Rolling Stone top 100 Country Artists

[Knailsic From Now On]

www.rollingstone.com/country/lists/100-greatest-country-artists-of-all-time-w486191

I love country more than I know about so I planned on sifting through this list and educating myself on the genre but even as a country novice there's some stuff that made me raise my eyebrows.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
100. John Denver
099. Carrie Underwood
098. Keith Urban
097. Brad Paisley
096. Toby Keith
095. Brooks & Dunn
094. Alison Krauss
093. Jeffery Jeff Walker
092. Chris LeDoux
091. Lucinda Williams
090. Crystal Gayle
089. Tim McGraw
088. The Judds
087. Jamey Johnson
086. Bill Anderson
085. Eric Church
084. Steve Earle
083. Townes Van Zandt
082. Lynn Anderson
081. Statler Brothers
080. Taylor Swift
079. Alabama
078. Rosanne Cash
077. Patty Loveless
076. Marty Stuart
075. Asleep At The Wheel
074. Lee Ann Womack
073. Merle Travis
072. Jessi Colter
071. Dwight Yoakam
070. Vern Gosdin
069. Connie Smith
068. Guy Clark
067. Tanya Tucker
066. Roy Acuff
065. Billy Joe Shaver
064. Marty Robbins
063. Faron Young
062. Vince Gill
061. Webb Pierce
060. Doug Sahm
059. Hank Thompson
058. Emmylou Harris
057. Johnny Horton
056. John Anderson
055. Don Gibson
054. Jim Reeves
053. Ronnie Milsap
052. Don Williams
051. Keith Whitley
050. Hank Williams Jr.
049. Kenny Rogers
048. Tennessee Ernie Ford
047. Mel Tillis
046. Gary Stewart
045. Dixie Chicks
044. Porter Wagoner
043. Bobby Bare
042. Kitty Wells
041. Charlie Rich
040. Hank Snow
039. Gram Parsons
038. John Prine
037. Jerry Reed
036. Reba McEntire
035. Stanley Brothers
034. Jerry Lee Lewis
033. Miranda Lambert
032. Randy Travis
031. Charley Pride
030. Flatt & Scruggs
029. Kris Kristofferson
028. Alan Jackson
027. Bill Monroe
026. Tom T. Hall
025. Shania Twain
024. The Louvin Brothers
023. Ernest Tubb
022. Lefty Frizzell
021. Conway Twitty
020. George Strait
019. Roger Miller
018. Eddy Arnold
017. Glen Campbell
016. Tammy Wynette
015. Ray Price
014. Bob Willis & His Texas Cowboys
013. Buck Owens
012. Patsy Cline
011. Jimmie Rodgers
010. Garth Brooks
009. George Jones
008. Dolly Parton
007. Waylon Jennings
006. Willie Nelson
005. The Carter Family
004. Loretta Lynn
003. Johnny Cash
002. Hank Williams
001. Merle Haggard

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

I'd have put Cash at Number One personally, to me no one touched him.

[Father Dougal McGuire]

Jun 16, 2017 3:18:08 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

I'd have put Cash at Number One personally, to me no one touched him.

I would have dropped Merle Haggard to third and moved Hank to number one, with no disrespect to the man in black. Also I would have found a spot for David Allan Coe, but I understand why he is not on the list.

[WoodStoner1]

Why no Dottie West?

(Yes as a Raccoons mark, I was always fascinated by Melissa voice #2. But really, my mom had an album and I liked her. Plus the story of how she insisted her driver get treatment first after the car accident that would claim her life was heart-warming and -breaking at the same time)

[WoodStoner1]

Jun 16, 2017 3:31:30 GMT -5 Father Dougal McGuire said:

Jun 16, 2017 3:18:08 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

I'd have put Cash at Number One personally, to me no one touched him.

I would have dropped Merle Haggard to third and moved Hank to number one, with no disrespect to the man in black. Also I would have found a spot for David Allan Coe, but I understand why he is not on the list.

Writer was not a JCP/WCW fan.

[Capt Lunatic]

Which one wrote about his pick up?

He was the best.

[Deleted]

I'm no expert, but I listen to enough country music to know this is one goofy list.

