Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection was a multi-volume set of recordings released by the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

. Released in 1990, the collection contains 100 tracks deemed to be significantly important to the history of country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

.

Classic Country Music was issued on either four compact disc

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

s, four cassette tapes or six vinyl albums. It also contained an illustrated 84-page book by Bill C. Malone, a country music historian. Malone's extensively annotated essay details country music's history era by era, from its beginnings in the 1920s and commercialization during the 1930s through its growing popularity during the 1980s.

Significant artists whose works were included were Vernon Dalhart

Vernon Dalhart

Vernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...

, Jimmie Rodgers

Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)

James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...

, the Carter Family

Carter Family

The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...

, Sons of the Pioneers

Sons of the Pioneers

The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...

, Bob Wills

Bob Wills

James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...

, Roy Acuff

Roy Acuff

Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...

, Ernest Tubb

Ernest Tubb

Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...

, Eddy Arnold

Eddy Arnold

Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...

, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

, Kitty Wells

Kitty Wells

Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...

, Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...

, Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...

, George Jones

George Jones

George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....

, Alabama

Alabama (band)

Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...

 and The Judds

The Judds

The Judds were an American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. Signed to RCA Records in 1983, the duo released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, The Judds won five Grammy Awards for Best Country...

. While many of country music's most important artists are included, notable artists whose works were absent – as acknowledged by Malone in his preface, because the artists chose not to participate – were Ray Charles

Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

, Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard

Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...

, Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

, Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...

, George Strait

George Strait

George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

 and Randy Travis

Randy Travis

Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...

.

This new collection replaced The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music was a multi-volume set of recordings released by the Smithsonian Institution. Released in 1981, the collection contains 143 tracks deemed to be significantly important to the history of country music....

, an eight-volume, 143-track collection issued in 1981 (and whose liner notes were also written by Malone). The earlier set included many songs from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as bluegrass

Bluegrass music

Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...

 and other related genres to country music, and spanned the years 1922 to 1975.

Track listing

Note: The track listing reflects the content of the compact discs. The sequencing is identical on the albums and cassettes, but different tracks may be on different volumes.

Disc 1 – 25 tracks

1. "Soldier’s Joy" – Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers 2:55
2. "Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel" – Uncle Dave Macon
   Uncle Dave Macon
   Uncle Dave Macon , born David Harrison Macon—also known as "The Dixie Dewdrop"—was an American banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian...
   
    and his Fruit Jar Drinkers 3:06
3. "Barbara Allen" – Bradley Kincaid
   Bradley Kincaid
   William Bradley Kincaid was an American folk singer and radio entertainer.He was born in Point Level, Garrard County, Kentucky but built a music career in the northern states. His first radio appearance came in 1926 when he performed on the National Barn Dance show on WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois...
   
    3:20
4. "The Prisoner’s Song" – Vernon Dalhart
   Vernon Dalhart
   Vernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...
   
    3:03
5. "Wildwood Flower" – Carter Family
   Carter Family
   The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
   
    3:08
6. "Waiting For a Train" – Jimmie Rodgers
   Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)
   James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
   
    2:43
7. "Blue Yodel No. 8 (Muleskinner Blues)" – Jimmie Rodgers
   Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)
   James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
   
    2:59
8. "Ragged But Right" – Riley Puckett
   Riley Puckett
   George Riley Puckett was an American country music pioneer mostly known for being a member of Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers.-Biography:...
   
    2:54
9. "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" – Carter Family
   Carter Family
   The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
   
    3:07
10. "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine – Gene Autry
    Gene Autry
    Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
    
     and Jimmy Long 2:46
11. "Just Because" – Shelton Brothers
    Shelton Brothers
    The Shelton Brothers, Bob, Joe and Merle, were pioneer country musicians and renowned recording artists based out of Texas from the mid 1930s through the 1960s...
    
     2:58
12. "St. Louis Blues" – Milton Brown
    Milton Brown
    Milton Brown was an American band leader and vocalist who co-founded the genre of Western swing. His band was the first to fuse hillbilly hokum, jazz, and pop together into a unique, distinctly American hybrid, thus giving him the nickname, "Father of Western Swing"...
    
     and his Brownies 3:21
13. "My Mary" – W. Lee O’Daniel and his Light Crust Doughboys with Leon Huff 3:11
14. "Great Speckled Bird" – Roy Acuff
    Roy Acuff
    Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
    
     and His Crazy Tennesseans 2:51
15. "Under the Double Eagle" – Bill Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers 2:48
16. "I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart" – Patsy Montana
    Patsy Montana
    Ruby Rose Blevins , known professionally as Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country performer to have a million-selling single...
    
     and the Prairie Ramblers 3:08
17. "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" – Gene Autry
    Gene Autry
    Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
    
     2:48
18. "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" – Sons of the Pioneers
    Sons of the Pioneers
    The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
    
     3:11
19. "Cool Water" – Sons of the Pioneers
    Sons of the Pioneers
    The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
    
     2:41
20. "Rye Whiskey" – Tex Ritter
    Tex Ritter
    Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
    
     3:08
21. "Steel Guitar Rag
    Steel Guitar Rag
    "Steel Guitar Rag" is the seminal Western swing instrumental credited with popularizing the steel guitar as an integral instrument in a Western band....
    
