100 Country Artists – Name ’Em! (1)

[D] George Strait | The "King of Country" who sold over 100 million records and refuses to wear anything but a cowboy hat on stage.

[A] Johnny Cash | The Man in Black walked the line between outlaw and gospel, recording in Folsom Prison and creating timeless American mythology.

[A] Alan Jackson | Remember when he wrote "Where Were You" after 9/11? This Georgia native turned small-town stories into 35 number-one hits.

[A] Hank Williams | Dead at 29, yet his 35 singles in 5 years built country music's foundation—proof that some flames burn brightest when brief.

[B] Waylon Jennings | Gave up his seat on Buddy Holly's fatal flight, then spent decades as the leather-vested rebel who helped invent outlaw country.

[D] Merle Haggard | From San Quentin inmate #A45200 to presidential pardon recipient, "Mama Tried" wasn't just a song title.

[D] George Jones | Once drove his lawnmower to a liquor store when his wife hid the car keys—the "Possum" lived country music as hard as he sang it.

[B] Willie Nelson | The IRS tried to take him down in '90, but you can't kill a legend who's smoked pot on the White House roof.

[A] Dolly Parton | "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap," says the woman who turned "9 to 5" into an empire and gave away 200 million books.

[D] Brooks & Dunn | Twenty years, 20 number-ones, and "Boot Scootin' Boogie" made line dancing mandatory at every wedding in the '90s.

[C] Randy Travis | His 1986 "Storms of Life" saved country music from synth-pop invasion, bringing back the steel guitar when Nashville needed it most.

[B] Reba McEntire | Survived a plane crash that killed eight band members in '91, then conquered Broadway, sitcoms, and sold 75 million albums.

[D] Loretta Lynn | The Coal Miner's Daughter who sang about birth control pills in 1975 when radio wouldn't even say the word "pregnant."

[B] Toby Keith | Former oil field worker who turned "Red Solo Cup" into America's unofficial party anthem and built a restaurant empire.

[C] Conway Twitty | Hold the record with 40 number-one country hits—started as a rockabilly Harold Jenkins before that name change magic.

[C] Patsy Cline | Died at 30 in a plane crash, but "Crazy" still breaks hearts 60 years later—Willie Nelson wrote it, she owned it forever.

[C] Alabama | First country band to go platinum, these Fort Payne boys proved you could bring Southern rock to the Grand Ole Opry.

[B] Kenny Rogers | The Gambler who knew when to fold 'em—except when it came to plastic surgery and rotisserie chicken franchises.

[C] Hank Williams, Jr. | Fell off a mountain in Montana, rebuilt his face, then asked if we were ready for some football every Monday night.

[B] Garth Brooks | The man who brought pyrotechnics to country concerts and outsold everyone except The Beatles—yes, even Elvis.

[C] Chris Stapleton | Wrote hits for everyone else for a decade, then showed up at the 2015 CMAs with Justin Timberlake and changed country music overnight.

[B] Travis Tritt | The mullet-sporting "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" maker who brought Southern rock swagger back to '90s country radio.

[D] Charley Pride | First Black superstar in country music who conquered prejudice with pure talent—29 number-ones don't lie.

[A] Tim McGraw | Discovered his father was baseball pitcher Tug McGraw at 11, then pitched perfect country hits while marrying Faith Hill.

[A] The Charlie Daniels Band | "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" featured the fastest fiddle solo in country history—Satan didn't stand a chance.

[B] Don Williams | The "Gentle Giant" whose whisper-soft baritone proved you don't need to yell to fill an arena.

[D] Marty Robbins | NASCAR driver, gunfighter ballad master, and the voice behind "El Paso"—the longest song to ever hit number one in country.

[A] Dwight Yoakam | Those impossibly tight jeans and Bakersfield sound rescued country from the Urban Cowboy era—plus he dated Sharon Stone.

[C] Vince Gill | With 22 Grammys and a voice like Tennessee honey, he's the nice guy who finished first in Nashville.

[A] Tammy Wynette | Five marriages, one to George Jones, and "Stand By Your Man" became feminism's most controversial country anthem.