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Have you ever thought about what ten songs represent the best of country music?  If you will be asked to pick ten songs, which ones would they be?  Below are some of the country songs that we think would qualify for the top ten; they range from classic country music to mainstream country music and anything in between.

10:  ‘I Fall To Pieces’ (1961)

This is probably one of the greatest country songs of all time.  The melody and the timbre of the voice of the singer is what set this song apart from other songs.

09:  ‘Folsom Prison Blues’(1955)

Johnny Cash wrote this song while serving overseas in the US Air Force after seeing the movie Inside the Walls of

Folsom Prison. Cover versions of this song have been recorded by Charley Pride, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard and Brooks & Dunn among others.

08:  ‘I Hope You Dance’ (2000)

The greatness of this song is signified by the award it received when this song was released: the Grammy Award for Best Country Song.

07:  ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ (1949)

Part of this song’s appeal is that Hank Williams singing style immediately evokes the feeling of loneliness that he’s singing about.

06:  ‘The Dance’ (1990)

Aside from the music, the music video, which features a number of American icons that died for a dream, plays a big role in defining this song.

05:  ‘Crazy’ (1961)

Many artists have tried to recreate this song, but none of ever came close to the original. The night Patsy Cline debuted this song she received three standing ovations and the song became an immediate crossover hit, earning hit status on three different charts in the early 1960’s.

04:  ‘Stand By Your Man’ (1968)

This is one of the old time classics.  As proof of its stature in the country genre, the song has endured over the years and is still continuously played at weddings and country bars across the country.

03:  ‘I Cross My Heart’ (1992)

This song has been a sound track of a movie and has been No. 1 on the charts.

02:  ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ (1952)

Written and recorded by Hank Williams and released after his death, this blues ballad is considered one of his greatest songs.

01:  ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ (1980)

This song really portrays how a man feels after being betrayed by his lover.  George Jones credits this song with winning him the Best Male Country Vocal Performance Grammy Award.

Obviously, not everyone is going to agree on the top ten songs…some of the songs that you like might have made the list and others might not have.  The bottom line is that we all have our own preferences.  But no matter how different we all may be, country music remains one of the greatest music genres with thousands of great songs to enjoy. Now that you’ve studied up, hop on over to our free Country Music Internet Radio channel and listen to some of these songs you’ve read about!