney Atkins--“These are My People”

#253: Marty Robbins--“Singing the Blues”

#252: John Michael Montgomery--“Life’s a Dance”

#251: Jason Aldean--“Tattoos On This Town”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/03/28/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-260-251/

 

[Bastet]

I'm not into most of these songs - I really like "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma", though - so my biggest reaction to this set of ten comes from this tidbit from the CU commentary:

Quote

“He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” is a top 100 record shamefully excluded from the list entirely,

WHAT?!  Oh, hell to the no.

54 minutes ago, UYI said:

#256: Alan Jackson--“Who’s Cheatin’ Who”

Oh, please; Charly McClain's original is so much better.  The Sirius dudebros probably don't even realize his was a cover; they probably just saw Jackson's video, got a NASCAR boner, and put it on the list.

[UYI]

I completely agree about "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" not being on the list. I can understand how none of Suzy Bogguss' songs made the list--even today, as appreciation for the women of country in the 90's has only grown, I feel like she's kind of been overlooked, and even back in the day, I don't think she was ever one of the biggest names in the genre, especially when you consider how many women had much greater success in the late 90's, whereas her last big hit was in 1994. She should be here, for sure, and it's frustrating that she's not, but even with the dubious nature of this list overall, I do get why she might not be.

There is no such excuse for "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" not being there, at all. UGH. At least "Passionate Kisses" and "Down at the Twist and Shout" made it, and I think "Shut Up and Kiss Me" did, too?

It was pointed out in the CU comments that Shelly West's "Jose Cuervo" DID make it, at #848; the commentators erroneously said it had been left out. 

[UYI]

Onward we go:

#250: Willie Nelson--“City of New Orleans”

#249: Conway Twitty--“Slow Hand”

#248: Hank Locklin--“Please Help Me, I’m Falling”

#247: Brad Paisley--“She’s Everything”

#246: George Strait--“The Chair”

#245: Merle Haggard--“I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink”

#244: Dierks Bentley--“What Was I Thinkin’”

#243: Kris Kristofferson--“Why Me”

#242: Clint Black--“A Better Man”

#241: Brantley Gilbert--“Bottoms Up”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/04/01/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-250-241/

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, UYI said:

#249: Conway Twitty--“Slow Hand”

This got two too highs and one too low from the CU analysts, and I'll split the difference and say it's about right on this list.

5 hours ago, UYI said:

#248: Hank Locklin--“Please Help Me, I’m Falling”

This is about 50 spots too low, but it wouldn't bother me on a list that wasn't so stupid.

5 hours ago, UYI said:

#246: George Strait--“The Chair”

Interestingly, I don't feel anywhere near as strongly about this being ranked too low as do the CU folks.  I think it's about right (on a real list, not on this stinker).

5 hours ago, UYI said:

#245: Merle Haggard--“I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink”

This, though?  Come the entirety of hell on.  Too low!  Or, as one of the CU dudes said perfectly:

Quote

I swear to every last named and unnamed god. Too Fucking Low

 

[UYI]

Keeping on:

#240: Faith Hill--“This Kiss”

#239: George Hamilton IV--“Abilene”

#238: Eli Young Band--“Even if it Breaks Your Heart”

#237: Waylon Jennings--“Amanda”

#236: Tim McGraw--“Just to See You Smile”

#235: Patsy Cline--“She’s Got You”

#234: Luke Bryan--“Crash My Party”

#233: Ray Charles--“I Can’t Stop Loving You”

#232: Keith Urban--“Somebody Like You”

#231: Hank Williams Jr.--“All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/04/05/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-240-231/

[Bastet]

17 hours ago, UYI said:

#235: Patsy Cline--“She’s Got You”

I am so glad the CU folks were wrong about this not even being on the list, but it is still ranked far too low.

17 hours ago, UYI said:

#233: Ray Charles--“I Can’t Stop Loving You”

I can't say it any better than this:

Quote

JK: That it was a hit on literally every format except Country says a lot, none of it good. Charles’ rendition of this classic song is my favorite among countless, and this is wildly under-ranked. Too Low

 

[UYI]

We are getting closer and closer to the end of the 200s:

#230: George Jones & Tammy Wynette--“Golden Ring”

#229: Billy Currington--"Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right”

#228: Hank Snow--“I’ve Been Everywhere"

(NOTE: The song originally listed here was "I'm Movin' On", which was discovered soon afterwards to be a typo; I just went back and fixed it--and yes, this "I've Been Everywhere" is the same song made MUCH more famous by Johnny Cash decades later.)

