[Old School Hound]

A lazy Sunday thread designed to make JP’s head explode. My take on the best country bands ever, I’m talking about groups that actually played their own instruments, not an act like Brooks and Dunn where 99% of the music is played by backing musicians. From 10-1, here we go.

10. The Carter Family—I’m really only ranking more modern acts, but you have to mention the first real country group that influenced things for years.

9. Restless Heart—Much underrated 90s act, lots of excellent songs in their catalog.

8. Rascal Flatts—To me, the country equivalent of Journey, a tremendous lead singer, but some of the material just so-so.

7. Charlie Daniels Band—Considered a rock act when they first started, outstanding musicianship across the board.

6.  The Highwaymen—Hard to go wrong with a supergroup of Waylon, Willie, Kristofferson and Cash.

5.  Nitty Gritty Dirt Band—Another highly underappreciated act, tremendous live, outstanding musicians.

4.  Zac Brown Band—Also fantastic live, they can play almost any genre. Their version of Devil Went Down to Georgia is the absolute best.

3.  Alabama—People from my age range know that this was the act that made country cool again for a lot of the younger set. Still probably don’t get their due. 

2.  The Dixie Chicks—Now just ‘The Chicks’, one of the best acts ever in any genre. Their material is just sublime, the McGuire sisters are unparalleled musicians, and Natalie Mains is the best female country singer of all time. Would be number one in almost any ranking if it wasn’t for….

1.  The Eagles—‘Desperado’. ‘Tequila Sunrise’. ‘New Kid in Town’. ‘Peaceful, Easy Feeling.’ ‘I Can’t Tell You Why.’ ‘Take It Easy.’ The list of iconic country songs just goes on and on and…..Oh wait, what? Some people consider them a rock band? Hmmmm.

Saw RH about a dozen years ago. Simply superb. One of the best harmonizing groups ever. Love them!!!

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Lol!

All of Hoot's and Jet's friends  were getting laid to Jimmy Stokely and J.P Pennington singing that song in '78 but not a single piece of tail for my two conservative buds. lol  Very understandable why they hate that song. LOL

More babies conceived to that song in the late seventies than any other.
Sold, I think, in excess of 5 million copies. Maybe more.


A very unusual song, "Kiss You All Over" combines elements of rock and disco, which was the stylistic sweet spot of 1978. It was the first song Mike Chapman wrote on a keyboard instead of guitar; the instrument could replicate strings, which gave him a new sonic arsenal.

In an interview with Billboard, Chapman said: "It's a very unusual song and is very much about what music in the US is all about in 1978. It's MOR (Middle Of the Road) soft rock, slightly disco though not pure disco, and has a sensuous lyric line that Americans love. Americans are big lyric listeners and listen to every word."

Those lyrics Chapman speaks of lay out some extended foreplay, as our hero promises to cover his lady with kisses "Till the night closes in." You can imagine what happens next.

Whatever "Kiss You All Over," it was not country music, and Exile was not a Country band.

Not country in their original incarnation with Jimmy Stokely but they certainly transitioned to country later in the 80's and 90's.

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I have always been a big Alabama fan.  They were in concert at EKU when I was a student there.  I chose to study for a test instead of going to the concert. 

You made the right choice.  lol

Do you remember what test you were studying for?

Exile was not a country band when they sang "Kiss You All Over" and "Kiss You All Over" was about as far from country music as a Bee Gees tune from the 70s was.

1978 Bee Gees country music :