Tag: country

From classic country tunes to contemporary country sounds, these 100 songs are an essential part of music history and showcase some of the most impressive storytelling skills in the country music genre. To find the top country songs of all time, Stacker analyzed Billboard’s Greatest of All-Time Top Country Songs to create a ranked list of classic tracks and modern hits from 1959 to present day.

This list is remarkably varied, demonstrating country music as a genre is broader than some may believe; it also shows how the genre has grown to feature a redefined picture of the classic country superstar, from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson to Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Sam Hunt, and Kacey Musgraves. Some even say the sound of country music has changed: Younger subgenres of country music include bro-country (Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line), stadium country (Garth Brooks, Keith Urban), and pop country (Taylor Swift).

Read on to see if your favorite country hit made it to the top.

We present 10 of the 100 Country songs here. For a full list go over to Stacker Top 100 Country Songs of all Time | Stacker

#9. 'Amazed' by Lonestar

- Artist: Lonestar
- Billboard rank: #9

The country group Lone Star’s 1999 hit spent eight weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart. A remix of the song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single is a powerful declaration of a man’s love for his romantic partner, whose every move leaves him “amazed.” 

#8. 'Somebody Like You' by Keith Urban

- Artist: Keith Urban
- Billboard rank: #8

Keith Urban’s 2002 single, which Billboard dubbed the #1 country song of the first decade of the 21st century, is a simple love song. The narrator has finally found a woman who makes him forget about life's troubles.

#7. 'Convoy' by C. W. McCall

- Artist: C. W. McCall
- Billboard rank: #7

C.W. McCall’s 1975 song hit #1 on both country and pop charts. The song, laced with trucker slang, follows a group of truck drivers through a protest.

 

#6. 'Love's Gonna Live Here' by Buck Owens

- Artist: Buck Owens
- Billboard rank: #6

Buck Owens’ 1963 hit held the top spot for 16 weeks, a record that stood for a jaw-dropping 49 years. The song follows the narrator’s recovery from a breakup, and excitement about falling in love in the future.

#5. 'There Goes My Everything' by Jack Greene

- Artist: Jack Greene
- Billboard rank: #5

Jack Greene’s song about a tough breakup peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 and spent seven weeks at the top of the country chart.

#4. 'Take Your Time' by Sam Hunt

- Artist: Sam Hunt
- Billboard rank: #4

This 2014 recording became Hunt's second consecutive single to reach #1 on the country charts. The narrator seeks a romantic encounter with someone he meets in a crowd.

#3. 'Wanted' by Hunter Hayes

- Artist: Hunter Hayes
- Billboard rank: #3

Hunter Hayes broke a record held since 1973 as the youngest male artist to reach #1 when “Wanted” topped the Hot Country Songs chart. His second single, a love song, helped him win the CMA award for Best New Artist in 2012.

#2. 'Walk On By' by Leroy Van Dyke

- Artist: Leroy Van Dyke
- Billboard rank: #2

Leroy Van Dyke’s most successful song spent 37 weeks on the country chart in 1961, with a record-breaking 19 in the #1 spot. It was one of the first country-rock songs that inspired bands like The Eagles.

 

#1. 'Cruise' by Florida Georgia Line

- Artist: Florida Georgia Line
- Billboard rank: #1

The duo’s 2012 single set an all-time record of 56 weeks on the country charts, tying Taylor Swift’s record. The remix, which featured rapper Nelly, hit #6 on the Hot 100. In 2013, “Cruise” became the best-selling song by a country duo in digital history.

'Cruise' by Florida Georgia Line