Our countdown of CMA Single of the Year winners concludes with #10-#1.
Top Fifty CMA Single of the Year Winners
Part One: #50-41 | Part Two: #40-#31 | Part Three: #30-#21
Part Four: #20-#11 | Part Five #10-#1
To wrap up our feature countdown of the 50 previous winners of the CMA Awards’ “Single Of The Year” category, here are the individual ballots for each of the writers who participated in the countdown. Interestingly, we had 3/4 agreement for both the #1 and #50 picks!
Kevin John Coyne
| 1 | He Stopped Loving Her Today |
| 2 | Hurt |
| 3 | Always On My Mind |
| 4 | Harper Valley PTA |
| 5 | Help Me Make it Through the Night |
| 6 | Friends in Low Places |
| 7 | Lucille |
| 8 | Wide Open Spaces |
| 9 | 18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses |
| 10 | Strawberry Wine |
| 11 | When I Call Your Name |
| 12 | I May Hate Myself in the Morning |
| 13 | I’m No Stranger to the Rain |
| 14 | The Devil Went Down to Georgia |
| 15 | A Boy Named Sue |
| 16 | Forever and Ever, Amen |
| 17 | I Hope You Dance |
| 18 | Why Not Me |
| 19 | Live Like You Were Dying |
| 20 | Behind Closed Doors |
| 21 | Chattahoochee |
| 22 | Believe |
| 23 | When You Say Nothing At All |
| 24 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
| 25 | Before He Cheats |
| 26 | Girl Crush |
| 27 | Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning |
| 28 | A Little Good News |
| 29 | Good Hearted Woman |
| 30 | If I Die Young |
| 31 | The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA |
| 32 | Check Yes or No |
| 33 | Swingin’ |
| 34 | Bop |
| 35 | I Saw God Today |
| 36 | Okie from Muskogee |
| 37 | I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow |
| 38 | There Goes My Everything |
| 39 | Heaven’s Just a Sin Away |
| 40 | I Swear |
| 41 | Need You Now |
| 42 | Automatic |
| 43 | Country Bumpkin |
| 44 | Holes in the Floor of Heaven |
| 45 | Pontoon |
| 46 | Achy Breaky Heart |
| 47 | Elivira |
| 48 | I Run to You |
| 49 | Die a Happy Man |
| 50 | Cruise |
Sam Gazdiak
| 1 | He Stopped Loving Her Today |
| 2 | Forever and Ever, Amen |
| 3 | Friends in Low Places |
| 4 | When I Call Your Name |
| 5 | Lucille |
| 6 | I’m No Stranger to the Rain |
| 7 | Hurt |
| 8 | Chattahoochee |
| 9 | Good Hearted Woman |
| 10 | Help Me Make it Through the Night |
| 11 | Harper Valley PTA |
| 12 | Okie from Muskogee |
| 13 | A Boy Named Sue |
| 14 | Girl Crush |
| 15 | When You Say Nothing At All |
| 16 | I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow |
| 17 | The Devil Went Down to Georgia |
| 18 | I May Hate Myself in the Morning |
| 19 | Before He Cheats |
| 20 | Die a Happy Man |
| 21 | Elivira |
| 22 | If I Die Young |
| 23 | I Hope You Dance |
| 24 | Always On My Mind |
| 25 | Wide Open Spaces |
| 26 | Live Like You Were Dying |
| 27 | Bop |
| 28 | I Saw God Today |
| 29 | Check Yes or No |
| 30 | Strawberry Wine |
| 31 | Why Not Me |
| 32 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
| 33 | Automatic |
| 34 | There Goes My Everything |
| 35 | I Run to You |
| 36 | Believe |
| 37 | 18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses |
| 38 | Behind Closed Doors |
| 39 | Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning |
| 40 | Country Bumpkin |
| 41 | Need You Now |
| 42 | Pontoon |
| 43 | I Swear |
| 44 | The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA |
| 45 | Heaven’s Just a Sin Away |
| 46 | Holes in the Floor of Heaven |
| 47 | Swingin’ |
| 48 | A Little Good News |
| 49 | Achy Breaky Heart |
| 50 | Cruise |
Jonathan Keefe
| 1 | Always On My Mind |
| 2 | Help Me Make it Through the Night |
| 3 | Forever and Ever, Amen |
