Howdy, partners! Like life, country music is a wondrous, varied thing. There’s classic country, modern Nashville, outlaw country, cowpunk, alt.country and so much more. Hence, getting it down to just 25 amazing tunes that define the genre is a difficult task indeed. But somehow we’ve managed it. Here are the very best country songs of all time – now pull on your cowboy boots and get honky tonking to them.

Dolly Parton

Jolene (1973)

Well, it’d be rude not to include ‘Jolene’, wouldn’t it? One of the all-time greats, The White Stripes, Dolly’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus and Laura Marling are amongst the many artists who’ve covered the classic track.