Inspired by Rosanne Cash’s The List Steve Duchrow, the Arts Center’s Director of Performing Arts, decided to make his own list of essential songs of Americana. He revealed his list in its entirety at the October 8 performance by Rosanne Cash but we thought we’d give our blog readers some closure as well. Below is Steve’s ENTIRE list. Enjoy!
This music should be part of any discussion of Great American Dons. It is not prioritized. That would be another type of list.
Today I Started Lovin’ You Again-Merle Haggard
I Walk the Line-Johnny Cash
I Miss My Mary-Hal Ketchum
I Dream a Highway-Gillian Welch
Joe Roberts-Bruce Springsteen
State Trooper- Bruce Springsteen
Amerika 6.0- Steve Earle
Jerusalem-Steve Earle
Copperhead Road- Steve Earle
Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blue- Dwight Yoakam/Danny O’Keefe
Help Me Make It Through the Night-Kris Kristofferson
Crazy-Patsy Cline/Willie Nelson
Lord I Have Made You a Place In My Heart-Greg Brown
Time the Revelator-Gillian Welch
My Morphine-Gillian Welch
Dancing with the Women at the Bar-Ryan Adams
Wichita Lineman-Glen Campbell/Jimmy Webb
Close Up the Honky Tonks-Buck Owens
Wash My Eyes-Greg Brown
Your Town Now-Greg Brown
These Impermanent Things-Peter Himmelman
Ithaca-Red Bird/Kristen Delmourst
Drunk Lullaby-Jeffrey Foucault
Mesa Arizona-Jeffrey Foucault
Sing Me Back Home-Merle Haggad
Big River-Johnny Cash
Silver Wings-Merle Haggard
South of Cincinnati-Dwight Yoakam
My Old Friend Blues-Steve Earle
She looking for Me Somewhere-The Bodeans
I’ll Fly Away-Albert Brumley
You Are My Sunshine-Jimmy Davis
Smoke That Cigarette-Merle Travis
Smoke Along the Tracks-Doc Watson
Small Town Saturday Night-Hal Ketchum
Streets of Bakersfield-Dwight Yoakam
She Thinks I Still Care-George Jones
Together Again-Buck Owens
Time the Revelator-Gillian Welch
I Ain’t Got No Home
Hard Times-Stephen Foster
This Land is Your Land-Jimmy LaFace/Woody Guthrie
Sam Stone-John Prine
Angel from Montgomery-John Prine
Only Living Boy in New York-Paul Simon
America-Paul Simon
Pancho and Lefty-Townes Van Zandt
Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty
Hold On-Tom Waites
Bells of Rhymney-The Byrds/Pete Seeger
Will the World Survive-Los Lobos/David Hidalgo
Spoonful-Howlin Wolf
(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man-Willie Dixon
The Boxer-Paul Simon
Tennessee Plates-John Hiatt
She’s No Lady-Lyle Lovett
Elvis Presley’s Blues-Gillian Welch
Engine Engine #9-Roger Miller
Farmer’s Daughter-Merle Haggard
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner-Warren Zevon
Folsom Prison Blues-Johnny Cash
Girl of the North Country-Bob Dylan/Traditional
The Weight-The Band
Good Things-The Bodeans
Guitartown-Steve Earle
Sweet Old World-Lucinda Williams
Heartaches by the Number-Dwight Yoakam/Halan Howard
If You Need Someone-Jesse Winchester
I’m So Lonesome I could Cry-Hank Williams
I Miss My Mary-Hal Ketchum
I Still Miss Someone-Johnny Cash
If I Were a Carpenter-Tim Hardin
Beauty Way-Eliza Gilkyson
Hard Times in Babylon-Eliza Gilkyson
Honey Don’t-Carl Perkins
