Top 10 Country Singers
87I grew up listening to country music. My parents listened to Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton, among others. I preferred the rock and roll my brothers listened to. Dad had three 8 track tapes he played when we went up north--Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, and John Denver. My sister and I used to beg him, "Please put in John Denver, Dad." As a result, I received a lot of John Denver albums as Christmas gifts.
My husband and I shared an appreciation for rock and roll. Then, about three years before he died, he started listening to the newer style of country music in his garage. He loved Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, and Martina McBride as well as some of the older country music he heard on his stations. Eventually, some of it grew on me, and a couple of country songs joined some old rock songs as "our songs".
Though I wasn't a country fan, I feel qualified to submit a list of the top 10 country singers because of my history as a country music listener. In a way, this is the list of country music fans, since it was influenced by my husband and my parents.
1. Carrie Underwood, though relatively new, has one of the best female singing voices I've ever heard. Emotions and nuances weave through all her songs. She's a joy to listen to and to watch. I never get tired of hearing her sing "Before He Cheats."
2. Tim McGraw has a good voice, great presence, and wonderful songs. Besides his own hits, he provides back-up vocals for a wide assortment of singers from all genres. I could listen to "Live Like You Were Dying" over and over, and his voice blends so well with that of his wife, Faith Hill, on "Like We Never Loved at All."
3. I saw Martina McBride at the Genesee County Fair. She was so friendly, bubbly, cute, and tiny. But there's nothing tiny about her voice. Her vocals are beautiful and her words meaningful. I especially love her song "In My Daughter's Eyes."
4. Willie Nelson is homely and doesn't have the greatest voice in the world. But he can play that guitar, and he has personality and a unique style that make you want to hear certain songs sung only by him. I don't want to hear any version of "Always on My Mind" but his, and I can't even begin to imagine anyone but Wille singing "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground." Nor do I want to!
5. John Denver turned out to be much more than an acceptable replacement for Conway Twitty and Merle Haggard. His tunes were in turn haunting and catchy, and the genuine feeling came through in his voice. "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "The Eagle and the Hawk," and "Annie's Song" are some of my sentimental favorites, and I smile when I hear "Grandma's Feather Bed" and "Saturday Night in Toledo, Ohio."
6. Hank Williams--Senior, not Junior--was an icon, a legend, and a role model for many country singers. No one sounds like him. No one sings like him. And no one can match the songs he sang.
7. Garth Brooks is not my choice. I probably never would have listened to him. But my husband loved his songs, and his top favorite country song was "Friends in Low Places." I can't listen to that song without smiling, remembering how my husband used to crank the radio up so the whole neighborhood could hear, then bellow the words along with Garth. For that reason alone, Garth Brooks would earn a place on my list, but he also deserves a spot by virtue of his talent and appeal.
8. I have to include Shania Twain on my list. My husband and his sons loved her because she was hot and could sing. She grew on me because she did sing beautifully and her songs have a lot of meaning. "From This Moment" became the main song at many weddings, but my personal favorite was, "You're Still the One." That became one of "our songs."
9. Here I am, running out of numbers and still wanting to mention Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, and Johnny Cash for the memories and the wonderful songs they gave me. I have to put all of them here in the same spot because I had to save the best for last.
10. My favorite country singer is one from my childhood. Roger Miller sang creative, funny, catchy and entertaining songs. At my Dad's retirement party, my sister and brothers and I put an old Roger Miller album on the stereo and stood there and sang along with it. We probably hadn't heard it in ten years, but we knew every word of every song on that whole album. Giving the world songs like that--now, that's talent.
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i think that.......................................LISTEN TO BETTER COUNTRY NOT THE ANCIENT COUNTRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think that.......................................LISTEN TO BETTER COUNTRY NOT THE ANCIENT COUNTRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think that.......................................LISTEN TO BETTER COUNTRY NOT THE ANCIENT COUNTRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Wow, Jalen really likes Carrie Underwood. You know, I am not a big country fan, and I pretty much only listen to it because my wife likes it, but I think Gretchen Wilson has a great voice. I heard her do "Crazy" and "Barracuda" by Heart and she was fantastic.
If you are into rock n roll, I created a list of the top ten front-men of all time http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-Ten-Greatest-Rock-N-Ro
Carrie Underwood really rocks!! I am her biggest fan ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It does not justify to keep country and kenny chesney apart. He sure does rock!
What about Rascal Flatts? Its a mix of country pop and rock at the same time. And their songs are really good, bless the broken road and skin(sarabeth) are my favorites
george jones, merle haggard, george strait, alan jackson, garth brooks
Chris, my Dad would be right with you there. Merle Haggard was one of the three eight tracks he owned and played when we drove up north in the 1974 Monte Carlo.
I like Gretchen Wilson because she sang songs by Heart and Alison Krauss is real good. But Shania is pretty good. Nice Hub! :-)
My favorite country band is The Eagles. Yep, I said it.
Carrie Morningwood is not country. All of "todays country" is a joke. Its all watered down pop passed off as country. They suck, their song writing is non-existence and none could make it anywhere else so they landed in "country" music. FM radio and CMT are to blame. Corporate Nashville passes up true talent for bands that look good on video so they can mass market them regardless of talent. True talent is coming out of the Texas scene. Bands such as Randy Rogers Band, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Aaron Watson, Wade Bowen, Stoney Larue and many, many more are writing songs that have meaning and have more talent musically than Nashville stars could only hope to get. Bands with more of an edge such as Cross Canadian Ragweed, Bleu Edmondson, Reckless Kelly and Back Porch Mary rock. Carrie Underwood will be pushed aside as soon as the next clone surfaces in some TV karaoke contest.
Where's Dolly Parton on your list?
You've got to include her.
=]
Alison krauss is by far the greatest country singer out there.
Musicman, you're right. Alison Krauss has a beautiful voice and loads of talent. I don't know how I missed her, I have 3 of her CDs.
Aimz, I did mention Dolly Parton as one of the artists I grew up listening to. I love Dolly Parton, and I'd rather hear her sing "I Will Always Love You" than to listen to Whitney Houston's version any day. Maybe I should do a top 20 list. . .?
Johnny Cash fan, too. And hey, thought I was the only Kenny Chesney fan on HUbs :)
t.keeley says:
14 months ago
Johnny Cash is by far more influential than any other member of this genre in its history.
Carrie Underwood is easily the most overrated musician in this genre to date. She's well marketed, but she's subpar to McBride in vocal ability hands down. I'm no country fan, but carrie Underwood has destroyed what little a soft spot it had in my heart.
Brooks and Dunn trump any modern musicians in the genre simply because what they do is amazingly unconventional and progressive. They single handedly launched the line dancing craze of the 90s, which was copied by artists like Shania and others later in the decade.
But Carrie? She'll be a has-been in two years, and if she's not it's because someone managed to sell her with some other trick.