    " – Bob Wills
    Bob Wills
    James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
    
     and His Texas Playboys 2:48
22. "New San Antonio Rose
    New San Antonio Rose
    "San Antonio Rose"/"New San Antonio Rose" was the signature song of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. "San Antonio Rose" was an instrumental song written by Bob Wills, who first recorded it with the Playboys in 1938. Band members added lyrics and it was retitled "New San Antonio Rose"...
    
    " – Bob Wills
    Bob Wills
    James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
    
     and His Texas Playboys 2:39
23. "Walking the Floor Over You" – Ernest Tubb
    Ernest Tubb
    Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
    
     2:35
24. "Born to Lose" – Ted Daffan
    Ted Daffan
    Theron Eugene "Ted" Daffan was an American country musician noted for composing the seminal Truck Driver's Blues and the much covered Country anthem Born to Lose.-Early years:...
    
    ’s Texans 2:42
25. "You are My Sunshine" – Jimmie Davis
    Jimmie Davis
    James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
    
     2:48

Disc 2 – 27 tracks

1. "Pistol Packin’ Mama" – Al Dexter
   Al Dexter
   Al Dexter was an American country musician and songwriter. He is best known for "Pistol Packin' Mama," a 1944 hit that was one of the most popular recordings of the World War II years and later became a hit again with a cover by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters.-Biography:Born Clarence Albert...
   
    and His Troopers 2:46
2. "There’s a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere – Elton Britt
   Elton Britt
   Elton Britt , born James Elton Baker, was a country music guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Biography:Elton Britt was born in Searcy County, Arkansas...
   
    2:39
3. "The Cattle Call" – Eddy Arnold
   Eddy Arnold
   Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
   
    3:05
4. "Wabash Cannonball" – Roy Acuff
   Roy Acuff
   Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
   
    and His Smoky Mountain Boys 2:36
5. "Kentucky" – Blue Sky Boys 2:44
6. "New Pretty Blonde (Jole Blonde)" – Moon Mullican
   Moon Mullican
   Aubrey Wilson Mullican , known as Moon Mullican, was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. However, he also sang and played jazz, rock 'n' roll and the blues...
   
    and His Showboys 2:57
7. "Philadelphia Lawyer
   Philadelphia Lawyer (song)
   Philadelphia Lawyer is a Woody Guthrie song about a divorce lawyer from Philadelphia who is shot by a jealous husband. It is a folksong version of a lawyer joke. It is also known by the title Reno Blues.-Recordings:...
   
   " – Maddox Brothers and Rose
   Rose Maddox
   Roselea Maddox , better known as Rose Maddox, was an American country singer-songwriter and fiddle player.Born in Boaz, Alabama, Maddox was the singer in the Maddox Brothers and Rose....
   
    3:00
8. "I am a Pilgrim" – Merle Travis
   Merle Travis
   Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...
   
    2:48
9. "It’s Mighty Dark to Travel" – Bill Monroe
   Bill Monroe
   William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
   
    and his Blue Grass Boys 2:52
10. "Randy Lynn Rag" – Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys
    Foggy Mountain Boys
    The Foggy Mountain Boys were an influential bluegrass band founded by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in 1948, shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s band. They recorded and performed together up until 1969.-Biography:...
    
     2:04
11. "Slipping Around" – Floyd Tillman
    Floyd Tillman
    Floyd Tillman was an American country musician who, in the 1930s and 1940s, helped create the Western swing and honky tonk genres. Tillman was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.-Early life:Tillman grew up in the cotton-mill town of Post,...
    