Come to Me-Otis Redding
Is There Anybody Going to San Antone?-Charlie Pride
Boots of Spanish Leather-Bill Camplin/Bob Dylan
He’ll Have to Go-Jim Reeves
Only the Lonely-Roy Orbison
Dream River-The Mavericks
Tommy-Kelly Jo Phelps
See that My Grave is Kept Clean-Kelly Jo Phelps/Blind Lemon Jefferson
Coat of Mail-Harry Manx*
Waling Wail-Stephen Fearing
Horses-Dala*
Hallelujah-Leonard Cohen*
Pocahontas-Neil Young*
Pacing the Cage-Bruce Cockburn*
I’m Wondering Where the Lions Are Bruce Cockburn*
Memphis in the Meantime-John Hiatt
Mr. Jones-Counting Crowes
Oh Boy!-Buddy Holly
Lodi-John Fogerty
Senor-Billy Campbell/Bob Dylan
The Thrill is Gone-BB King
Rose Colored Glasses-John Conlee
She Left Me for Jesus-Hayes Carll
Ships-Redbird/Greg Brown
God’s Promise-Burns Sisters/Woody Guthrie
Deportee-Woody Guthrie
Sunday Morning Coming Down-Kris Kristopherson
To Be Young-David Rawlings & Ryan Adams
For a Dancer- Jackson Browne
Fallen Angel-Marc Cohn
Walkin’ In Memphis-Marc Cohn
Barricades in Heaven-Jackson Browne
Your Silence I will Always Admire-Michael McDermott
Zodiac-Richie Havens
By the Time I Get To Pheonix-Glen Campbell/Jimmy Webb
Eve of Destruction-Barry McGuire/P.F. Sloan
Your Mind is on Vacation-Mose Allison
Waist Deep in the Big Muddy-Pete Seeger
Fall on Me-REM
Ten Little Indians-John Hiatt
Empty-Ray Lamontagne
Trouble-Ray Lamontagne
Wagon Wheel-Old Crowe Medicine Show/Bob Dylan
He Stopped Loving Her Today-George Jones/Bobby Braddock
White Freightliner Blues-Townes Van Zandt
Black Cadillac-Rosanne Cash
Sea of Heartbreak-Rosanne Cash/Hal David & Paul Hampton
Swallowed by the Cracks-David Baerwald
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down-The Band
The Wabash Cannonball-Ray Acuff
I Fall to Pieces-Patsy Cline
Wildwood Flower-The Carter Family
He’ll Have to Go-Jim Reeves
Cattle Call-Eddy Arnold
For the Good Times-Ray Price
Lovesick Blues-Hank Williams
King of the Road-Roger Miller
Flowers on the Wall-The Statler Brothers
Seven Year Ache-Rosanne Cash
Six Days on the Road-Dave Dudley
Together Again-Buck Ownes
The Year That Clayton Delaney Died-Tom T Hall
From a Jack to a King-Ned Miller
500 Miles-Rosanne Cash/Bobby Bare & Hedy West
Blue Yodel #1 (T for Texas)-Jimmie Rodgers
The Train that Carried Jimmie Rodgers Home-Greg Brown
Walking the Floor Over You-Ernest Tubb
Blue Suede Shows-Carl Perkins
Waltz Across Texas-Ernest Tubb
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain-Willie Nelson
Gentle on My Mind-John Hartford
Galveston-Glen Campbell/Jimmy Webb
Lord I Hope This Day is Good-Don Williams
Always Late for Your Kisses-Lefty Frizzell
Amazing Grace-Traditional
Both Sides Now-Dave Van Ronk/Joni Mitchell
Freight Train-Elizabeth Cotton
The Water is Wide-John Gorka/Traditional
It’s All Over Now Baby Blue-Boby Dylan
Hobo’s Lullabye-Woody Guthrie
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright-Bob Dylan
If I Had a Boat-Lyle Lovett
Blue Moon of Kentucky-Bill Monroe
Wayfaring Stranger-Traditional
Kilkelly Ireland-Peter Jones
For What It Is Worth-Buffalo Springfield
*Denotes Canadian Artists
