Almost Persuaded – David Houston
Judged by many as the best of Houston's seven Number One hits, this Sherrill-Sutton classic composition about love's tests, temptations and triumphs walked away with the 1966 Grammy Awards for Best Country & Western Song, Best Recording, & Best Male Performance.

Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson
This Gold & Platinum favorite from Johnny Christopher, Mark James & Wayne Carson won Song of the Year at the 1982 Grammys & CMA Awards. In the years since, it's become a staple all across country radio and at country concerts.

Better Man – Clint Black
Co-written by the artist, this is the song that in 1989 broke Black into country music's big time, seemingly overnight. The chart-buster earned him the Academy of Country Music's Best Single & Best Male Vocalist of the year – then catapulted him to winner of the coveted Horizon award in his first year as a country artist.

Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean
1961's monster story-song and cross-over ballad went on to sell 2 million records, earning Best Country & Western Grammy and launching the national network television career of writer/artist Dean, winning him millions of new devoted fans.

Coal Miner's Daughter – Loretta Lynn
A true reflection of her original American country roots, this autobiographical hit launched a book and a major motion picture, ultimately becoming the trademark for one of American country's true living legends.

Crazy – Patsy Cline
When Owen Bradley convinced her to come back out of retirement in 1960 to record for Decca, Cline broke into the stratosphere with the help of this Willie Nelson-penned 1961 monster hit that remains a huge fan favorite today.

El Paso – Marty Robbins
Spending seven full weeks at Number One, this ballad established Robbins' signature western writing style, earning best Country & Western Performance at 1960's Grammy Awards, and landing Robbins in country music's elite.

Flowers On The Wall – Statler Brothers
The band had spent years as Johnny Cash's backup when Statler Brother Lou DeWitt's original lyrics & surprising key shifts created this 1965 breakthrough single that propelled The Statlers into one of country's longest-running charting acts, still going strong today.

Forever And Ever, Amen – Randy Travis
This Overstreet-Schlitz original was CMA's Song & Single of the Year as well as Best Country Song at 1987's Grammy Awards, helping to establish Travis as one of the most beloved country performers of all-time.

He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones
This powerful Braddock-Putman tear-jerker became an instant standard, earning 1980 Song & Single of the Year at both CMA & Academy of Country Music Awards  as well as Best Male Vocalist for Jones.

He'll Have To Go – Jim Reeves
A former farm club pro with the Saint Louis Cardinals who was later dubbed “Gentleman Jim” for his sensitive vocals, Reeves tied Elvis Presley for Billboard's top new Country Artist of 1953, and then broke out in 1960 with this country classic written by Audrey and Joe Allison.

I Walk The Line – Johnny Cash
Recorded by over 100 artists, this song's lyrics came in just minutes, as fast as Cash could write them. During recording, producer Sam Phillips kept begging for a faster version of the song, a tempo Cash felt was awful – yet this was the version that topped country's charts for six weeks in 1956 to become Cash's first Number One hit, establishing him as a force in country music.

Kentucky Rain – Elvis Presley
The King of Rock and Roll repeatedly proved that he could also reign in country music – as with this 1970 Gold single that lets listeners almost feel the “cold Kentucky rain” falling from the sky.  The song also helped line the pockets of Brooklyn-born songwriter Eddie Rabbitt, who went on to his own successful recording career. 

King Of The Road – Roger Miller
This trademark hit from country legend Roger Miller helped earn him six Grammy Awards in 1965, including Best Song. This country standard has been ranked as one of country's greatest in polls among country recording artists, and is still performed today at shows the world over.

Man! I Feel Like A Woman! – Shania Twain
From husband and wife songwriting team Lange and Twain, this 2000 Grammy-winner redefined women's roles in country music.  Twain turned heads early in her career by baring her navel, then shook up country music with this lively tune that encourages women to let their hair down.  The  provocative popular video features Twain turning a twist on traditional male-female roles.

North To Alaska – Johnny Horton
A Texan, Horton actually spent time working in Alaska as a professional fisherman, which no doubt later inspired his powerful vocals on this 1960 hit penned by M. Phillips. This was just one of a string of hits from Horton, who was on his way to country and pop dominance when he died in a car accident in 1960.

