Country Music Songs that Celebrate Country Music

The discography of country music begins in 1922, even though the roots of the genre go back much further. Although the subject matter in country songs, as with any other category of music, covers the gamut from lighthearted fun (Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," which bears the distinction of being the first #1 song in Billboard country music chart history) to extremely serious (Johnny Cash's "Ballad of Ira Hayes," about the rise and fall of one of the Marines depicted in the Marine Corps War Memorial [commonly called the "Iwo Jima statue"] in Washington, DC), the stereotype, over the years, has caused many to believe that all country songs center around drinking, losing a wife, dogs, and pick-up trucks (famously lampooned by Steve Goodman's "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," most popularly performed by David Allan Coe).

However, country music performers are not above tooting their own horn, so to speak, about the music they perform. Many songs over the years have paid tribute to country music in general and country music institutions. Here are ten of the best:

Country Hall of Fame - Hank Locklin (1967). Besides having the distinction of being Hank Locklin's last top ten hit, this song was released the year the original Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Nashville. The song pays tribute to the people who had been honored at the time the song was release (which, at the time, stood at fourteen inductees), people who would later become Hall of Famers, and other legends who have not yet made their way to enshrinement. "I love that country music," Locklin began the song. "It's as soulful as can be."

Country Music is Here to Stay - Simon Crum (1958). Ferlin Husky is a very gifted, underrated impressionist and quite the comedian. He invented the alter ego of Simon Crum to show off both. The 1958 album, The Unpredictable Simon Crum, featured a number of comical numbers (including an early Mel Tillis composition, "Stand Up, Sit Down, Shut Your Mouth") and impressions (his impersonation of Red Sovine and Webb Pierce in the hilarious parody of "Little Rosa," "Little Red Webb," is particularly outstanding). The one hit from the album was this hit, a #2 smash, featuring impersonations of Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, and Rod Brasfield -- all performed by Husky as he sings, "Other kinds may come and go, including rock and roll, but good ol' country music's here to stay."

Country Music Time - Lonzo and Oscar (1961). Best known as a comedy duo, brothers John "Lonzo" and Roland "Oscar" Sullivan released this tribute to the Grand Ole Opry as a single in 1961. The lyrics mention the long list of performers on the Grand Ole Opry, including impersonations of George D. Hay (the Opry's first announcer) and Minnie Pearl. "For 35 years," they concluded, "the country music's Grand Ole Opry tells the stories of the greatest stars."

The Grandest Lady of Them All - Conway Twitty (1979). Twitty was never a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but he recognized the importance of the legendary radio program's impact on country music. Although not a hit, this song of Twitty's, written by Mel McDaniel, became very well known because of its subject matter. "She's never in the spotlight," Twitty sang of the Grand Ole Opry, "but everybody knows that she's the star."

How to Be a Country Star - Statler Brothers (1979). Many people are not aware of the fact that the Statler Brothers had a great comedic presentation. Their homage to/parody of local country radio shows, Lester "Roadhog" Moran and His Cadillac Cowboys, is one of the funniest releases in country music history (all of "Lester's" output has been since released on CD). This 1979 tune, one of the last with Lew DeWitt before he was forced into retirement by Crohn's disease (which eventually took his life), explains the best way to gain success is be yourself. After all, the song says one needs to "be tall like Sonny James is...or be short like Jimmy Dickens." The Statlers conclude they have room for females in "the Statler Brothers Review" if "you're built somewhat like Dolly."

Jimmy Caught the Dickens - Chick & His Hot Rods (1961). The legendary bluegrass duo Reno & Smiley did this as a comedy number under the pseudonym Chick & His Hot Rods. The song uses the names of numerous country singers to make frequently hilarious lines (the best being "Teddy and Doyle will burn [Wilburn] if you strike a match to them"). Little Jimmy Dickens, when asked about the song, said he was hardly offended ("don't get offended," the song begged at the end); rather, thought it was a very clever song.

Johnny's Cash and Charley's Pride - Mac Wiseman (1968). Another song that utilizes the names of various country singers as puns throughout the lyrics. Written by the great country humorist Cy Coben (best known for his work with Homer & Jethro) and performed in a country fashion instead of the traditional bluegrass manner that most people are accustomed from hearing from the legendary Mac Wiseman, the song runs through a number of acts. The funniest line is, "Oh, Homer, why Jethro your chances away? You drove Dottie west, I saw Billy Edd wheel her away."

Murder on Music Row - Larry Cordle (1999). Larry Cordle was previously best known for writing Ricky Skaggs' 1983 hit "Highway 40 Blues" before this stinging indictment against modern country music that has, in effect, shut out the more traditional sounds. "You can't hear fiddles play," he laments, "with drums and rock and roll guitars mixed right up in your face." This song was originally recorded by David Frizzell, the brother of the late Lefty Frizzell, years before traditional country superstars Alan Jackson and George Strait performed an award-winning version in 2000.

What's Wrong With the Way That We're Doing It Now - Justin Tubb (1981). Tubb had a country music pedigree: his father was legendary superstar Ernest Tubb. Upset with the pop that had permeated country music throughout much of the 70s (the very thing that prompted Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and others to start the "outlaw" movement) and into the early 80s with the Urban Cowboy movement, Tubb wrote this song that asked, "What's wrong with fiddles and steels? What's wrong with singing your heart out?" The Urban Cowboy phase would die a couple of years later, but this song still remains a classic.

Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes - George Jones (1985). "Who's gonna give their heart and soul to get to me and you?" Jones asks in this exceptional ballad written by Max D. Barnes. The setting is Jones, on his tour bus, thinking of the few who "are chosen to tear your heart out when they sing." Jones doesn't include himself in the song, but he does say that he can feel "Marty, Hank and Lefty...right here with me." One of the Possum's masterpieces.