After a week of voting, here are the current standings in the STWOF All-Time Favorite Country Artists poll:
1. Johnny Cash
2. Hank Williams
3. George Jones
4. Merle Haggard
5. Willie Nelson
6. Townes Van Zandt
7. Buck Owens
8. Waylon Jennings
9. Gram Parsons
10. The Louvin Brothers
11. Patsy Cline
12. Emmylou Harris
13. Bob Wills
14. John Hartford
15. Tom T. Hall
16. Dwight Yoakam
17. Iris Dement
18. Steve Earle
19. Marty Robbins
20. Roger Miller
Roger Miller – King Of The Road (buy album)
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Jerry Jeff Walker, Old Crow Medicine Show, Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmie Rodgers, Doug Sahm, The Flatlanders, The Jayhawks, Gene Clark, Son Volt, Alison Krauss, The Carter Family, Kitty Wells, Lucinda Williams, Robbie Fulks, Uncle Tupelo, Flatt and Scruggs, Merle Travis, Ralph Stanley/Stanley Brothers, Don Williams, Hank Thompson, Billy Joe Shaver, The Band, Mike Ireland & The Holler, Gary Stewart, Jim Reeves, Dave Alvin, The Souvenirs, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Charles, West Valley Highway, Jerry Lee Lewis, Clarence White, Alejandro Escovedo, The Gibson Brothers, The Gosdin Brothers, Mary Gauthier, Jason & The Scorchers, Lyle Lovett, Randy Travis, The Everly Brothers, Johnny Horton, Tim McGraw, Doc Watson, Maddox Brothers and Rose, The Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, Charlie Rich, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Mickey Newbury, Slaid Cleaves, Hank Williams Jr., Nanci Griffith, Charline Arthur, Laurie Lewis, Willis Alan Ramsey, The Handsome Family, Dale Watson, Richie Furay, Toby Keith, Laura Cantrell, Johnny Paycheck, Terry Allen, John Prine, Bobby Bare Jr., The Johnson Mountain Boys, Jimmy LaFave, Faith Hill, Keith Whitley, Delmore Brothers, The Bottle Rockets, Katy Moffat, and The Unknown Hinson.
I'm hoping to get a lot more ballots. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to post a comment with a ranked list of your top 10 favorite country artists. There are still at least three more weeks to have your say, but don't wait until the last minute.
For more details, see original post.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Favorite Country Artist Standings
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19 comments:
Well the top 5 or so are pretty much gimmes,
1. Merle Haggard
I mean what else can you say? The mighty Merle.
2. George Jones
A hair behind Merle, classic country.
3. Johnny Cash
I’m personally not that crazy about Cash, but you have to vote for him.
4. Tammy Wynette
She’s analogous to George Jones in stature. I mean “Stand by Your Man”, it don’t get know country than that.
5. Conway Twitty
Hard country.
6. Hank Williams Jr.
Aka, Bocephus. Great stuff, “If heaven ain’t a lot like Dixie, I don’t wanna go”. Simple, country, and to the point.
7. Alabama
Not hard country, but their songs have such melody.
8. Randy Travis
Simple stuff & to the heart
9. Charlie Pride
Doesn’t get much play time anymore, but great stuff.
10. David Allen Coe
Well, considering that he wrote the most perfect county song there ever was, how can he be left off? And he makes the “outlaws” (Waylon, Willie) of country look like boy scouts in comparison.
according to what I've played over the last couple of years my favourite country artists are:
1. Old Crow Medicine Show
2. Gillian Welch
3. Johnny Cash
4. Hank Williams
5. The Stanley Brothers
6. Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys (is that a first vote?)
7. Flatt and Scruggs
8. The Be Good Tanyas
9. The Wailin' Elroys
10. The Dixie Chicks
SO what I listen to isn't quite what I thought my favourites would be, but my top five are pretty much right.
1. Gram Parsons
2. Waylon Jennings
3. Townes van Zandt
4. Johnny Cash
5. Emmylou Harris
6. Hank Williams Sr
7. Dwight Yoakam
8. Gillian Welch
9. Lyle Lovett
10. Merle Haggard
My favorites, in no particular order:
1. Uncle Tupelo
2. Hank Williams
3. Gillian Welch
4. Loretta Lynn
5. Johnny Cash
6. Townes Van Zandt
7. Gram Parsons
8. Lefty Frizzell
9. Patsy Cline
10. The Carter Family
1. Willie Nelson
2. Hank Williams (Sr.)
3. Johnny Cash
4. Patsy Cline
5. George Jones
6. Merle Haggard
7. Bill Monroe
8. Tammy Wynette
9. Loretta Lynn
10. Faron Young
Man, I know it's collective personal preference, but Steve Earle over Kristofferson? C'mon . . .
Sal,
Your comment shows exactly why this poll will provide great material for future posts here.
Subject: Should Earle be ranked ahead of Kristofferson? Yes or No?
I'm going to try to identify great artists whose reputation needs a boost. Kristofferson is a great example. Many people probably think of him as an actor more than a singer and don't even realize what a cool backstory he has and how many wonderful songs he's written.
1. Hank Williams
2. George Jones
3. Johnny Cash
4. Willie Nelson
5. Waylon Jennings
6. Buck Owens
7. Loretta Lynn
8. Hank Williams, Jr.
9. Merle Haggard
10. George Strait
1. Hank Williams - no contest!!!
2. Bob Wills
3. Doc Watson
4. Lefty Frizzell
5. Willie Nelson
6. Lucinda Williams
7. Webb Pierce
8. Dolly Parton
9. Carter Family
10. Johnny Cash
...no wait! I forgot Patsy! She goes on there somewhere too. Near the top.
Hi Paul,
Here goes my list:
1. Johnny Cash
2. George Jones
3. Willie Nelson
4. Hank Williams
5. Dolly Parton
6. Emmylou Harris
7. Merle Haggard
8. Waylon Jennings
9. Guy Clark
10. Mel Tillis
Ugh! I'll have to think about this some more before committing myself, but my list would/will definitely include Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. And no-one's mentioned Wanda Jackson??
Others I will definitely consider will be George Jones, John Prine (again no mentions?), Townes Van Zandt, possibly John Hiatt. I'm cautious, as much as I love them, about including newer favourites such as the aforementioned OCMS, Gillian Welch and Tanyas in an all time list. And I love Sunny Sweeney and Sam Baker, but one and two albums respectively perhaps isn't enough 'proof' yet! Oh and then, of course, there's Dolly!
I shall have to get cogitating!
Aargh...having now read the original post responses below, I think I'll have to include Ray Charles as well...definitely warrants a mention!
Ok, my list...although there are lot of gaps in my country music knowledge, it would go something like this:
1. Willie Nelson
2. Johnny Cash
3. Loretta Lynn
4. Merle Haggard
5. Patsy Cline
6. Wanda Jackson
7. Townes Van Zandt
8. Dolly Parton
9. Gram Parsons
10. Ray Charles (would be much higher if not only considered on country merits!)
Also-rans would include: Gillian Welch, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Kitty Wells, Be Good Tanyas, Sam Baker, The Band and the mighty George Jones.
What? No Kinky Friedman?
Ha ha...no, but he was good fun! I was going to e-mail you about the gig when I'd got around to doing a proper review (but there are 3 gigs ahead of him in line!). His guitar player was fab and it was a very entertaining night from those Texas Jewboys!
P.s. I have that very same pic of Johnny and June on my MySpace page, under 'heroes'!! (I'm sorry, does this count as spam commenting? Lol...I keep thinking of more things I want to say!)
I like your comments. Keep 'em coming.
That is a really great picture. They look so happy!
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