#227: Josh Turner--“Your Man”

#226: Shenandoah--“Two Dozen Roses”

#225: Glen Campbell--“Galveston”

#224: Jana Kramer--“Why Ya Wanna”

#223: Alabama--“The Closer You Get”

#222: Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard--“Pancho & Lefty”

#221: Lee Brice--“Love Like Crazy”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/04/15/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-230-221/

Edited April 16, 2021 by UYI

[Bastet]

On 4/15/2021 at 9:23 PM, UYI said:

#230: George Jones & Tammy Wynette--“Golden Ring”

Come on!  That duet is pretty much the epitome of country music, and they don't even have it as Top 200?

Quote

#225: Glen Campbell--“Galveston”

This is also too low.  (And I can't believe "Rhinestone Cowboy" didn't even make the list at all!)

[UYI]

Keeping on:

#220: Jim Reeves--“He’ll Have to Go”

#219: Kenny Chesney--“Beer in Mexico”

#218: Garth Brooks--“That Summer”

#217: Ronnie Milsap--“(I’m a) Stand By My Woman Man”

#216: Joe Nichols--“Yeah”

#215: Hank Williams--“I Can’t Help it (If I’m Still in Love With You)”

#214: Toby Keith--“Who’s That Man”

#213: Bobby Bare--“Detroit City”

#212: Trace Adkins--“You’re Gonna Miss This”

#211: Kenny Rogers--“She Believes in Me”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/04/19/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-220-211/

[Bastet]

On 4/19/2021 at 11:01 PM, UYI said:

#214: Toby Keith--“Who’s That Man”

I forgot all about this song.  It's the only Toby Keith song I like, but I hate him so much I'd have to half-pretend someone else is singing it.

[proserpina65]

I have to confess, I've never liked Pancho & Lefty, and do not see why it's such a revered song.  Not that I think it's placement is right, not on this list with so much crap still to come.

[Dandesun]

Pancho & Lefty is a great story song. But even though the Willie and Merle version is the most famous it's really not the best rendition of it. I think if you want a great singer's version, listen to Emmylou. However, I think listening to Townes Van Zandt sing his own song, despite not being remotely a great singer, is the best.

It's like listening to Kris Kristofferson. Kris is not remotely a great singer. And, generally, I'd rather hear someone else sing his songs than him... but there's some that work for Kris' voice. It's the same with Townes. He's not a great singer but there are certain songs of his that just work better with his voice.

But that's just me.

[bankerchick]

On 4/23/2021 at 1:48 PM, Dandesun said:

Kris is not remotely a great singer.

Now there is an understatement, but I never realized how awful it was until l was listening to the Various Artists tribute to King of the Road.  I went to the video to figure out those voices I couldn't identify and was shocked to hear how bad his voice sounded.  Maybe it's worse as he gets older, or he had some throat issue when the song was recorded.

[Dandesun]

On 4/24/2021 at 11:49 AM, bankerchick said:

Now there is an understatement, but I never realized how awful it was until l was listening to the Various Artists tribute to King of the Road.  I went to the video to figure out those voices I couldn't identify and was shocked to hear how bad his voice sounded.  Maybe it's worse as he gets older, or he had some throat issue when the song was recorded.

It may have gotten worse but it was never particularly good. Hell, just listen to 'The Highwayman' and you're going to be going 'One of these things is not like the others... one of these things just doesn't belong...'

[proserpina65]

On 4/23/2021 at 1:48 PM, Dandesun said:

It's like listening to Kris Kristofferson. Kris is not remotely a great singer.

I'm 100% with you on that one.

[bankerchick]

OK, I got hooked on this page for the countdown but it has now been over 2 weeks since the last update.  I know this is not on you, UYI,  because I have followed the link to the site.  Is there any rhyme or reason to the release of the info, or just when someone feels like it?

[UYI]

On 5/6/2021 at 12:38 PM, bankerchick said:

OK, I got hooked on this page for the countdown but it has now been over 2 weeks since the last update.  I know this is not on you, UYI,  because I have followed the link to the site.  Is there any rhyme or reason to the release of the info, or just when someone feels like it?

Funny you should ask! :)

(And it's basically whenever they feel like it/get to it/can handle it given how much of a crackpot list this is.)

With this next entry, we will officially be out of the 200s!

#210: The Browns--“The Three Bells”

#209: Merle Haggard--“Workin’ Man Blues”

#208: Kelsea Ballerini--“Love Me Like You Mean It”

#207: Oak Ridge Boys--“Elvira”

#206: Charlie Rich--“Behind Closed Doors”

#205: Faith Hill--“Breathe”

#204: Del Reeves--“Girl On the Billboard”

#203: Kenny Chesney--“American Kids”

#202: Alabama--“Song of the South”

#201: Skeeter Davis--“The End of the World”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/09/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-210-201/

[bankerchick]

Thanks.  I went to the site yesterday and found it.  I can't add anything to the comments but 'crackpot' is pretty accurate.  I don't like the Browns, or most gimmicky songs like Elvira or the one about the billboards, but the Skeeter Davis song is beautiful.  I like John Mellencamp's cover of it as well.