     2:45
12. "The Tramp on the Street" – Molly O'Day
    Molly O'Day
    Molly O'Day was an American film actress and the younger sister of Sally O'Neil.Born as Suzanne Dobson Noonan in Bayonne, New Jersey, she was the youngest of 11 children of Metropolitan Opera singer Hannah Kelly and Judge Thomas Francis Patrick Noonan. After their father's death, O'Day and her two...
    
     with the Cumberland Mountain Folks 2:48
13. "I'm Moving On" – Hank Snow
    Hank Snow
    Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
    
     and His Rainbow Ranch Boys 2:53
14. "Take an Ol' Cold Tater (and Wait)" – Little Jimmy Dickens
    Little Jimmy Dickens
    James Cecil Dickens , better known as Little Jimmy Dickens, is an American country music singer famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, 4'11" , and his rhinestone-studded outfits...
    
     2:48
15. "Tennessee Waltz" – Pee Wee King
    Pee Wee King
    Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski , known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz"....
    
     and His Golden West Cowboys (featuring Redd Stewart
    Redd Stewart
    Henry Ellis Stewart , better known as Redd Stewart, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist who co-wrote "The Tennessee Waltz" with Pee Wee King in 1948.-Biography:...
    
    ) 3:00
16. "Peace in the Valley" – Red Foley
    Red Foley
    Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
    
     3:10
17. "Lovesick Blues" – Hank Williams 2:42
18. "Your Cheating Heart" – Hank Williams 2:41
19. "I Love You a Thousand Ways" – Lefty Frizzell
    Lefty Frizzell
    Lefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
    
     2:43
20. "The Wild Side of Life
    The Wild Side of Life
    "The Wild Side of Life" is a song made famous by country music singer Hank Thompson. Originally released in 1952, the song became one of the most popular recordings in the genre's history, spending 15 weeks at No...
    
    " – Hank Thompson
    Hank Thompson (music)
    Henry William Thompson , known professionally as Hank Thompson, was an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades...
    
     and His Brazos Valley Boys 2:41
21. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
    It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
    "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" is a 1952 country song written by J. D. "Jay" Miller, and originally recorded by Kitty Wells. It was an answer song to the Hank Thompson hit "The Wild Side of Life."...
    
    " – Kitty Wells
    Kitty Wells
    Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
    
     2:30
22. "Slowly" – Webb Pierce
    Webb Pierce
    Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one...
    
     2:31
23. "Country Gentleman" – Chet Atkins
    Chet Atkins
    Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
    
     2:14
24. "I Really Don't Want to Know
    I Really Don't Want to Know
    "I Really Don't Want to Know" is a popular song with music was written by Don Robertson and lyrics by Howard Barnes. The song was published in 1953....
    
    " – Eddy Arnold
    Eddy Arnold
    Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
    
     2:33
25. "Sixteen Tons" – Tennessee Ernie Ford
    Tennessee Ernie Ford
    Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
    
     2:34
26. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" – Elvis Presley
    Elvis Presley
    Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
    
     2:03
27. "Bye Bye Love" – Everly Brothers 2:21

Disc 3 – 26 songs

1. "You Win Again" – Jerry Lee Lewis
   Jerry Lee Lewis
   Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
   
    2:53
2. "Young Love" – Sonny James
   Sonny James
   James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
   
    2:31
3. "I Walk the Line
   I Walk the Line
   "I Walk the Line" is a song written by Johnny Cash and recorded in 1956. It was performed with the help of Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, two mechanics that his brother introduced him to following his discharge from the Air Force. Cash and his wife, Vivian, were living in Memphis, Tennessee,...
   
   " – Johnny Cash
   Johnny Cash
   John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
   
    2:43
4. "Crazy Arms
   Crazy Arms
   "Crazy Arms" is an American country song recorded by Ray Price. The song, released in May 1956, went on to become a hit that year and a honky-tonk standard. It was Price's first number one hit. The song was written by Ralph Mooney and Charles Seals...
   
   " – Ray Price
   Ray Price (musician)
   Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
   
    2:33
5. "He'll Have to Go
   He'll Have to Go
   "He'll Have to Go" is an American country and pop hit recorded on October 15, 1959 by Jim Reeves. The song, released in the fall of 1959, went on to become a massive hit in both genres early in 1960.-Background:...
   
   " – Jim Reeves
   Jim Reeves
   James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...
   
    2:18
6. "Faded Love
   Faded Love
   "Faded Love" is a Western swing song written by Bob Wills, his father John Wills, and his brother, Billy Jack Wills. The tune is considered to be an exemplar of the Western swing fiddle component of American fiddle.The melody came from an old fiddle tune Bob learned from his father, John Wills....
   
   " – Patsy Cline
   Patsy Cline
   Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
   
    3:42
7. "The Battle of New Orleans
   The Battle of New Orleans
   "The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated...
   
