From the Lawton Constitution
By James Finck, Ph.D. Aug 9, 2026
Even though it doesn’t feel like it outside, summer is coming to an end as kids get ready to head back to school. I’m planning on making my way back home soon since my own semester begins shortly, which means I have one more long drive to listen to my ultimate playlist.
As we look at the C artists, there are a couple with just a single song, some major players, and the first family of country music.
“Breaker one-nine, this here’s the Rubber Duck.” You may not know the first artist, but I’m guessing you know the song. In 1975, C.W. McCall released his biggest hit, “Convoy,” about a group of truckers roaring across the country while breaking all the rules. The song was creative in its use of CB radio slang. While it was a massive hit, even reaching No. 1 on the pop charts, the even more interesting part is that McCall wasn’t a real person; he was a character created by advertising specialist William Dale Fries Jr. to sell bread. The song became so popular it even inspired the 1978 movie “Convoy” starring Kris Kristofferson.
Two other artists only got one song onto the playlist: Chad Brock and Craig Morgan. In 2000, Brock released his biggest hit, “Yes,” which reached No. 1. It’s a catchy tune and reminds me of the summer I spent on an archaeological dig on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where it felt like the radio played that song once an hour. Morgan’s “That’s What I Love About Sunday” became his only No. 1 hit in 2005. It’s a simple song that reminds me of simpler times, and sometimes that’s exactly what country music should do.
Next, we have three guys named Charlie. Two songs from the legendary Charley Pride made the list: “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” and “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.” Pride is one of the most important figures in country music history. As one of the genre’s first Black superstars, he broke racial barriers during the Civil Rights era while achieving remarkable commercial success with 30 No. 1 hits. He won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971 and was later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Charlie Rich has three songs on my list: “The Most Beautiful Girl,” “Behind Closed Doors,” and “Rollin’ with the Flow.” Known as the “Silver Fox,” Rich helped change country music’s reputation as hillbilly music by blending country with smooth jazz, soul, and pop influences. He was part of the movement that helped create the Nashville Sound of highly produced music.
Charlie Daniels helped popularize country music for completely different reasons. He was a pioneer of Southern rock who brought twin-guitar rock jams into country music, but what he’s best known for is his high-energy fiddle playing. I have too many of his songs to list here, but no country playlist is complete without “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” a song just about everybody likes, even if they claim to hate country music.
I said a couple of months ago that my playlist has something for everyone. I have both kinds of music: country and Western. No artist represents modern western music better than Chris LeDoux. LeDoux was a champion bareback rider who initially sold cassette tapes out of the bed of his truck before starting his own record label so he could do things his way. He was as country as they come, but deep down he also had a little long-haired outlaw who liked to play a little rock and roll. His popularity got a real boost when Garth Brooks mentioned him in his debut hit, and the two later became frequent collaborators. There are simply too many great LeDoux songs to mention here.
The next three artists aren’t mega-superstars or genre-changing legends, but they are solid headliners whose songs deserve a place on any ultimate playlist. Clay Walker was a staple of the 1990s neo-traditional country movement. Bursting onto the scene in 1993, he immediately became a radio powerhouse with consecutive No. 1 hits right out of the gate.
Clint Black, probably the biggest name of the three, was part of the important class of artists who debuted in 1989 and helped usher in the neo-traditional movement by bringing traditional country instrumentation back to mainstream radio.
Collin Raye may not have been as popular as Black, but he has one of the best power ballad voices in the business, and he means something personally to me. He released his fourth album, “I Think About You,” in 1995. I received the CD as a Christmas gift from a girl I had recently met. A few days later, it was on constant rotation in my truck during my three-day drive from Virginia to Utah to begin my freshman year of college. It was still on repeat at the end of the semester as I drove back home after deciding to transfer to a college in Virginia. It’s still one of my favorite albums as that same girl has been sitting shotgun on my road trips ever since. This week we celebrate 30 years of marriage. Love you, Melissa.
Hello Darlin. Raye may sing great power ballads, but you can’t talk about love songs without mentioning Conway Twitty. Man, I love his voice. He recorded 55 No. 1 hits, a record that stood until George Strait finally broke it.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Confederate Railroad. They aren’t exactly known for tender love songs, unless you like your women a little on the trashy
side. They brought a rowdy, rock-infused, blue-collar attitude to the country boom of the 1990s. Their blend of Southern rock and self-deprecating humor was a refreshing change from the more polished pop-country sound dominating radio.
The lone solo female artist among all these men is Crystal Gayle. I included “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” “Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For,” and “Talking in Your Sleep.” As a crossover artist with a smooth, almost jazz like voice and her iconic floor-length hair, Gayle became the first female country artist to earn a platinum-selling album.
I saved the most important group for last because, without the Carter Family, there may not even be such a thing as country music. In 1927, producer Ralph Peer invited musicians to Bristol, Virginia, to record songs. The two most important acts to emerge from those sessions were Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.
The group consisted of Sara Carter, her husband A.P. Carter, and her sister-in-law Maybelle Carter. A.P. traveled throughout the mountains of Virginia and Tennessee collecting old songs, then arranging and recording them. Those songs, and the Carter Family’s style and harmonies, helped shape the foundation of country music.
Maybelle’s influence stretched far beyond country music. She revolutionized guitar playing with what became known as the “Carter Scratch.” Before Maybelle, guitarists mostly strummed chords behind fiddles and banjos. She played the melody with her thumb on the bass strings while brushing the treble strings with her index finger to keep the rhythm going, creating a style that influenced generations of guitar players. Their biggest songs are all on my playlist, including “Can the Circle Be Unbroken,” “Wildwood Flower,” “Keep on the Sunny Side,” “I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes,” and “Single Girl, Married Girl.”
So there you have it, the C artists on my ultimate playlist. Hopefully this summer I’ve inspired you to add a few of these artists to your own playlist. Let me know if I missed anyone important.
Next summer I’ll be back, as I get ready for more traveling, with a few more letters of the alphabet.
James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at james.finck@swoknews.com.
Historically Speaking 