We will start a new year-long series TOMORROW about the 50 Most Important Songs In Country Music since 1980, when I basically came into the format.

Last year I featured My 50 Favorites, which is very different than this. Those were just personal favorites I have played over the decades on the radio. These are songs that all have a place and story in country. This list will look very different than last years.

There will also be more artist repeating on this list. I will feature one song a week, and tell you why this song is important and what role it played in our history. Plus the contribution that song and or artist made with it. This list is not a popularity contest, but I will list them 50 to 1 based on their effect they had on country music.  Many of these songs are certainly NOT my favorites, but their importance cannot be denied.

These are the songs that shaped country for decades to come, and still do today. To be on this list songs had to be released from 1980 to today. Starts Tuesday January 2, 2024