I like Yoakam, but top 5? With all the legends that graced that genre? Twitty, Williams, Jones, Haggard, Jennings, Nelson, Strait, Cash, Arnold (had a ton of country hits), Wynette, Rogers, Cline.......
I knew my drunk azz needed to reply to this thread. Yes. He is on my top5. Cash, Nelson, Jennings, Haggard and Yoakam. His stuff came along at time when Nashville was raping artist. Strait? He would have made the cut, but he has fell victim to Nashville. Have you really listened to his stuff since "The Road Less Traveled" album? Honkytonkville and Somewhere Down In Texas? Really? Twang? All shit except maybe three true county songs combined.
Cline would make it higher if she would have written her own songs. Too bad she had to rely on Nelson and others.
Eddie Arnold, but still rank Dwight higher. Keith Whitley would have made it on my list if he would have lived long enough to had any longevity. Damn shame. He might would have been the GOAT country artist if not for the coke and booze.
You are correct that his sound was looked down upon by "country purist", but I still contend that the purist we think about are Nashville dick suckers (not taking away from their talent), but when Dwight told Nashville to fuck off, that he would be recording and doing it his way, that he was shit upon by most reviews. The man has won Grammy's, ACM awards and has been nominated for a ton of ACM's, but only been nominated 3 to 5 times for a CMA? Fuck that. He stayed pure to his roots and it cost him in the mainstream.
Okay, so maybe his "fuck the establishment" attitude has clouded my judgement.
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