   " – Johnny Horton
   Johnny Horton
   John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
   
    2:31
8. "El Paso
   El Paso (song)
   "El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
   
   " – Marty Robbins
   Marty Robbins
   Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
   
    4:41
9. "Big Bad John
   Big Bad John
   "Big Bad John" is a country song originally performed by Jimmy Dean and composed by Dean and Roy Acuff. Released in September 1961, by the beginning of November it went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Dean the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording.The song and its...
   
   " – Jimmy Dean
   Jimmy Dean
   Jimmy Ray Dean was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting in 1957, rising to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad...
   
    3:01
10. "When I Stop Dreaming" – Louvin Brothers
    Louvin Brothers
    The Louvin Brothers were an American country music duo composed of brothers Ira Lonnie Loudermilk and Charlie Elzer Loudermilk , better known as Ira and Charlie Louvin. They helped popularize close harmony, a genre of country music.-History:The brothers adopted the name Louvin Brothers in the...
    
     2:29
11. "Detroit City
    Detroit City
    "Detroit City" is a song made famous by country music singer Bobby Bare. Originally released in 1963, the song — sometimes known as "I Wanna Go Home" — was Bare's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart that summer, and became a country music standard.-About the song:Prior to...
    
    " – Bobby Bare
    Bobby Bare
    Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
    
     2:47
12. "We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds
    We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds
    "We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds" is a song made famous as a duet by country music singers George Jones and Melba Montgomery. Originally released in 1963, the song became a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and a country music standard....
    
    " – George Jones
    George Jones
    George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
    
     and Melba Montgomery
    Melba Montgomery
    Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones....
    
     2:38
13. "Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache)" – Buck Owens
    Buck Owens
    Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
    
     2:25
14. "Hello Walls
    Hello Walls
    "Hello Walls" is an American country music song recorded by Faron Young. It became a massive hit in 1961, reaching #1 country and #12 pop, and introduced its songwriter – Willie Nelson – to a national audience....
    
    " – Faron Young
    Faron Young
    Faron Young was an American country music singer and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s and one of its most successful and colorful stars...
    
     2:20
15. "Ode to Billie Joe
    Ode to Billie Joe
    "Ode to Billie Joe" is a 1967 song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry , a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The single, released in late July, was a number-one hit in the United States, and became a big international seller. The song is ranked #412 on Rolling Stones list of...
    
    " – Bobbie Gentry
    Bobbie Gentry
    Roberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is a former American singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material...
    
     4:12
16. "King of the Road
    King of the Road (song)
    "King of the Road" is a 1964 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller.The lyrics tell of a hobo who despite being poor revels in his freedom, describing himself humorously as the "king of the road"...
    
    " – Roger Miller
    Roger Miller
    Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
    
     2:26
17. "Green Green Grass of Home
    Green Green Grass of Home
    "Green, Green Grass of Home", written by Claude "Curly" Putman, Jr., is a country song originally made popular by Porter Wagoner in 1965 and Bobby Bare in 1965. It was sung later by Tom Jones in 1966 when it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 3 December staying there for a total of seven...
    
    " – Porter Wagoner
    Porter Wagoner
    Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
    
     2:21
18. "Funny How Time Slips Away" – Willie Nelson
    Willie Nelson
    Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
    
     2:37
19. "Gentle on My Mind" – Glen Campbell
    Glen Campbell
    Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
    
     2:56
20. "Rocky Top
    Rocky Top
    "Rocky Top" is an American country and bluegrass song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967 and first recorded by the Osborne Brothers later that same year...
    
    " – Osborne Brothers
    Osborne Brothers
    The Osborne Brothers, Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne , were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s...
    
     2:33
21. "Coal Miner’s Daughter" – Loretta Lynn
    Loretta Lynn
    Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
    
     2:58
22. "Coat of Many Colors
    Coat of Many Colors (song)
    "Coat of Many Colors" is a song by Dolly Parton, which she has described on numerous occasions as her favorite of the songs she has written. She composed the song in 1969, while traveling with Porter Wagoner on a tour bus...
    
    " – Dolly Parton
    Dolly Parton
    Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
    
     3:02
23. "Folsom Prison Blues
    Folsom Prison Blues
    "Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...
    
    " – Johnny Cash
    Johnny Cash
    John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
    
     2:42
24. "Stand By Your Man
    Stand By Your Man
    "Stand by Your Man" is a song co-written by Tammy Wynette and Billy Sherrill and originally recorded by Tammy Wynette, released as a single in September 1968 in the USA...
    