It sounds like some interesting choices are coming up, so hopefully it won't take a year to get to the top 10.

[Bastet]

I love that one of the CU guys cannot think of "Behind Closed Doors" without thinking of the "Nightmare From Hee-Haw" episode of Designing Women.  Same!

Quote

#208: Kelsea Ballerini--“Love Me Like You Mean It”

Oh, dear.  I don't know this one, so I watched the video - well, the minute and a half I could hang in there - and I'll second this:

Quote

she had work do in overcoming her early faults like … pretty much everything she’s doing here, from the delivery to the bubblegum production to the lyrics that are like female bro-country without the self-awareness to flip the script.

Also seconding all three comments about the utter bullshit that is the too low ranking of "Workin' Man Blues".

[UYI]

Kelsea had to grow on me, I admit--but she did. I love her now. But yeah, she shouldn't be on this list, or at least not with this song (I like the acoustic version of that song better, for whatever that's worth). And all of her big singles from her most recent album--"homecoming queen?", "hole in the bottle", and "half of my hometown" (feat. Kenny Chesney) are great (I even like "the other girl", which is her featuring Halsey, but it got dropped as the second single pretty quickly in favor of HITB--in large part because it's basically straight up pop, but I DO like it regardless). 

[UYI]

Anyway, we are entering the home stretch!

(Well, the 100s at least.)

#200: Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson--“Don’t You Wanna Stay”

#199: Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle--“You and I”

#198: Carrie Underwood--“All American Girl”

#197: Kenny Rogers--“Daytime Friends”

#196: John Michael Montgomery--“I Love the Way You Love Me”

#195: Hunter Hayes--“Wanted”

#194: Freddy Fender--“Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”

#193: Luke Bryan--“Rain is a Good Thing”

#192: Waylon Jennings--“I’m a Ramblin’ Man”

#191: Barbara Mandrell with George Jones--“I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/13/a-country-music-conversation-sirius-top-1000-country-songs-of-all-time-200-191/

 

[Bastet]

No segment of the top 200 songs in all of country music should be this boring.

[Bastet]

Also, that damn "Daytime Friends" has been in my head for over two hours now!

[WendyCR72]

On 5/18/2021 at 7:58 PM, Bastet said:

Also, that damn "Daytime Friends" has been in my head for over two hours now!

Sorry, but I hate that song!  😛

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Sorry, but I hate that song!  😛

Me too, which is why I was complaining about the damn thing being in my head.

[UYI]

So I know there's still quite a bit left of the Sirius XM list to cover (for better or worse), but I wanted to pose a question to y'all:

Country Universe has just begun a new feature where they highlight each number one country song of the 1990's, the most commercially successful decade in the genre's history. I'll be honest: There's a part of me that really wanted to concentrate on the television portion of the forum once the Sirius list was complete, as that is the main focus of this board and not a lot of people here are as interested as I am in talking about all the in and outs of music here, past and (especially) present. This list, however, is one I'm very interested in diving into, especially because it covers both the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, AND the Radio & Records chart, due in large part to changes into how the popularity of country songs was weighed before 1990 and after. And really, that just gives us more songs to read about. :)

Anyway, I just wanted to gage y'all's interest here on that first. It might get confusing, given that the Sirius list is still being revealed right now, but I'm willing to try it out (plus, we're MUCH less likely to be baffled by the songs covered here!).

I'll post the introduction to this feature here:

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/24/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-introduction/

Edited May 30, 2021 by UYI

[bankerchick]

Thanks for the question, UYI.  Here's my opinion, for what it's worth.  I am relatively new to country music.  Of course it was my Dad's favourite, which meant it was used at home to torture us.  I started listening to 'Country Classics' with my Mom when I went to visit her and really came to appreciate a lot of the music and the artists.  Still, it wasn't quite my thing.  My son started listening to country when he was a teenager (mid '00s.)  I liked a few of the artists, but still, not my thing.  But I have since found my thing - the years between say, 1980 and 2005.  I'm thinking Travis Tritt, Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, George Strait, that kind of thing.  I'm not sure if it's 80s or 90s, but I would certainly be willing to check in to see.  Also this gives me an opportunity to check out more artists that I'm not familiar with.

[Bastet]

Sounds good to me, since that was an interesting decade in music across genres, especially country.  And especially for female country artists.  Which brings me to my one hesitation: If CU doesn't, for this project unlike the Sirius list commentary, finally include women, I don't care to give them my attention anymore.  Yes, it's nice that the men commenting on the Sirius rankings are aware of the under-representation of female artists in the industry and on the list, but that's not remotely the same as giving women a seat at the table. 