Look, I like Miranda Lambert. But no way in hell should she already be rated above Reba.

(Maybe my antennae is picking up something wonky, but maybe the lack of Pam Tillis has me a bit miffed.)

[Killah Ray]

Not a huge country fan but Taylor Swift at 80 is laughable...as well as the Dixie Chicks as high as they are...

[Knailsic From Now On]

I know he's not as big as name as he should be (which is partially his own fault) but I figured since he was on their top 100 artists that Gram would've been in the top 20 with a spot for The Flying Burrito Brothers in the 90's maybe. But 39? Charley Pride at 31 seems so odd. Also put me down for the where's DAC crowd. Hell even if they're polarizing Eagles deserve a spot too. Jones at 9 is a sin. Imo top 4 country artists is

4. Hag
3. Jones
2. Cash
1. Hank

[pegasuswarrior]

*sees Rolling Stone moniker*

*expects crap*

*clicks*

Well, yep.

[WoodStoner1]

Jun 16, 2017 7:23:55 GMT -5 Killah Ray said:

Not a huge country fan but Taylor Swift at 80 is laughable...as well as the Dixie Chicks as high as they are...

I guess they have to skewer the list with modern acts, and some might be important to their eras. But yeah. DC I don't remember for anything but (political incident reference snipped for your protection). Oh yeah, that's exactly why they ranked, probably.

[WoodStoner1]

Her career was brief, but where's Bobbie Gentry too?

[pegasuswarrior]

Jun 16, 2017 7:46:43 GMT -5 WoodStoner1 said:

Jun 16, 2017 7:23:55 GMT -5 Killah Ray said:

Not a huge country fan but Taylor Swift at 80 is laughable...as well as the Dixie Chicks as high as they are...

I guess they have to skewer the list with modern acts, and some might be important to their eras. But yeah. DC I don't remember for anything but (political incident reference snipped for your protection). Oh yeah, that's exactly why they ranked, probably.

New age outlaws. Female empowerment. Entertainers of the Year. I dunno, they had the clamps on country for a significant period. Also, there are a ton of female outlaw acts that followed suit. I'm not saying
they were the first to have this persona, but they sure were the ones who broke down the doors, and the climate for female artists today sure is due to a lot of what they did. Also, a significant sector of the male approach to songwriting also had to step back and take a look in the mirror because of their influence.

EDIT: Also crossover appeal, a la Emmylou Harris. A lot of fringe fans picked up because the "subordinate other" factor was shredded.

[The Captain]

I'm no country fan but the Dixie Chicks were HUGE in their prime. To suggest that they're only there because of political reasons is laughable considering how many people on that list don't exactly share their beliefs.

Taylor Swift's crossover appeal before she went full pop with 1989 is also probably why she was on this list, though going full pop is also why she probably isn't higher.

[Perd]

No West Texas Rednecks? List is bullshit.

[WoodStoner1]

Jun 16, 2017 13:23:42 GMT -5 Perd said:

No West Texas Rednecks? List is bullshit.

You may say.....iiiiiiiiiit is crap!

[WoodStoner1]

Jun 16, 2017 9:11:24 GMT -5 pegasuswarrior said:

Jun 16, 2017 7:46:43 GMT -5 WoodStoner1 said:

I guess they have to skewer the list with modern acts, and some might be important to their eras. But yeah. DC I don't remember for anything but (political incident reference snipped for your protection). Oh yeah, that's exactly why they ranked, probably.

New age outlaws.

Oh, I didn't know.

[fuzzywarble, squat cobbler]

George Strait at 20? Nevermind the fact that he's only the best-selling country artist of all-time.

And given that this is Rolling Stone, it's no surprise that Johnny Cash is in the top 3, considering their readers' view of "I hate country...except for Johnny Cash 'cause he's cool...even though I can only name one song of his!"

Sickening. And I'm not even a country fan.

[Mid-Carder]

I'm in the UK where country music is an incredibly niche genre and the Dixie Chicks were/are very famous here. It's definitely not political.

[Bub (BLM)]

John Denver doesn't belong on this list at all. He was a folk singer. He had more in common with Bob Dylan and James Taylor than he did the country genre.

Solid top 10, though.