    " – Tammy Wynette
    Tammy Wynette
    Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
    
     2:39
25. "Homecoming" – Tom T. Hall
    Tom T. Hall
    Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
    
     3:17
26. "Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone?" – Charley Pride
    Charley Pride
    Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
    
     2:12

Disc 4 – 22 songs

1. "For the Good Times" – Ray Price
   Ray Price (musician)
   Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
   
    3:47
2. "Sin City" – Flying Burrito Brothers 4:10
3. "After the Fire is Gone" – Conway Twitty
   Conway Twitty
   Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
   
    and Loretta Lynn
   Loretta Lynn
   Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
   
    2:36
4. "I Never Go Around Mirrors" – Lefty Frizzell
   Lefty Frizzell
   Lefty Frizzell , born William Orville Frizzell, was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty...
   
    2:32
5. "Why Me
   Why Me (Kris Kristofferson song)
   "Why Me" is an American country and gospel song written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson.-Song history:Kristofferson had become the toast of Nashville in the early 1970s, with the massive success of compositions including "For the Good Times," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Sunday Morning Coming Down,"...
   
   " – Kris Kristofferson
   Kris Kristofferson
   Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
   
    3:27
6. "The Grand Tour
   The Grand Tour (song)
   "The Grand Tour" is a song made famous by country music singer George Jones. Originally released in 1974, the song was the title track to his album released that year.The song became Jones' sixth No...
   
   " – George Jones
   George Jones
   George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
   
    3:05
7. "Love Hurts" – Gram Parsons
   Gram Parsons
   Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
   
    and Emmylou Harris
   Emmylou Harris
   Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
   
    3:37
8. "Bob Wills is Still the King" – Waylon Jennings
   Waylon Jennings
   Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
   
    3:26
9. "Who’ll Turn Out the Lights" – Ronnie Milsap
   Ronnie Milsap
   Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
   
    3:18
10. "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" – Waylon Jennings
    Waylon Jennings
    Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
    
     and Willie Nelson
    Willie Nelson
    Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
    
     2:28
11. "’Til I Gain Control Again" – Rodney Crowell
    Rodney Crowell
    Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
    
     5:04
12. "Beneath Still Waters" – Emmylou Harris
    Emmylou Harris
    Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
    
     3:41
13. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia
    The Devil Went Down to Georgia
    "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album Million Mile Reflections....
    
    " – The Charlie Daniels Band
    Charlie Daniels
    Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
    
     3:33
14. "He Stopped Loving Her Today
    He Stopped Loving Her Today
    "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is the title of a song by American country music artist George Jones that has been named in several surveys as the greatest country song of all time. It was released in April 1980 as the lead single from the album I Am What I Am. The song was Jones's first No. 1 single...
    
    " – George Jones
    George Jones
    George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
    
     3:12
15. "Old Flame
    Old Flame (song)
    "Old Flame" is a song by the country music band Alabama. Written by Donny Lowery and Mac McAnally, the song was released in 1981, and eventually became the group's third number-one song on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart....
    
    " – Alabama
    Alabama (band)
    Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
    
     3:11
16. "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')
    40 Hour Week (For a Livin')
    "40 Hour Week " is the title of a song written by Dave Loggins, Don Schlitz and Lisa Silver, and recorded the American country music band Alabama. Originally released as a single in April 1985, the song was the title track to Alabama's sixth album....
    
    " – Alabama
    Alabama (band)
    Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
    
     3:20
17. "A Country Boy Can Survive
    A Country Boy Can Survive
    "A Country Boy Can Survive" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Hank Williams, Jr. The song was released as a single in January 1982 and reached a peak of #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts in March 1982...
    
    " – Hank Williams Jr. 4:13
18. "Don’t Get Above Your Raisin' – Ricky Skaggs
    Ricky Skaggs
    Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
    
     3:11
19. "Honky Tonk Man
    Honky Tonk Man (song)
    "Honky Tonk Man" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Johnny Horton. It was released in March 1956 as his debut single, reaching #9 on the U.S. country singles charts...
    
    " – Dwight Yoakam
    Dwight Yoakam
    Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
    
     2:46
20. "Kids of the Baby Boom" – Bellamy Brothers
    Bellamy Brothers
    The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo brothers David Milton Bellamy and Homer Howard Bellamy , from Darby, Florida, United States...
    
     3:24
21. "9 to 5
    9 to 5 (Dolly Parton song)
    "9 to 5" is a song written and originally performed by Dolly Parton for the 1980 film comedy Nine to Five, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Parton in her film debut....
    
    " – Dolly Parton
    Dolly Parton
    Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
    
     2:42
22. "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Ol' Days)" – The Judds
    The Judds
    The Judds were an American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. Signed to RCA Records in 1983, the duo released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, The Judds won five Grammy Awards for Best Country...
    
    4:12