Americana - A Raving Playlist

The other day we had a somewhat harsh rebuke of Popular Country music on Raving Reviews. This doesn't mean we don't like home-grown sounds from the South, West and Appalachia; quite the contrary. We also like folk music and other forms which seem somehow uniquely American. What else so defines a culture but it's music? America is not just series of towns dotting the horizon - it's an idea and it has a rich history and a lot of diversity spread across its many regions. All that diversity is captured in lyrics and sound - the true poetry of America lies within its music. From John Mellencamp to George Gershwin to Joan Baez, our sons and daughters have captured the American experience in all its glory and all its tragedy. That is what American is all about. BTW - our favorite song on this list from from John Cougar - it's called Minutes to Memories.

As usual you can find this list on Spotify and today we'll also be embedding the list in this post as well.

The Allman Brothers Band - early 1970's

Americana:

The Allman Brothers Band – Little Martha - Album Version/Instrumental
George Tipton – Everybody's Talkin' (From "Midnight Cowboy")
Ray Charles – What'd I Say
John Mellencamp – Minutes To Memories
Johnny Cash – Rusty Cage
Janis Joplin – Me And Bobby McGee
Linda Ronstadt – Blue Bayou
Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound
Elvis Presley – (You're The) Devil In Disguise
Don Henley – The Last Worthless Evening
The Soggy Bottom Boys – I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow
Pete Seeger – If I Had a Hammer (Hammer Song)
The Allman Brothers Band – Jessica
Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
The Doobie Brothers – Listen To The Music - Single Version
America – A Horse with No Name
Dueling Banjos – Duelling Banjos
George Thorogood And The Destroyers – Who Do You Love? (Live)
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads
Alison Krauss – Down To The River To Pray - Soundtrack Version (O Brother Where Art Thou?)
The Osborne Brothers – Rocky Top
Joan Baez – Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word
Charley Daniels – The Devil Went Down To Georgia
George Thorogood And The Destroyers – Johnny B. Goode (Live) (Feat. Johnny Johnson)
The Soggy Bottom Boys – In The Jailhouse Now - Soundtrack Version (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River
Simon & Garfunkel – America
Don Henley – The Heart Of The Matter
Pete Seeger – Ghost Of Tom Joad
Bonnie Raitt – Something To Talk About
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
Buddy Holly – Not Fade Away
Pete Seeger – Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
Elvis Presley – Suspicious Minds
The Marshall Tucker Band – Can't You See
Rascal Flatts – Life is a Highway
Bob Dylan – Blowin' In The Wind - 2010 mono version
Harry McClintock – Big Rock Candy Mountain
Johnny Cash – Ring Of Fire
Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble – Mary Had A Little Lamb
The Guess Who – No Sugar Tonight
The Charlie Daniels Band – Long Haired Country Boy
Weezer – Buddy Holly
Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road
Paul Simon – Graceland
The Allman Brothers Band – Statesboro Blues
Soundgarden – Rusty Cage
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Born On The Bayou
Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin'
Emmylou Harris – Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Soundtrack Version (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
Elvis Presley – Can't Help Falling In Love
John Mellencamp – Our Country - Rock Version
The Doobie Brothers – Black Water
Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack
Janis Joplin – Cry Baby
B. B King – The Thrill is Gone
The Allman Brothers Band – Midnight Rider
Neil Young – Heart Of Gold
Ray Charles – Sinner's Prayer
Jack Johnson – Constellations
John Mellencamp – Pink Houses
B.B. King – Baby I Love You
Rosanne Cash – Sea Of Heartbreak - Feat. Bruce Springsteen
U2 – When Love Comes To Town
Hank Williams – Ramblin' Man
Social Distortion – Ring Of Fire
Woody Guthrie – Hobo's Lullaby
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Johnny Cash – Jackson
Gillian Welch – I'll Fly Away - Soundtrack Version (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
Johnny Cash – Cry! Cry! Cry!
Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs And The Stanley Brothers – Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Bluegrass Christmas Music Country Christmas Picksations – Carol of the Bells
Paul Simon – Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
Pete Seeger – Little Boxes
The James Gang – Walk Away
The Doobie Brothers – Long Train Runnin' - Album Version   2006 Remastered
Bob Dylan – Mr. Tambourine Man
Joan Baez – Blowin' In The Wind - Live
Linda Ronstadt – You're No Good
The Band – Hobo Jungle
The Raconteurs – Old Enough - featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
Pete Seeger – What a Friend We Have in Congress
George Thorogood And The Destroyers – No Particular Place To Go
John Denver – Rocky Mountain High
Neil Diamond – Cherry Cherry - 2011 Remastered Mono
Simon & Garfunkel – El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
Neil Young – Down By The River
John Mellencamp – Small Town
Alison Krauss – Baby, Now That I've Found You
Rosanne Cash – Heartaches By The Number - Feat. Elvis Costello
Rascal Flatts – Banjo
The Marshall Tucker Band – Fire On The Mountain
Bob Dylan – It Ain't Me, Babe - Live Album Version
Bruce Springsteen – The River
The Allman Brothers Band – In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed - 1971/Live At The Fillmore East
Norah Jones – Creepin' In (feat. Dolly Parton)
Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart
Clarence "Tom" Ashley – The Coo Coo Bird
The Guess Who – American Woman
Charley Patton – Mississippi Boweavil Blues
Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble – Scuttle Buttin'
America – Ventura Highway
Don Henley – The End Of The Innocence
The Band – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Foghat – Slow Ride
Chicago – Saturday In The Park
Columbia Symphony Orchestra – Rhapsody In Blue

Gershwin is still America's preeminent composer - no one else has come close

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