


100 Greatest Men: #69. Travis Tritt
100 Greatest Men: The Complete List
A famed member of the Class of ’89, Travis Tritt suburbanized the Outlaw sound for a broad new country music audience.

100 Greatest Men: #70. Ferlin Husky
100 Greatest Men: The Complete List
Equal parts classic country singer and brilliant comedian, Ferlin Husky was one of the consummate all-around entertainers.


Single Review: Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars, “Safe & Sound”
Yeah, you’ve probably heard this track by now. But let’s just have a post where we talk about it anyway, y’know?
Because this kind of release begs some blog attention, simply for the fact of what it is: a meeting of highly buzzy but divergent artists, and the first soundtrack cut from a hotly anticipated movie (The Hunger Games, adapted from Book 1 of Suzanne Collins’s mega-popular young-adult series). On paper alone, it’s a reminder of why the award shows optimistically call the duet category “Vocal Event.”

100 Greatest Men: #71. Johnny Paycheck
100 Greatest Men: The Complete List
For casual fans of country music, Johnny Paycheck was a one-hit wonder who spent a good chunk of his life in jail. For those who know better, he was the greatest of the Outlaw singers and the definitive honky-tonk voice of his time.

Single Review: James Wesley, “Walking Contradiction”
(No, it’s actually not a new Starburst jingle)

100 Greatest Men: #72. Vern Gosdin
100 Greatest Men: The Complete List
Vern Gosdin took a long and winding road to Nashville, but once he got there, he became one of the most significant traditional voices of his generation.

100 Greatest Men: #73. Tennessee Ernie Ford
100 Greatest Men: The Complete List
Bristol, Tennessee is often referred to as the birthplace of country music. It was also the birthplace of country music legend Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Single Review: Clay Walker, “Like We Never Said Goodbye”
As the title suggests, Clay Walker’s latest single plays out like the alternate ending to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s fiery “Like We Never Loved At All.” Whereas the latter finds the woman agonizing over her ex moving on, “Like We Never Said Goodbye” tackles a smaller, more predictable range of emotions as its characters rekindle their relationship over wine. On paper, it’s the less interesting road taken.