The most quintessentially American genre of music, country! It isn’t all pickups, whiskey and men wearing big hats. It is about overcoming hardship, familial pride and heartbreak. All country is intertwined with pop, disco and more. This overview gives you the most popular ones, but is very limited of course!.
There is also a dedicated page with all Country Songs on UkuTabs, listing all country songs, go and take a look!
1. “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash
This is the first number 1 hit by Johnny Cash on the Billboard chart. It managed to keep itself on the radar for 43 weeks. Cash said the song was his pledge of devotion to new wife Vivian Liberto. Chords aren’t the easiest, but a must-learn for every ukulele playing country fan.
- Chords in this song: Bb – Bb7 – C7 – Eb – F – F7 – Ab
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “I Walk The Line” on ukulele
2. “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
This Parton hit was her second chart-topper and even crossed into mainstream music’s territory. It’s one of her most covered songs, now being sung by artists who weren’t even alive when it came out in 1973. Great song to play with four easy chords.
- Main chords in this song: Am – C – Em – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Jolene” on ukulele
3. “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks
Songwriting duo Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee handed this song off to a then-unknown Brooks, who took the tune to a number 1 chart spot and wound up making a fairly big name for himself in country. Great and easy song with three chords.
- Main chords in this song: A – B – E
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Friends in Low Places” on ukulele
4. “Where Were You” by Alan Jackson
Few Americans don’t have an answer to the question Jackson poses in this song: Where were you on September 11, 2001? Jackson reportedly felt conflicted about profiting from the tragedy but wrote the song in an attempt to process his associated emotions – and survivors and listeners thanked him for doing so.
- Main chords in this song: A – Am – C – Csus4 – F – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Where Were You” on ukulele
5. “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
Songwriters Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers’ heartfelt, emotional ode became the soundtrack to father-daughter dances at weddings across the country. Womack first performed the vocals in 2000 before taking home a Grammy for it.
- Main chords in this song: Bb – Cm – Eb – F – Gm
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “I Hope You Dance” on ukulele
6. “Witchita Lineman” by Glen Campbell
This song is inspired by a telephone engineer. Songwriter Jimmy Webb was driving through rural Oklahoma, where he saw a single man working up one of the endless telegraph poles. This resulted in an all-time standard ethereal tribute to the loneliness and dignity of the working man. Don’t let the amount of chords scare you, they are among the basic ones.
- Main chords in this song: Am – Bb – C – D – Dm – F – G – Gm
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Witchita Lineman” on ukulele
7. “Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver
This is John Denver’s best-know song and his signature song. Inspired dozens of covers, is a real hit on the mandolin and perfect for snapshots of any old winding road. One of my personal favorites.
- Main chords in this song: A – D – E – E7 – Gbm – G
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” on ukulele
8. “Walkin’ After Midnight” by Patsy Cline
Ironically, Cline wasn’t a big fan of this song written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht at first, yet it went on to become her first chart-topping hit in 1956. Cline’s held-back vocal performance is a poetic complement to the sorta-somber lyrics about a lonely woman’s search for the real deal. There are two versions on UkuTabs, a four chords “easy” version and a more true to the recording version.
- Main chords in this song: C – C7 – F7 – G7
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs (easy): “Walkin’ After Midnight” on ukulele
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Walkin’ After Midnight” on ukulele
9. “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood
Underwood’s foolproof solution to cheating quickly became an anthem for the brokenhearted (and maybe the slightly overdramatic). As she detailed her revenge, the hit hoisted her away from American Idol and into country superstardom.
- Main chords in this song: A – B – Db – D – E – Gbm
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Before He Cheats
10. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson needs to be on this list. The now-legendary country-folk musician enjoyed a lot of attention when he recorded this track after previously gaining ground as a songwriter for other artists. The acclaimed song about a hard goodbye has been covered several times, though Willie Nelson’s track remains one of his most loved.
- Main chords in this song: A – Bb – B – B7 – E – Esus4 – F – Gb – Ab
- Lyrics and ukulele tabs: “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” on ukulele
Why country music is the best
Country music is amazing, but you probably already know that if you are at the end of this list! Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just started listening, have you ever stopped to think about what it is that makes it so great? Even through all the different types played by various artists over the years, most of it shares some common traits that contribute to it having such a fun and nice feel to it. It’s more than just the sound, and it also has to do a lot with the lifestyle.
Need more input?
Whether you want to start learning the basic ukulele chords for beginners, how to read chord diagrams or ukulele tablature? UkuTabs has your back. Can’t get enough country songs? Check out the complete list over on UkuTabs. Feeling the Christmas spirt? Check out the Top 10 Christmas Songs.
Always feel free to contact me whenever you need more information or just want to say hi!
