Your top five favorite artists: Classic Country through Outlaw Country

brianlux
brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
in Other Music
Two part question, both starting with Jimmy Rogers and the Carter Family (who basically kicked off country music in 1927) and ending with the Outlaw Country movement  (yes, there is a bias here on my part- sorry, just classic country, no New Country, Country Rock, or "countrypolitan"):

1. Which classic country artists in this period do you enjoy listening to the most?  and,
2  Who are you favorite country music songwriters from this period?

I hesitate to put a number on this but maybe to avoid those page long lists of every country musician you ever like maybe keep each list to around five or so. 
I'm going with 5 each:

Favorites to listen to:
Willie Nelson
Waylon Jennings
Johnny Cash
Merl Haggard
Ernest Tubb

Favorite country song writers:
Willie Nelson
Johnny Cash
Kris Kristofferson
Ernest Tubb
Dolly Parton



"It's a sad and beautiful world"
-Roberto Benigni

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Comments

  • Pap
    Pap Serres, Greece Posts: 29,975
    Johnny Cash & Steve Earle
    Athens 2006 / Milton Keynes 2014 / London 1&2 2022 / Seattle 1&2 2024 / Dublin 2024 / Manchester 2024 / New Orleans 2025
  • ConorKavanagh
    ConorKavanagh Ireland Posts: 1,148
    Johnny Cash
    Kris Kristofferson
    Willie Nelson
    Hank Williams
    Glen Campbell
    Dublin 2006
    Dublin 2010
    Madrid 2018
    Werchter 2022
    London 1 2022
    London 2 2022
    Krakow 2022
  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,494
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?
  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,494
    Favorites to listen to are  Johnny Cash, Randy Travis, Lyle Lovitt, Loretta Lynn, Marty Robbins.

    Song Writers Kris Kristopherson, Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams Sr.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,494
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    I love Man Comes around.  That was later on in his life so I for sure didn't think he wrote that one.  Most of the others I knew he wrote too.

    My favorite song from him is his duo with Kristopherson when they do Long Black Veil.


  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    I love Man Comes around.  That was later on in his life so I for sure didn't think he wrote that one.  Most of the others I knew he wrote too.

    My favorite song from him is his duo with Kristopherson when they do Long Black Veil.



    Oh yeah!  Long Black Veil is great.

    Some of my other favorite Cash songs were written by Peter LaFarge who wrote most of the songs for Cash's great indigenous people's topical album, Bitter Tears.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,494
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    I love Man Comes around.  That was later on in his life so I for sure didn't think he wrote that one.  Most of the others I knew he wrote too.

    My favorite song from him is his duo with Kristopherson when they do Long Black Veil.



    Oh yeah!  Long Black Veil is great.

    Some of my other favorite Cash songs were written by Peter LaFarge who wrote most of the songs for Cash's great indigenous people's topical album, Bitter Tears.
    Is Peter related to Pokey?
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    I love Man Comes around.  That was later on in his life so I for sure didn't think he wrote that one.  Most of the others I knew he wrote too.

    My favorite song from him is his duo with Kristopherson when they do Long Black Veil.



    Oh yeah!  Long Black Veil is great.

    Some of my other favorite Cash songs were written by Peter LaFarge who wrote most of the songs for Cash's great indigenous people's topical album, Bitter Tears.
    Is Peter related to Pokey?

    Peter LaFarge was the son of Oliver LaFarge who wrote Laughing Boy, a novel about the struggles of the Navajo in the southwest.

    There a great deal of interesting info on Peter La Farge in this excellent book about Cash:
    A Heartbeat and a Guitar Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,494
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    I love Man Comes around.  That was later on in his life so I for sure didn't think he wrote that one.  Most of the others I knew he wrote too.

    My favorite song from him is his duo with Kristopherson when they do Long Black Veil.



    Oh yeah!  Long Black Veil is great.

    Some of my other favorite Cash songs were written by Peter LaFarge who wrote most of the songs for Cash's great indigenous people's topical album, Bitter Tears.
    Is Peter related to Pokey?

    Peter LaFarge was the son of Oliver LaFarge who wrote Laughing Boy, a novel about the struggles of the Navajo in the southwest.

    There a great deal of interesting info on Peter La Farge in this excellent book about Cash:
    A Heartbeat and a Guitar Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter

    So Pokey and Peter are not related?  Interesting that they have that name and are in music together.

    I'll look into that book Brian, thanks.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    You guys keep putting Cash.  I think he only wrote one of his greatest hits?

    Whether hits or not (this is about your favorites, not necessarily hits), here are some of the great songs written by Cash:
    "Cry, Cr, Cry"
    "Don't Take Your Guns to Town"
    "Five Feet High and Rising"
    "Folsom Prison Blues"
    "Get Rhythm"
    "Hey Porter"
    "Home of the Blues"
    "I Still Miss Someone"
    "I Walk the Line"
    "The Man Comes Around"
    "Man in Black"
    "Tennessee Flat Top Box"


    I love Man Comes around.  That was later on in his life so I for sure didn't think he wrote that one.  Most of the others I knew he wrote too.

