It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you grew up, there’s a few dozen country songs you just need to know to consider yourself a fan of country music. Lyrics from Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks Carrie Underwood and more are among the most popular of all time. These 38 songs are timeless.
If the radio calls out “Hank, why do you drink?” you need to know how to reply. Singing the final chorus of “Friends in Low Places” should come as naturally as reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. If you don’t know the best thing about being a woman, you need to get yourself to the school of Shania Twain.
Taste of Country went through the decades to find the A-level country music singalongs that come standard issue when you sign up to be a country music fan. Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and Florida Georgia Line are a few contemporaries, while George Strait, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton are among the legends with songs as memorable today as they were 30, 40 or 50 years ago. Reba McEntire might have been born plain white trash, but …
But what comes next? How many songs on this list of the most popular country songs can you sing start to finish?
It’s not a list of country’s all time best songs, per se, although you could do worse. If you know someone just becoming interested in Nashville’s greatest export, send them the above playlist and tell them to come back when they truly know how to hold ’em, fold ’em and walk away.
Country Music’s Most Famous Songs — How Many Do You Know?