The Best Country Songs of the 50s

What are the best country songs from the 50s?

In the late 1940s, Nashville began to slowly integrate the popular big band jazz and swing sounds of top 40 radio with the honky tonk storytelling of country pioneers. Between 1947 and 1949, country crooner Eddy Arnold placed a total of 8 songs in the top 10. Thus began what is now referred to as "country music."

Beginning in the mid 50's, and reaching its peak during the early 1960s, the "Nashville Sound" turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered on Nashville, Tennessee. Under the direction of producers such as Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, and later Billy Sherrill, the "Nashville sound" brought country music to a diverse audience and helped revive country as it emerged from a commercially fallow period. This sound was notable for borrowing from 1950s pop styling: a prominent and "smooth" vocal, backed by a string section and vocal chorus.

Instrumental soloing declined in favor of trademark "licks". Leading artists in this genre included Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and later Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich. The "slip note" piano style of session musician Floyd Cramer was an important component of this style. Peter Dempsey was also active during this period.

1956 could be called the year of rockabilly in country music. The number 2, 3, and 4 songs on Billboard's charts for that year erre: Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel", Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line", and Carl Perkins's "Blue Suede Shoes".

What is now most commonly referred to as rockabilly was most popular with country music fans in the 1950s, and was recorded and performed by country musicians. A few years later, many rockabilly musicians either returned to a more mainstrean style or created their own unique style.

By the end of the decade, partially as a reaction to backlash, traditional artists such as Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Horton began to shift the industry away from the Rock n' Roll influences of the mid-50's.

Located below you will find a list of some of the best country songs of the 1950s. For your convenience, we have included links to the sheet music on Sheetmusicplus.com as well as the CD on Amazon.com whenever available. If you are looking to purchase the mp3 or would like to listen to a sample, then click on either the Amazon, Rhapsody, or iTunes links.

Rhapsody provides both music subscriptions as well as individual mp3s for sale in WMA format and iTunes only provides MPEG-4 audio files for sale. However, Amazon does offer mp3s that are compatible with both Windows Media Player and iTunes. For more information about where to purchase music online, we provide it on our Music Downloads page or our Music Subscriptions page.

These singles are considered among the best country songs to hit the charts in the 1950s.

1. "Always Late With Your Kisses" performed by Lefty Frizzell
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "The Battle of New Orleans" performed by Johnny Horton
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3. "The Cattle Call" performed by Eddy Arnold
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "Cold, Cold Heart" performed by Hank Williams
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
5. "Crazy Arms" performed by Ray Price
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
6. "El Paso" performed by Marty Robbins
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
7. "Four Walls" performed by Jim Reeves
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
8. "Hey Good Lookin'" performed by Hank Williams or Jimmy Buffett
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9. "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" performed by Hank Williams
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10. "I Walk the Line" performed by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two
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11. "I'm Moving On" performed by Hank Snow
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12. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" performed by Kitty Wells
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13. "It's Only Make Believe" performed by Conway Twitty
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14. "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" performed by Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
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15. "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" performed by Jimmie Rogers
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16. "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" performed by Hank Williams
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17. "Oh, Lonesome Me" performed by Don Gibson
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18. "Slowly" performed by Webb Pierce
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19. "Sixteen Tons" performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford
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20. "Tennessee Waltz" performed by Patti Page
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21. "White Lightning" performed by George Jones
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22. "The Wild Side of Life" performed by Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys
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23. "Young Love" performed by Sonny James
     Find it on:        Sheetmusicplus
24. "Your Cheating Heart" performed by Hank Williams
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus

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