    My favorite song from him is his duo with Kristopherson when they do Long Black Veil.



    Oh yeah!  Long Black Veil is great.

    Some of my other favorite Cash songs were written by Peter LaFarge who wrote most of the songs for Cash's great indigenous people's topical album, Bitter Tears.
    Is Peter related to Pokey?

    Peter LaFarge was the son of Oliver LaFarge who wrote Laughing Boy, a novel about the struggles of the Navajo in the southwest.

    There a great deal of interesting info on Peter La Farge in this excellent book about Cash:
    A Heartbeat and a Guitar Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter

    So Pokey and Peter are not related?  Interesting that they have that name and are in music together.

    I'll look into that book Brian, thanks.

    I can't find anything that connects Pokey and Peter LaFarge (I resist making dumb jokes about pokey peters, haha!).  I don't know anything about Pokey LaFarge but his write up on Wikipedia sounds interesting and he looks familiar- I must have seen him on film or video somewhere. 
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Pap
    Pap Serres, Greece Posts: 29,975
    I forgot to mention Victoria Williams.
    Athens 2006 / Milton Keynes 2014 / London 1&2 2022 / Seattle 1&2 2024 / Dublin 2024 / Manchester 2024 / New Orleans 2025
  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    I've been listening to Willie Nelson lately. He's my number one. I've always liked Johnny Cash. I like some Waylon Jennings songs. I'm glad you started this thread, brianlux, so I can listen to the others listed. 

    What the heck is "countrypolitan"? Do I even want to know? :lol: 
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    edited January 2022
    Favorite performers: Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt (sub Waylon for Ronstadt if she's too poppy)
    Post edited by dankind on
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    Favorite writers: Dolly, Merle, Waylon, Willie, Hank 
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • Gibson
    Gibson Chicago Posts: 2,671
    I'm really new to country, but I can't put Chris Stapleton's catalogue down lately. I'm guessing he doesn't really qualify for this thread, though.

    1998: Barrie  2000: Toronto  2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Toronto  2006: Toronto 1&2, Paris, Milan, Torino, Pistoia  2009: Calgary, Vancouver  2011: Canada  2013: London, Wrigley, Philly 1&2  2014: St. Louis, ACL 1, Detroit  2016: Lexington, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto 1&2, Fenway 1&2, Wrigley 1&2  2017: EV - Louisville  2018: London 1&2, Milan, Padova, Rome, Prague, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 1&2, Fenway 1&2  2020: Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton  2021: London 1&2  2022: Hamilton, Toronto  2023: Chicago 1&2, Noblesville  2024: Seattle 1&2, Noblesville, Wrigley 1&2

  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    Gibson said:
    I'm really new to country, but I can't put Chris Stapleton's catalogue down lately. I'm guessing he doesn't really qualify for this thread, though.

    Yeah, Dwight Yoakam is one of my favorite songwriters, but I felt even he was too recent.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
    OffSheGoes35 said:
    I've been listening to Willie Nelson lately. He's my number one. I've always liked Johnny Cash. I like some Waylon Jennings songs. I'm glad you started this thread, brianlux, so I can listen to the others listed. 

    What the heck is "countrypolitan"? Do I even want to know? :lol: 

    I love Willie Nelson!  I saw him at the Dixon Fair Grounds in 2005 and it was one of the best shows and one of the very best sounding shows I've ever seen live.  It was outdoors and the sound was phenomenal! 
    Yes, Waylon is great too!  My favorite is the most excellent LP, Honky Tonk Heroes.
    And I was just talking to a friend about how I got turned on to Ernest Tubb.  My wife and I were on the return leg of our one cross-country trip.  We were camped out in this rustic campground in Southern Indiana and the one radio station we were able to pick up was coming up the airwaves from Kentucky.  The station was playing all classic country music and the one that really got me was Ernest Tubb.  There was a train whistle to the east of the campground that echoed through the hills in the dark of night with Ernest Tubb on the radio.  What a great experience!

    OK, now if you don't want to know what countrypolitan is, DO NOT READ FURTHER?  :lol:      
    "Countrypolitan" is a country/pop cross-over music.  And actually, there are some decent artists that were involved so if there are fans here, we could lift that "restriction" (like I'm gonna hold anyone to some stupids "rules", lol).

    Very cool to hear about your country likes!

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,664
    dankind said:
    Gibson said:
    I'm really new to country, but I can't put Chris Stapleton's catalogue down lately. I'm guessing he doesn't really qualify for this thread, though.

    Yeah, Dwight Yoakam is one of my favorite songwriters, but I felt even he was too recent.

    I don't know Stapelton, will have to check it out.  Yoakam is well rooted in classic country.  I love his stuff- good to see him mentioned here!
    This is my go-to Dwight Yoakam LP:

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    His debut was so strong. 

    And I have a soft spot for Population Me. 
    I SAW PEARL JAM

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