Top Country and Western Songs of the 1960s Era

The Webmaster's Pick of the Best Songs

Country music or Country and Western Music as it was referred to back in the 60s was a big part of my life.  Although I didn't listen to much country and western music then, my dad did and I was kind of drawn to the Saturday night show we watched on NBC that aired from Cincinnati called Midwestern Hayride. Also sometimes our radio was playing a country station of WHOK with Cousin Roy which aired from Lancaster, Ohio. 

   Johnny Cash         Merle Haggard            Patsy Cline                  

On this station I listened to the likes of Bonnie Lou, Kenny Price, and others. I did come to love many of the songs from the era.  After I entered the Army, I had Army buddies who listened to country music and I became more familiar with the music and began to like much of it.  I mostly enjoyed the ballads. In many of the bars and dance halls in Tennessee we frequented when I was assigned to Ft. Campbell near Clarksville, Tennessee, were mostly country and western where the beer was cold and everybody was friendly.

As most of you know who have visited my site and Blog know that I am an avid collector of music from that era as well as other eras and so I do have a decent collection of country and western music from the 60s.  I find it only fair as I listed the top webmaster's pick of pop songs from the 60s era to also include my choice of the best C & W from the 60s.  Please feel free to comment or recommend some other songs I may have overlooked.  Just write to me at webmaster@the60sofficialsite.com or make a comment in my guestbook.

My Choices of the top Country and Western Songs are listed in no particular order, I just made a list as I reflected back.  Hope you enjoy the look back.  You might want to note that many of these hits also made it to the Pop charts as well as the country charts.  An asterick (*) indicates the song made it to the Billboard Pop Charts .

1. 500 Miles by Bobby Bare (1963) *
2. Detroit City by Bobby Bare (1963) *
3. She Thinks I Still Care by George Jones (1962)
4. Please Help Me I'm Falling by Hank Locklin (1960)
5. Last Date by Floyd Cramer (1960) *
6. Don't Let Me Cross Over by Carl Butler (1962)
7. El Paso by Marty Robbins (1960) *
8. The End of the World by Skeeter Davis (1963) *
9. Six Days on the Road by Dave Dudley (1963) *
10. Hello Walls by Faron Young (1961) *
11. Sea of Heartbreak by Don Gibson (1961)
12. North to Alaska by Johnny Horton (1961) *
13. Crazy by Patsy Cline (1962) *
14. I'm Sorry by Brenda Lee (1960) *
15. The Wings of a Dove by Ferlin Husky (1960) *
16. Walk on By by Leroy Van Dyke (1961) *
17. Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash (1963) *
18. Wolverton Mountain by Claude King (1962) *
19. I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline (1961) *
20. Abilene by George Hamilton IV (1963) *
21. The Race is On by George Jones (1964)
22. The Tips of My Fingers by Roy Clark (1963) *
23. Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter (1967)
24. Flowers on the Wall by The Statler Brothers (1966) *
25. King of the Road by Roger Miller (1965) *
26. Okie from Muskogee by Merle Haggard (1969)
27. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (1969)*
28. Make the World Go Away by Eddy Arnold (1965)*
29. Harper Valley P.T.A. by Jeannie C. Riley (1968)*
30. Skip a Rope by Henson Cargill (1968)*
31. Mama Tried by Merle Haggard (1968)
32. Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell (1968)*
33. Stand by Your Man by Tammy Wynette (1968)*
34. Almost Persuaded by David Houston (1966) *
35. Cryin' Time by Buck Owens (1965) (Special Note: Did not chart but I liked the song) I must admit I enjoy Ray Charles' version better)
36. There Goes My Everything by Jack Greene (1966)*
37. Next in Line by Conway Twitty (1968)
38. Galveston by Glen Campbell (1969) *
39. Silver Wings by Merle Haggard (1968)
40. She's Got You by Patsy Cline (1962) *
41. Old Rivers by Walter Brennan (1962) *
42. Big John by Jimmy Dean (1961) *
43. Still by Bill Anderson (1963) *