Comments on Setting The Woods On Fire: Give Me Your List, Please!

better late than never....dave alvin merle haggar...

2008-06-12T15:25:54.386-04:00

better late than never....

dave alvin

merle haggard

johnny cash

patsy cline

willie nelson

raul malo

steve earle

kris kristofferson

waylon jennings

ray charles

1. Charlie Rich2. Hank Williams3. George Jones4. M...

2008-06-03T15:52:50.014-04:00

1. Charlie Rich
2. Hank Williams
3. George Jones
4. Merle Haggard
5. Townes van Zandt
6. Lucinda Williams
7. Lefty Frizzell
8. Steve Young
9. Billy Joe Shaver
10. Tom T. Hall

1. Loretta Lynn2. Johnny Cash3. Patsy Cline4. Doll...

2008-06-03T15:42:18.361-04:00

1. Loretta Lynn
2. Johnny Cash
3. Patsy Cline
4. Dolly Parton
5. Rosanne Cash
6. Ronnie Milsap
7. Don Williams
8. The Judds
9. Randy Travis
10.Eddie Rabbitt

Buck Owens & His BuckaroosWaylon JenningsMerle Hag...

2008-05-31T22:01:30.962-04:00

Buck Owens & His Buckaroos
Waylon Jennings
Merle Haggard & The Strangers
The Stanley Brothers
Wynn Stewart
Ray Price
Marty Robbins
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Freddy Fender
Johnny Cash

bubbling under:
Patsy Cline
Jerry Lee Lewis
The Louvin Brothers
The Hackberry Ramblers
Darby & Tarlton

Thanks for all the votes so far.Keep 'em coming!

2008-05-31T10:03:21.850-04:00

Thanks for all the votes so far.

Keep 'em coming!

CashHaggard YoakumHubbardEarleScorched earth, last...

2008-05-31T08:05:08.421-04:00

Cash
Haggard
Yoakum
Hubbard
Earle

Scorched earth, last angry man standing music.

I agree that women are being shortchanged. I dunno...

2008-05-29T12:21:59.083-04:00

I agree that women are being shortchanged. I dunno, I could spend all day but ... in no particular order except for #1:

Hank Williams
George Jones
Loretta Lynn
Willie Nelson
Patsy Cline
Merle Haggard
Dolly Parton
Johnny Cash
Tammy Wynette
Jimmie Rodgers

I rationalize leaving out Bill Monroe & Ralph Stanley & Jimmy Martin &c as Bluegrass; Guy Clark as folk-ish; Emmylou Harris as pop-ish; Jimmy Dale Gilmore as rock-ish; and Tom T. Hall as too darn smart because I can't think of anything wittier to say. But if you want to make it 20, I'd put them all in, perhaps with Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings and -- for overall influence if nothing else -- Chet Atkins

I like your list, but I was shocked -- shocked, I ...

2008-05-28T13:15:54.240-04:00

I like your list, but I was shocked -- shocked, I tell you -- to find nary a female name in either your top ten OR the top ten as compiled above. I've been glad to see a few women in here since then, but so many of them are only borderline country music...and this seems weird, too. Really -- no true women of country in the top ten?

In order to skew the results, and because the more I think about it, the more I genuinely prefer female country singers/songwriters, here's my top ten list.

1. Dolly Parton
2. Emmylou Harris
3. Patsy Cline
4. Kim Richey
5. Claire Lynch
6. Rhonda Vincent
7. Carrie Rodriguez
8. Lucinda Williams
9. Roseanne Cash
10. Loretta Lynn

I refuse to believe Patty Griffin is a country musician, or she'd be on there, too. Nanci Griffith is folk, too, guys. So is Iris Dement, and Gillian Welch. There IS a difference.

Here's my list;1 - Townes Van Zandt2 - Guy Clark3 ...

2008-05-28T06:45:31.910-04:00

Here's my list;

1 - Townes Van Zandt
2 - Guy Clark
3 - Steve Earle
4 - Lucinda Williams
5 - Johnny Cash
6 - Chris Knight
7 - Jim Lauderdale
8 - Emmylou Harris
9 - Gillian Welch
10- James McMurtry

Nice blog. Here's a (belated) list1. Hank William...

2008-05-25T18:46:37.764-04:00

Nice blog. Here's a (belated) list

1. Hank Williams , Sr.
2. Merle Haggard
3. Jimmie Rodgers
4. Carter Family
5. Johnny Cash
6. Willie Nelson
7. Flatlanders
8. Doug Sahm
9. Bill Monroe
10. Gram Parsons

I only used names from your list of country greats on the side. Too bad we can't count Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley though. They sure could sing some great country along with their other stuff.

Doug, That's an awesome list. Thanks for sharing!...

2008-05-21T23:27:40.801-04:00

Doug,

That's an awesome list. Thanks for sharing!

Haggard would have to top my list, but since I run...

2008-05-21T22:31:38.390-04:00

Haggard would have to top my list, but since I run a website that covers Austin and Texas music, here is my list of top 25 Texas country artists (and I'm sure I've forgotten someone absurd)
1. Willie
2. TVZ
3. Bob Wills
4. Waylon Jennings
5. George Jones
6. Doug Sahm
7. Hank Thompson
8. George Strait
9. Lucinda Williams
10. Lyle Lovett
11. Billy Joe Shaver
12. The Flatlanders (Ely, Gilmore, Hancock)
13. Ernest Tubb
14. Alejandro Escovedo
15. Steve Earle
16. Guy Clark
17. Dale Watson
18. Patty Griffin
19. James McMurtry
20. Rosie Flores
21. Ray Wylie Hubbard
22. Jerry Jeff Walker
23. Slaid Cleaves
24. Kinky Friedman
25. Nanci Griffith
A few others that demand mentioning: Blaze Foley, Tom Russell, Asleep at the Wheel, Robert Earl Keen, Eliza Gilkyson, Johnny Bush, Jesse Dayton, Scott Biram, Rodney Crowell, Bad Livers, Richard Buckner, Old 97s, Bill Callahan, and anything Will Johnson does.

