All-time favorite country artists

Paul at Setting the Woods on Fire—a terrific music blog featuring country, rock, bluegrass, folk, western swing, and classic jazz—is inviting people to submit a ranked list of their top 10 country music artists/bands of all time. Impossible to resist, as Norm, via whom I came to Paul's invitation, puts it. Here is Paul’s own list, and here is Norm’s.

Who’s eligible? Any country artist or band, explains Paul. If in doubt, he adds, you can check AMG to see if the artist or band in question fits into any of these style categories.

So here goes my list:

1. Johnny Cash
2. George Jones
3. Willie Nelson
4. Hank Williams
5. Dolly Parton
6. Emmylou Harris
7. Merle Haggard
8. Waylon Jennings
9. Guy Clark
10. Mel Tillis

Some more contenders for my list: Kenny Rogers, Conway Twitty, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmie Rodgers, Patsy Cline, The Carter Family, Ronnie Milsap, Tammy Wynette, Brad Paisley, and Marty Stuart.