100 Greatest Women: 10th Anniversary Edition Ballot

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1. As your post’s image suggests, Lee Ann Womack is most deserving of a higher placement since your initial series. I’m looking forward to a celebration of her recent work which stands among the genre’s finest ever in a time when country music seems to have forgotten everything that makes it great. Hoping to see Jennifer Nettles get a boost as well. Also optimistic to see high placements once again for Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Kathy Mattea and Patty Loveless. Every time I turn on today’s country radio, I’m reminded how spoiled I was to experience their heyday. Hoping to see Dolly maintain her top spot! Thank you for revisiting this series and reminding me why I love country music.

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2. I’m not really sure where to begin with everything … I definitely think that Dolly Parton still needs to remain at No. 1 (obviously). One huge change I’d make is putting Lori McKenna on the list. While ‘The Bird and the Rifle’ is excellent, her impact on the industry in the past few years (“Humble and Kind”) is notable too. Actually, there are a ton of songwriters who have become more notable over the past decade. Brandy Clark, McKenna, Natalie Hemby…etc.

   I’d also agree with Mike that Lee Ann Womack should be higher on the list. Admittedly, I’m not as wild about her last two albums as others are, but anyone willing to still take risks and make interesting music this far into their career needs to be commended.

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3. I count 29 of those that I’ve seen perform. I’m so glad I finally got to see Loretta in late 2016. I was at the CMHOF the day the Lynn Anderson exhibit opened, so it’s good to see her recognized,too.
   In general, I’d give tremendous weight to the early pioneers – Patsy Montana, Kitty Wells, Dale Evans, Cindy Walker, Coon Creek Girls, Rose Maddox, etc. The DeZurik Sisters and the Girls of the Golden West would also make my list. Patsy Montana might be the single most underrated on the original list.

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4. You probably should add a few more names from the world of bluegrass. Women in bluegrass have made far greater progress than women in so-called mainstream country; actually, bluegrass IS mainstream country these days since there is nothing country about the music coming out of Nashville

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5. I see Paul mentioned bluegrass. Maybe some Western Swing too? The late Dawn Sears of the Timejumpers and, a favorite of mine, Stacey Lee Guse of the Canadian group, The Western Swing Authority.

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6. I would make the case for Tift Merritt being there, with the high quality of her releases and a style that combines the literary aspects of the Americana movement with the old-school country-rock of her spiritual role models Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.

   Speaking of Linda, of course, since that first survey, Parkinson’s Disease has ended her career, so you pretty much have to consider any assessment of her career final. Where she’ll rank in this new survey (she was #21 the first time) is anyone’s guess. Even in retirement, however, she still continues to influence a lot of her younger peers; both Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz, along with their good friend Aoife O’Donovan [as the ultra-traditional folk trio I’m With Her), saluted her at a Parkinson’s benefit here in L.A. in December 2016; and Caitlin Rose (daughter of T-Swift ghost writer Liz Rose) is also a huge fan.

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7. I’m sure hoping Crystal Gayle moves up from #23. The woman had 18 number one country hits and almost three dozen top tens. Her influence can be heard in numerous modern female country singers. She definitely deserves to be in the top 15 of this list, but absolutely the top 20!!!

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8. Patty Loveless may be basically retired but she’s still worthy of her place! Nobody’s done what she’s done better.

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9. We will go into a bit more detail on what to expect in the Introductory post for the new list, which goes live tomorrow, the first day of Women’s History Month.

   But as a general rule, upward movement on the list is directly related to output over the last ten years, with some minor course corrections from the 2008 list.

   Also, while there will be a modest bluegrass presence, it is Americana/American Roots music that we see as the outlet for significant female artists who would’ve been considered mainstream country in an earlier era.

   That’s a phenomenon not limited to gender, either. Many of the most significant male artists right now – Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, and the like – are straddling that line between mainstream country and Americana. The bluegrass influence was much stronger at the turn of the 21st century than it is now, with O Brother, Alison Krauss, and Nickel Creek having big mainstream success and mainstream acts like the Dixie Chicks, Brad Paisley, and Patty Loveless demonstrating bluegrass influence in their work.

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10. A nice summary of a lot of great work released in the last decade. If you’re factoring in upcoming releases such as those by Sugarland, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Loretta Lynn, new albums have also been announced for Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves.

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11. I suggest that Gillian Welch be included on the ballot. While her recording output in the last decade has been modest, her influence has been significant, especially among Americans/roots artists.

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12. Arlene,

    Gillian Welch was a significant oversight on our part which has resulted in a revision of the final list. Thank you for catching it!

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