Proud Mary – Creedance Clearwater Revival
They rode their inspired country-rock sound to the top of the rock & pop charts to become the world's biggest selling artists of the early 1970's – so big that many of their John Fogerty-written hits like this one have since crossed over to become established American country standards.

Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler) – Alabama
This band exploded onto the country scene in 1980 and has held onto fans ever since with their string of 21 consecutive Number One hits, none more impressive than this Gold and Platinum favorite from their 1984 Album of the Year written by David Loggins. That same year they also capped consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year awards in 1982-1983-1984.

Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford
The best-selling crossover record of the early rock era, this unforgettable working-man's ballad riveted listeners with the woes of being stuck working in a company mining town. The 1955 multi-million seller written by Merle Travis became Ford's signature song, helping to land him in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette
The First Lady of Country Music scored her first of 20 Number One hits with this song, winning a Grammy for Best Female Country Performance in 1969.  Co-written by Billy Sherrill, this emotional classic became Wynette's trademark song, helping her to become the first female country act to have an album selling 1million copies – and launching her to superstar status.

Stranger In My House – Ronnie Milsap
Written by talented music virtuoso Mike Reid, the former football all-American (Penn State) and all-pro (Cincinnati Bengals) defensive tackle, this Number One hit in 1983 helped to establish Ronnie Milsap as a premier artist – and one of country music's great all-time performers.

Take It Easy – The Eagles
Their seminal folk-rock sound helped define an era that began in 1971 with their first release co-written by band member Glenn Fry and rock legend Jackson Browne. Their Greatest Hits release would later go on to become the best-selling album of all time, helping this song – among several others – to successfully cross over to crowd-pleasing country classic status.

The Dance – Garth Brooks
Immortalized in the 1990 CMA Video of the Year, “The Dance” is the signature Garth Brooks ballad showcasing his soft, relaxed singing style. A prolific hit songwriter in his own right, Brooks took this Tony Arata tune to Song of The Year honors at the 1990 Academy of Country Music Awards.

The Devil Went Down To Georgia – Charlie Daniels
It seemed radios never stopped playing this huge cross-over hit during the summer of 1979. Co-written by Daniels, his electrifying fiddle solos and the song's intrinsic story line captivated music fans and audiences of every music style. The landmark single went on down the road to Gold as the album went triple Platinum.

The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
This block-buster rocketed Rogers to worldwide fame while also igniting one of Nashville's hottest song writing careers. The song won the 1978 Grammy for Song of The Year and became Rogers' theme for years to come, even inspiring a string of popular made-for-network-television movies of the same name also starring Rogers. Songwriter Don Schlitz went on to become one of the most successful songwriters of his generation.

This Kiss – Faith Hill
Faith Hill's first Platinum hit, this Chapman-Lerner-Roboff song broke her out of the pack, establishing her as a cross-over powerhouse adored for her music, personality, and beauty by country and pop fans alike.  The striking video (Steven Goldmann) only reinforced her popularity, and earned Video of the Year at the 1998 CMA Awards.

Tom Dooley – The Kingston Trio
The haunting ballad from the legendary musical act usually credited with launching America's folk music revival. This chart-topping 1958 release sold over 3 million records to earn the very first Grammy ever awarded for Country Western, helping to rekindle America's interest in country music during the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Tumblin' Tumbleweeds – Sons of The Pioneers
The band that is known mostly for backing famous singing cowboy and actor Roy Rogers produced this country-western tune which crossed over and delighted C&W fans and non-fans alike.  Songwriter and band member Bob Nolan was born in Canada, but spent his teen years in Arizona, inspiring this classically western tune, written in 1934.

Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
Campbell's recording of another of his many Jimmy Webb-penned monster hits was a definitive moment for this celebrated country singer and television & movie entertainer.  In 1968, the song won Academy of Country Music Awards Song of The Year and made Campbell CMA Entertainer of The Year.  The song has since lent its beautiful melody and moving lyrics to over 50 recordings by country, pop and R&B artists such as Ray Charles.

Your Cheatin' Heart – Hank Williams
Following Williams' untimely death just after midnight on New Year's Day 1953 – he was only 29 – “Your Cheatin' Heart” shot to Number One on the country music charts.  Although cut down early in life by his struggles with alcohol, Williams' legend has only grown since then. His influence on country music continues to be so far-reaching that this song received a Grammy 30 years later, and today his story has grown to mythic status among his millions of country fans.