100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time (Nos. 100-76): Staff List

The Maryland-raised brothers have played nice together during their first decade as a recording act, blending TJ’s distinctive baritone with older sibling John’s hot guitar prowess on tunes about love and life— but mostly the former. From 10 Top 40 country singles, they’ve won a Grammy Award, six Academy of Country Music Awards and five Country Music Association Awards, and TJ helped break barriers when, in 2021, he became the first major label country artist to come out as gay.— GARY GRAFF

Outspoken Texan Morris broke through in 2016 with a swirling mix of country, pop and R&B, all built on a bedrock of songwriting, as she earned top 10 Country Airplay hits with “My Church,” which garnered Morris a Grammy for best country solo performance, and “’80s Mercedes.” She’s since earned four No. 1 Country Airplay hits and a CMA Award for album of the year for Girl. She’s veered from a top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit working with EDM producer Zedd on the dance-pop smash “The Middle,” to forming the country quartet The Highwomen alongside Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires. She’s also transcended industry boundaries as a fierce advocate for women, Black and LGBTQIA+ artists in the country community. — JESSICA NICHOLSON

One of country’s key 1980s hit makers, Conley was hailed for making “thinking man’s country,” recognizing his affinity for songs that sensitively mine the psychology of relationships. But that moniker overlooked his subtle melodic sensibility, which made his recordings some of the best sing-along experiences of his era. His 1984 album, Don’t Make It Easy for Me, was the first to yield four No. 1 singles on the Country Songs chart. Conley remains underappreciated, though he’s viewed quite favorably by his successors in the genre — including Luke Bryan, who hails “ETC” in his 2024 single, “Country Song Came On.” — TOM ROLAND

Before Dolly Parton became Kenny Rogers’ duet partner, West worked with The Gambler on a series of collaborations that marked the most consistent commercial period of her career. West joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964, shortly after recording “Here Comes My Baby,” which won the first Grammy for best country & western vocal performance, female. In the late 1970s, she morphed from a simple country crooner, applying her smoky tone to pop- and R&B-inflected songs such as “Are You Happy Baby?” and “A Lesson in Leavin’” (later remade by Jo Dee Messina). She entered the Country Music Hall of Fame posthumously in 2018. — T.R.

After his father gave 19-year-old Bryan an ultimatum — move to Nashville to pursue music or get fired from his job on the family’s Georgia peanut farm — he scored a songwriting contract and co-wrote “Good Directions” for Travis Tritt. Performing at clubs, he signed to Capitol Records and built a peerless empire of country party hits, from 2007’s “All My Friends Say” to 2013’s “That’s My Kind of Night,” plus multiple Spring Break albums and, in the process, became a bonafide stadium filler. With his friendly demeanor, goofy dance moves and nasally baritone, the American Idol judge has scored more than 24 Country Airplay No. 1s, including the emotional “Drink a Beer.” — STEVE KNOPPER

The Florida-born Tillis left a speaking stutter and intense shyness behind when he sang, though many of his songs, such as “Detroit City” and “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,” became hits for other artists. He hit his stride as an artist in 1969, embraced by the Outlaw community during a run of nearly three-dozen top 10 Country Songs hits into the mid-’80s, including No. 1s such as “I Ain’t Never,” “Good Woman Blues” and “I Believe in You.” The father of performers Pam and Mel “Sonny” Jr. also appeared in films such as The Cannonball Run and Smokey & the Bandit II and owned a small cluster of radio stations, and he received a National Medal of Arts in 2012. — G.G.

A mellifluous baritone and easygoing good humor gave Ford a foothold in music and media, known as much for his radio and television work — The Ford Show on NBC from 1956-61, the network’s College of Musical Knowledge and many prime-time acting appearances — as for his hit version of Merle Travis’ “Sixteen Tons,” “Mule Train” and Ford’s own “The Shotgun Boogie.” He notched 22 top 20 country hits between 1949-1976 and received three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — one each for his radio, records and television success — and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. — G.G.

Selling more than 9 million copies of its first three albums beginning in 2000, the trio of singer Gary LeVox, his second-cousin bassist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist Joe Don Rooney made for country’s biggest act between the 2003 industry rejection of The Chicks and the 2006 rise of Taylor Swift. Beginning with “Prayin’ for Daylight,” then “Bless the Broken Road” and “What Hurts the Most” and many more, the group had a nearly 20-year run of smooth-harmonied hits. Rascal Flatts has sold more than 23 million albums and 11 million concert tickets overall and, after a multi-year hiatus, announced a 2025 tour. — S.K.