Ones we'd like to disown: Pat Green, Kevin Fowler

Nearly everybody everyone else mentions, but pleas...

2008-05-21T13:28:44.662-04:00

Nearly everybody everyone else mentions, but please don't forget Tom Russell and Driveby Truckers.

I'd have to have Gene Clark in their somewhere.

2008-05-21T06:46:33.310-04:00

I'd have to have Gene Clark in their somewhere.

Porter Wagoner!

2008-05-20T20:50:01.381-04:00

Porter Wagoner!

No particular order except maybe from earliest to ...

2008-05-20T16:07:38.517-04:00

No particular order except maybe from earliest to latest...
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen (I bought this at the same time as Faust's first record, hmm)
Doug Sahm
Hank Williams
George Jones
Iris Dement
The Handsome Family
Calexico
Giant Sand
Gillian Welch
Louvin Brothers
Ryan Adams

Shoot that's 11 - and there was me thinking I liked songs not artists!

My alltime top 10 favorite country singers:1. Lind...

2008-05-20T13:39:54.443-04:00

My alltime top 10 favorite country singers:

1. Linda Ronstadt- exclude the pop, rock, big band, Latin, and just consider the authentic country music Linda has done (Hobo's Meditation, Rock Salt and Nails, Crazy Arms, etc.) and she definitely ranks among the very best.

2. Loretta Lynn- especially in the 1960s- is the quintessential country singer-songwriter.

3. Johnny Cash

4. Jason & the Scorchers- I probably would not have considered them country enough to include here, but since the website owner includes them, I will too. Great concert band.

4. Rosanne Cash

5. Asleep at the Wheel

6. Kris Kristofferson- He sings his songs as well as the hit versions.

7. Tammy Wynette

8. Skeeter Davis

9. Joe South

10. Marty Robbins

1. Hank Williams2. Loretta Lynn3. Johnny Cash4. Bo...

2008-05-20T08:12:08.550-04:00

1. Hank Williams
2. Loretta Lynn
3. Johnny Cash
4. Bob Wills
5. Merle Haggard
6. George Jones
7. Ernest Tubb
8. Patsy Cline
9. The Carter Family
10. Webb Pierce

ROGER MILLER! ROGER MILLER! Like an earlier post...

2008-05-19T21:00:02.749-04:00

ROGER MILLER! ROGER MILLER! Like an earlier post said, he deserves more attention! Great songs, great delivery, and lots of classics!
Lock, stock, and teardrops!

Roger's my #1. After that, Waylon!

@Anon 10:42Those are great songs, but for technica...

2008-05-19T01:26:15.311-04:00

@Anon 10:42

Those are great songs, but for technical reasons I can only consider lists that are attempts to list favorite country artists.

I can deal with unranked lists or lists that are short of 10 artists, but my statisticians cannot figure out how to incorporate a mixed genre list.

Not all country but...George Harrison - I Live For...

2008-05-18T22:42:17.152-04:00

Not all country but...

George Harrison - I Live For You
The Band - When You Awake
Karen Dalton - Take Me
Townes Van Zandt - Colorado Girl
Dylan - To Ramona
Neil Young - Cripple Creek Ferry
John Lennon - Crippled Inside
Paul McCartney - 3 Legs
Billy Preston - I Want To Thank You
Muddy Waters - Corrina Corrina

END OF FIRST WEEK'S COMMENTS (for administrative p...

2008-05-18T13:30:09.477-04:00

END OF FIRST WEEK'S COMMENTS (for administrative purposes).

Very tough list to make! This is my top 10 as it ...

2008-05-16T20:24:13.269-04:00

Very tough list to make! This is my top 10 as it hits the paper:

1. Bob Wills - the Greatest. I love Hank but Bob is my number 1 Country Legend.

2. George Jones - as you said "the voice".

3. Steve Earle - the thinking man's country hero.

4. Dwight Yoakam - In place of Buck. I think Dwight's song catalogue is truly undervalued.

5. Willie - The last great Country icon.

6. Lyle Lovett - Pontiac was the first country record I ever bought. Thanks Lyle.

7. Gene Clark - I love Gram but Gene was the real father of Country-Rock.

8. Charlie Rich - Another amazing voice - the most soulful country singer ever.

9. Townes - It took a while for me to understand all the fuss, but then The Heartworn Highways DVD and Live at the Old Quarter CD revealed his genius for me.

10. Jimmy LaFave - Saw him play live in NZ to 30 people in the late 90's (just after the release of his debut Austin Skyline). He inspired me to make the pilgrimage to Austin Texas.

1. Merle Haggard2. Jim Reeves3. Marty Robbins4. Pa...

2008-05-16T14:37:52.759-04:00

1. Merle Haggard
2. Jim Reeves
3. Marty Robbins
4. Patsy Cline
5. Alison Krauss

1. Jimmie Rodgers2. Hank Williams3. Gram Parsons4....

2008-05-16T09:29:19.998-04:00

1. Jimmie Rodgers
2. Hank Williams
3. Gram Parsons
4. Emmylou Harris
5. Lucinda Williams
6. Randy Travis
7. Doc Watson
8. George Jones
9. Richie Furay (!)
10. Patsy Cline