And, lordy, would I love to hear from a Black music journalist about the country songs of this great era, since they were still almost exclusively by and about white folks - what's it like to be a fan of a genre that, at its least offensive, just doesn't see you?

[UYI]

On 5/30/2021 at 4:21 PM, Bastet said:

 Which brings me to my one hesitation: If CU doesn't, for this project unlike the Sirius list commentary, finally include women, I don't care to give them my attention anymore.  Yes, it's nice that the men commenting on the Sirius rankings are aware of the under-representation of female artists in the industry and on the list, but that's not remotely the same as giving women a seat at the table. 

 

I completely understand this. What makes it even more baffling is that CU has had at least two frequent female writers for YEARS now: Leeann Ward, and Tara Seetharam. I've seen Leann leave several comments as the Sirius list has progressed. Maybe the two of them simply aren't as active in contributing to the site as they used to be? I really don't know.

Without any further ado, though, here's the beginning of the list of every number country song of the 90's:

1. Highway 101--"Who's Lonely Now" 

#1 on Billboard for two weeks, from December 30th, 1989--January 6th, 1990.

#1 on Radio & Records the week of December 15th, 1989.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/24/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-highway-101-whos-lonely-now/

2. Keith Whitley--"It Ain't Nothin'"

#1 on Billboard the week of January 13th, 1990.

#1 on Radio & Records for two weeks, from December 22nd, 1989--December 29th, 1989.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/25/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-keith-whitley-it-aint-nothin/

3. Clint Black--"Nobody's Home"

#1 on Billboard for three weeks, from January 20th, 1990--February 3rd, 1990.

#1 on Radio & Records for two weeks, from January 5th, 1990--January 12th, 1990.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/26/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-clint-black-nobodys-home/

4. Tanya Tucker--"My Arms Stay Open All Night"

#1 on Radio & Records the week of January 19th, 1990.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/27/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-tanya-tucker-my-arms-stay-open-all-night/

5. Ricky Van Shelton--"Statue of a Fool"

#1 on Radio & Records the week of January 26th, 1990.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/29/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-ricky-van-shelton-statue-of-a-fool/

6. Eddie Rabbitt--"On Second Thought"

#1 on Billboard for two weeks, from February 17th, 1990--February 24th, 1990.

#1 on Radio & Records the week of February 2nd, 1990.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/30/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-eddie-rabbitt-on-second-thought/

7. Alabama--"Southern Star" 

#1 on Billboard the week of February 10th, 1990.

#1 on Radio & Records the week of February 9th, 1990.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/05/31/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-alabama-southern-star/

I will, of course, keep going as more get posted. :)

On 5/30/2021 at 4:21 PM, Bastet said:

 

And, lordy, would I love to hear from a Black music journalist about the country songs of this great era, since they were still almost exclusively by and about white folks - what's it like to be a fan of a genre that, at its least offensive, just doesn't see you?

This is a little bit different, but CU shared this article by African-American writer Andrea Williams back in December, which was written shortly after Charley Pride's passing:

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2020/12/16/worth-reading-andrea-williams-charley-pride-deserved-better-than-what-country-music-could-ever-give-him/

Edited May 31, 2021 by UYI

[UYI]

Finally:

Zackary Kephart of the Musical Divide--he is one of the commentators for CU on the Sirius list--he is currently writing a series called A Modern Country Music History, which spans six parts between 1989-2019. Here's what he's got so far:

Introduction:

https://themusicaldivide.com/2021/05/17/an-introduction-a-modern-country-music-history/

Part One: From Bars to Barcodes (1989-1996):

https://themusicaldivide.com/2021/05/17/part-one-a-modern-country-music-history-from-bars-to-barcodes-1989-1996/

Part Two: They Don't Have Cash and They Don't Sound Haggard (1996-2005):

https://themusicaldivide.com/2021/05/22/part-two-a-modern-country-music-history-they-dont-have-cash-and-they-dont-sound-haggard-1996-2005/

Part Three: We Were Both Young When I First Saw You (2005-2012):

https://themusicaldivide.com/2021/05/27/part-three-a-modern-country-music-history-we-were-both-young-when-i-first-saw-you-2005-2012/

Edited June 1, 2021 by UYI

[UYI]

Another number one entry! This was the number one country song on Billboard the week of my first birthday, February 28th, 1990. :)

8. The Oak Ridge Boys--"No Matter How High"

#1 on Billboard the week of March 3rd, 1990.

#1 on Radio & Records the week of February 16th, 1990.

http://www.countryuniverse.net/2021/06/01/every-1-country-single-of-the-nineties-oak-ridge-boys-no-matter-how-high/

Edited June 1, 2021 by UYI