My Picks for Top 10 Classic Country Songs

I grew up listening to "Classic Country Music." Country Music variety shows were popular on TV when I was growing up. I remember being practically glued to the TV on Saturday nights so I did not miss any of my favorite performers. My family and I never missed the Porter Wagoner Show, where Dolly Parton got her start or the Ernest Tubb show, with a young short-haired Willie Nelson and, of course, Hee Haw where all the greats stopped by to visit and sing with Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Grandpa Jones and the whole Hee Haw gang. This was classic country, pure and simple.

If you happen to pass me on the highway and my mouth is moving, my head is bobbing up and down but you can't see anyone else in the car, then you can be pretty sure that I am singing along with one of the following classic country songs.

1. Dear Uncle Sam Loretta Lynn recorded this song in 1966. I am a big Loretta fan and I love most all of her songs but this one stands out in particular because of how it recounts the cost of human life in the Vietnam War.

2. I Will Always Love You This song was released by Dolly Parton in 1974. This was a song that Dolly wrote to Porter Wagoner when she left his show to go out on her own.

3. It's Only Make Believe Conway Twitty released this song in 1958. It sold 8 million copies and made it to #2 on the charts. My mother was a big Conway fan so I grew up hearing all his songs and watching him on TV as he went through his many different hair styles.

4. I Fall To Pieces This was Patsy Cline's first #1 hit. It also went to #12 on the pop charts and #6 on the Adult Contemporary charts.

5. I was Country when Country Wasn't Cool This is one of Barbara Mandrell's best known songs. It went to #1 in 1981. Barbara's show was a another one of the TV Classic Country variety shows that I never missed. I always wanted to be one of the Mandrell sisters.

6. I Love Tom T. Hall recorded this song as a narrator list of things in life that he loved. Many of Tom T's songs carry the message of the simple things in life. They made you stop and reflect.

7. It's 4 in the Morning I loved Faron Young and was so upset when he took his own life. I loved to sing along with this song and also with his song "Wine me up."

8. Flowers on the Wall No list of classic country music is complete without the Statler Brothers. They released this song in 1966 and it went on to become their trademark song. It had catchy lyrics about a man's isolated, boring life.

9. Make the World Go Away Arnold made this song into the hit that it went on to become when he recorded it with the help of Chet Atkins and pianist, Floyd Kramer. It became an international hit on both the country and pop charts.

10. Stand By Your Man Recorded by Tammy Wynette in 1968. This was her most successful song. It went to #1 and stayed there for 3 weeks. Wynette spent a lot of time defending this song to the feminist movement of the late 60's and early 70's. It was a time when women were trying to find themselves and they felt this song put them back where they were trying to move away from. Tammy stated that it was simply a song about showing your man that you loved him.

There are so many wonderful classic country songs out there that I am sure that you could come up with many more songs to add to this list. I, myself, could go on and on but I hope that you will agree that each of these songs deserves its place on my list of top 10 classic country songs.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org