Gosdin was “The Voice” before there was The Voice, a commanding-but-versatile singer and an early force in the West Coast country scene. The Alabama native moved to California during the early ‘60s, playing with the Byrds’ Chris Hillman, before he and sibling Rex formed the Gosdin Brothers. It was after a brief retirement that Gosdin took full flight scoring 19 top 10 Country hits starting in 1977, including the heartstring-tugging weeper “Chiseled in Stone.” A 1998 stroke didn’t deter him from writing and performing until his death 11 years later. — G.G.

Arguably the most visible and successful Black country artist of the 2000s and 2010s, Rucker became a verifiable force in the genre after his ‘90s stint as frontman of diamond-certified pop rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. His country career launched with  2008’s Learn to Live, which became his first of four chart-toppers on Top Country Albums. Rucker’s Southern charm, soulful growl and accessible tunes helped him collect several No. 1 singles, including “Alright,”  “Wagon Wheel” and “Beers & Sunshine.” One of just five Black artists to win a Grammy in the country field, Rucker stands as one of vital figures of 21st century country music. – KYLE DENIS

Straight out of Miami, The Mavericks combined country, rock and Latin vibes — thanks to lead singer Raul Malo’s Cuban-American roots — for a fresh, invigorating sound that captivated Nashville and beyond in the early ‘90s. Renowned for their combustible shows, crackerjack musicianship and Malo’s crystalline soaring vocals (which justifiably invited comparisons to Roy Orbison), the band scored such hits as “What a Cryin’ Shame,” “Oh, What a Thrill” and “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” (with Flaco Jimenez), but The Mavericks’ strong suit was always its live shows, which continue today. – MELINDA NEWMAN

By the time Musgraves stood on the stage to accept the Grammy for album of the year in 2018, the native Texan was already more than 15 years into her music career. With its dazzling disco beats, wistful melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics, the stunningly beautiful Golden Hour (which also garnered Musgraves best country album) was just the tip of the iceberg for the singer-songwriter, who has paved the way for more progressive sounds and voices in the country genre. In 2013, Musgraves released the LGBTQIA+ love letter “Follow Your Arrow” — and, a year later, she won Grammys for album Same Trailer Different Park and single “Merry Go Round,” which examines the expectations put upon women. – TAYLOR MIMS

Skaggs launched his career as a skillful picker in illustrious bluegrass outfits including East Kentucky Mountain Boys (with Keith Whitley), Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys and The Country Gentlemen. In 1981, he issued his inaugural major label album Waitin’ for the Sun to Shine, conveying a bluegrass/contemporary country fusion which launched two Hot Country Songs chart-toppers, “I Don’t Care” and “Cryin’ My Heart Out Over You.” Skaggs, who was named the CMA Awards entertainer of the year in 1985,  became a key figure in country music’s neo-traditional movement, earning 11 Country Songs No. 1s in the 1980s, including “Honey (Open That Door)” and “Uncle Pen.” In 2018, Skaggs was inducted into the  Country Music Hall of Fame.—J.N.

When the Country Music Hall of Fame inaugurated the medallion ceremony in 2001, Young, dubbed the Young Sheriff because of his portrayal of a law man in 1955 western, Hidden Guns, posthumously joined Charley Pride as the first two beneficiaries. After serving in the Korean War, Young rode a cutting tone through the static on AM radio, amassing 40 top 10 country singles from 1953 through 1974, including five No. 1s. Among those chart-toppers is one of Willie Nelson’s first hits as a songwriter: “Hello Walls,” recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame. Young also founded The Music City News, which served as a leading country fan magazine for more than three decades. — T.R.

A 2024 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, this Apopka, Florida native possesses one of the most distinctive voices in country music, and an unerring song sense. His early days in Nashville saw Anderson paying his dues by putting the roof on the Grand Ole Opry House before he signed with Warner Bros. and found chart success with such hits as “Wild & Blue,” “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal” and 1983 CMA Awards single of the year “Swingin.’” He enjoyed a career resurgence in the 1990s with “Seminole Wind” and the Country Songs No. 1s “Straight Tequila Night” and “Money in the Bank.” — DEBORAH EVANS PRICE

A member of country music’s famed Class of ‘89, which also includes Clint Black, Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson, Tritt burst on the scene with the top 10 single “Country Club” and proceeded to populate radio with such memorable singles as “Drift Off to Dream,” “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares),” “Anymore,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody” and “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive.” The Marietta, Georgia native, who carved out a successful career with his blend of Southern rock and country, is also credited with reuniting the Eagles in 1993 when he invited Don Henley, Glenn Frey and company to shoot a video for “Take It Easy,” his contribution to the CMA Award-winning album of the year Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles. — D.E.P.