| 4 | Strawberry Wine |
| 5 | Good Hearted Woman |
| 6 | The Devil Went Down to Georgia |
| 7 | When I Call Your Name |
| 8 | I’m No Stranger to the Rain |
| 9 | Harper Valley PTA |
| 10 | Lucille |
| 11 | I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow |
| 12 | Friends in Low Places |
| 13 | When You Say Nothing At All |
| 14 | Swingin’ |
| 15 | He Stopped Loving Her Today |
| 16 | Elivira |
| 17 | 18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses |
| 18 | Wide Open Spaces |
| 19 | If I Die Young |
| 20 | Okie from Muskogee |
| 21 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
| 22 | Why Not Me |
| 23 | Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning |
| 24 | I Hope You Dance |
| 25 | Chattahoochee |
| 26 | A Boy Named Sue |
| 27 | Heaven’s Just a Sin Away |
| 28 | Behind Closed Doors |
| 29 | A Little Good News |
| 30 | There Goes My Everything |
| 31 | Achy Breaky Heart |
| 32 | Girl Crush |
| 33 | Need You Now |
| 34 | Bop |
| 35 | Check Yes or No |
| 36 | Hurt |
| 37 | Before He Cheats |
| 38 | I May Hate Myself in the Morning |
| 39 | Holes in the Floor of Heaven |
| 40 | Country Bumpkin |
| 41 | I Saw God Today |
| 42 | Live Like You Were Dying |
| 43 | I Swear |
| 44 | The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA |
| 45 | Believe |
| 46 | Automatic |
| 47 | Pontoon |
| 48 | Cruise |
| 49 | Die a Happy Man |
| 50 | I Run to You |
Leeann Morrow Ward
| 1 | He Stopped Loving Her Today |
| 2 | When I Call Your Name |
| 3 | Forever and Ever, Amen |
| 4 | Harper Valley PTA |
| 5 | The Devil Went Down to Georgia |
| 6 | 18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses |
| 7 | Friends in Low Places |
| 8 | A Boy Named Sue |
| 9 | Lucille |
| 10 | I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow |
| 11 | Elivira |
| 12 | Help Me Make it Through the Night |
| 13 | I’m No Stranger to the Rain |
| 14 | Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning |
| 15 | Good Hearted Woman |
| 16 | I May Hate Myself in the Morning |
| 17 | Strawberry Wine |
| 18 | Always On My Mind |
| 19 | Why Not Me |
| 20 | Hurt |
| 21 | Chattahoochee |
| 22 | Before He Cheats |
| 23 | Wide Open Spaces |
| 24 | When You Say Nothing At All |
| 25 | Girl Crush |
| 26 | A Little Good News |
| 27 | Bop |
| 28 | Okie from Muskogee |
| 29 | Behind Closed Doors |
| 30 | Swingin’ |
| 31 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
| 32 | If I Die Young |
| 33 | Believe |
| 34 | Live Like You Were Dying |
| 35 | Check Yes or No |
| 36 | Pontoon |
| 37 | I Swear |
| 38 | Automatic |
| 39 | Heaven’s Just a Sin Away |
| 40 | Need You Now |
| 41 | There Goes My Everything |
| 42 | Country Bumpkin |
| 43 | Achy Breaky Heart |
| 44 | I Hope You Dance |
| 45 | The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA |
| 46 | I Saw God Today |
| 47 | Holes in the Floor of Heaven |
| 48 | I Run to You |
| 49 | Die a Happy Man |
| 50 | Cruise |
Our CMA coverage will continue this week with our Picks & Predictions for this year’s awards, so check back asap!
If I had to make a list of my favorite country songs of the last 50 years (I have no plans to actually do this), very few of these songs would be included. My guess is that the writers here feel the same way. My list would include songs that never were released as singles and those that were that failed to come anywhere close to being a number one or even a top ten hit. The most frequently played song in my i-tunes library was never a single – Hal Ketchum’s “Daddy’s Oldsmobile”, written by Hal and David Mallett. My comment here does not mean that I haven’t found it interesting to view the lists.