The biggest honor an artist could have is to be considered in the rare air with legends. Getting a cosign from one of the all time greats lets an artist know that they're doing it right. That validation can go a long way for them to keep going. If nothing else, it potentially pushes new fans in the right direction of what they should be listening to. Who would know the best music in a given genre than its legends. That's why George Jones is the perfect candidate. With an illustrious catalog like his, he would be one of the people that know best.
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In an interview in 2006, Jones sat down for an interview, opening up about his career and the state of country at the time. Towards the end of the discussion, the interviewer began to ask him for the three best country songs ever, outside of his own. Naturally, George struggled a little bit because there's decades worth of great country. However, to avoid agonizing too much about it, he followed his instincts and pulled out 3 all time songs.
George Jones Reveals His Pantheon of Country Records
"I can sit here all day and name you songs... but the ones I can name right now... Hank Williams 'You Win Again.' Of course, anything he put out was a hit with me. I mean, everything on his albums. He not only had a hit on a single, everything on his albums hit. Nobody's ever done that or ever will. But of course, the business wasn't that large like it is now," George explains.
"'Today I Started Loving You Again,' that's one of my favorites from Merle Haggard. And Vince Gill's "When I Call Your Name," you can name songs like that all day. There are a bunch of them," Jones adds.
Clearly, George Jones knows his way around some good country records. He gave a strong starter pack for anyone really wanting to dig in the genre's expansive history.
