Here is my ranking of the 110 most "important" recorded country artists. Only artists that began recording under their own name by 1975 are included. E-mail me if you have any comments on the list or if you want to know how I compiled it.
* - inducted into the CMA Hall of Fame.
To find out more about Wilf Carter go here.
* 1 jimmie rodgers * 2 hank williams * 3 bill monroe * 4 bob wills * 5 johnny cash * 5 willie nelson * 7 merle haggard * 8 carter family * 9 george jones * 10 waylon jennings * 11 ernest tubb * 12 dolly parton * 13 roy acuff * 14 loretta lynn * 15 emmylou harris * 16 tammy wynette * 17 gene autry * 17 lefty frizzell * 19 kitty wells * 20 flatt & scruggs * 21 ray price * 22 patsy cline * 23 buck owens * 24 marty robbins * 25 hank snow * 26 eddy arnold * 27 delmore brothers * 28 merle travis 29 stanley brothers * 30 red foley * 31 tex ritter * 32 jim reeves 33 jerry lee lewis * 34 conway twitty * 35 webb pierce * 36 kris kristofferson * 37 uncle dave macon 38 kenny rogers * 39 vernon dalhart * 40 hank thompson 41 hank williams, jr. 42 milton brown * 43 charley pride * 44 tom t. hall * 45 roy rogers * 45 porter wagoner 47 doc watson * 48 sons of the pioneers 49 charlie rich * 50 glen campbell * 51 faron young * 52 floyd tillman 53 moon mullican * 54 little jimmy dickens * 54 roger miller * 56 jimmie davis * 57 carl smith * 58 louvin brothers 59 bobby bare 60 billy joe shaver 61 jimmy martin * 62 pee wee king 63 cliff bruner * 63 grandpa jones * 65 don gibson 66 jim & jesse * 67 johnny bond * 67 brenda lee 69 jimmy wakely 70 al dexter * 71 tennessee ernie ford 72 tommy duncan 73 johnny horton * 74 mel tillis * 75 roy clark * 76 don williams 77 spade cooley 78 ted daffan 79 cowboy copas 80 moe bandy 81 molly o'day * 82 bill anderson 82 tex williams 84 rex allen 85 osborne brothers * 86 sonny james 86 maddox brothers & rose 88 wynn stewart 89 hank locklin * 89 patsy montana 91 johnny paycheck * 92 jimmy dean 93 reno & smiley 94 slim whitman 95 wilburn brothers * 96 ferlin husky 97 david allen coe 98 jean shepard 99 george hamilton 100 freddy fender * 101 george morgan 102 stonewall jackson 103 tommy collins 104 hawkshaw hawkins 105 joe maphis 106 stuart hamblen 107 wilf carter 108 tex owens 109 jack greene 110 dave dudley