Beginning in 1969, when 12-year-old Patty Ramey and her brother Roger performed as the Singing Swinging Rameys, the gently Kentucky-twanged singer toiled for years before signing to MCA Records and scoring her breakthrough album: 1988’s If My Heart Had Windows, which included Hot Country Songs hit covers like “A Little Bit in Love” (Steve Earle) and the title track (George Jones). A premier song interpreter, Loveless racked up 20 top 10s overall, including such heartbreaking songs as “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye” and fun toetappers like “I Think About Elvis.” She later returned to her Appalachian roots, winning a Grammy for 2009’s Mountain Soul II. – S.K.

Widely considered the first Black country music star, Bailey was the first African-American performer to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. An immensely talent harmonica player, Bailey recorded several landmark tracks, including 1927’s “Pan American Blues,” which was one of the earliest recordings of a harmonica blues solo. Through his virtuosity, Bailey became an early pioneer in the dissipation of racial barriers in music. Although most of his career predated many major music institutions, Bailey’s impact inside and outside of the recording studio continues to be a guiding light for generations of country music artists. — K.D.

Hill broke through in the early-‘90s with two chart-topping singles, “Wild One” and her upbeat remake of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” from her 1993 triple-platinum debut Take Me as I Am. A beguiling blend of wholesomeness and sexiness, with a captivating throaty vocal, Hill experienced seismic crossover success with the timeless “This Kiss,” the Oscar-nominated “There You’ll Be” and her Billboard 200-topping Breathe album, not to mention record-breaking Soul 2 Soul tours with her husband, Tim McGraw.— K.D.

The Jimmie Rogers superfan from Crisp, Texas-turned-leader of the Texas Troubadours found success in 1941 with his lovelorn, jaunty-rhythmed breakthrough single, “Walking the Floor Over You.” His honky-tonk style and his no-frills, slightly pitchy voice — resulting from a tonsillectomy — became his trademarks, as did the kindnesses he bestowed upon up-and-comers like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Elvis Presley, whom he invited to play at his Midnite Jamboree radio show. The show, launched in 1947, still airs weekly on Nashville AM radio station WSM. – CHRISTINE WERTHMAN

A prolific country artist in the ’60s – including his 1963 Hot Country Singles hit “The Tips of My Fingers” – Clark really began to build his legacy in 1969. That year, he became co-host (alongside Buck Owens) of Hee Haw – the long-running nationally televised TV variety show with country-centric sketch comedy and musical performances, whose viewership swelled into the tens of millions, bringing country to the masses and buoying Clark’s own recording career (he scored eight Hot Country Songs top 10s between 1969 and 1976). The amiable multi-instrumental Clark, who was best known for his prowess as a lightning-fast guitarist, helmed the show until it left the air in 1993. — ERIC RENNER BROWN

In the 2020s, East Tennessee native Wallen ushered in a new wave of country popularity not seen since Garth Brooks 30 years earlier. Wallen’s songs, many of which he co-writes, mine the standard country tropes of liquor and heartbreak — but musically, he intoxicatingly weaves in elements of hip-hop, pop and alternative rock, all delivered with his twangy, instantly recognizable vocals. His dominance is so great that on Billboard’s 2023 year-end charts, his “Last Night” topped the Year-End Billboard Hot 100 while One Thing at a Time snared No. 1 on the Year-End Billboard 200, making him the first male artist to capture both honors in the same year since Usher in 2004. —M.N.

Nicknamed the Tennessee Plowboy because of his early life on a farm in Henderson, Tenn., Arnold made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in 1943. The following year he signed with RCA Victor and started serving up a string of hits that included “The Cattle Call,” “What’s He Doing in My World” and “Make the World Go Away.” Arnold’s use of lush instrumentation and pop-leaning arrangements expanded his popularity beyond the country audience and influenced songs recorded on Music Row, thus earning Arnold credit for helping establish what became known as The Nashville Sound. In 1966 when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he became the youngest person to receive the honor. — D.E.P

In 1981, Mandrell’s sparkling personality and versatile vocals helped make her the first two-time entertainer of the year winner at the CMA Awards. The singer and her sisters, Louise and Irlene, were then in the midst of a two-year run of their NBC variety series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. Mandrell had six No. 1 hits on Hot Country Songs, including the jaunty “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and the classic “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” with a guest vocal by George Jones. A talented singer, multi-instrumentalist and performer, Mandrell, who retired in 1997, was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. –P.G.

With a soothing baritone that personifies country music, Williams had a hearty 1974-to-1991 chart run of 17 No. 1 Hot Country Songs, including “Heartbeat in the Darkness,” “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” and “Tulsa Time.” The Floydada, Texas-born singer, songwriter and guitarist, who died in 2017, began his career in folkie trio Pozo-Seco Singers, then hooked up in Nashville with Jack Clement, who recognized the best singer for Williams’ songs was Williams. Dubbed The Gentle Giant for his plain-spoken style, Williams had his songs widely covered, but nobody put across a line like “I’m not saying I’m a righteous man/ But Lord I hope you understand” as well as he did. — S.K.