The Nashville 100

“Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams ... all of them are different styles, but those are the songs that make the times. They're the songs that last through time” -- Dolly Parton

When I first moved to Nashville in 2002, I went out and frequented the clubs on lower Broadway almost nightly. Growing up on a regular diet of classic rock and blues rendered me a little unprepared for gigging in this town. In the months prior to my move, I watched CMT daily to infuse myself with what I thought was the country music that everyone here would be playing. As I walked from club to club I noticed this was not what these bands and singers were performing. They were playing classic country standards, the biggest hits from the biggest stars of the golden era of Country Music, interspersed with some classic rock, pop, and  the CMT stuff every once in a while. Every night I would listen to these songs being played and write down the titles on napkins. I would then go and search for this material to listen to and learn. Over a period of a year or so I had learned about 150 songs and this proved to be essential for gigging in Nashville as a freelance guitarist.

A couple of years later a few of my fellow musician friends interested in gigging on Broadway asked me what they play down there. This prompted me to organize my list into what I call the Nashville 100 (it’s more like 150). Obviously, these are not the only songs covered in town, but they are a good starting point and make up the bulk of what is commonly referred to in Nashville as standards.

If you grew up playing classic country you probably already know most of these. However, if you didn’t, this list is a great starting point. If you are planning on moving to Nashville to be a player or an artist, you will need to perform some of these songs at some point. If you are new to town and trying to sit in to get gigs, some of these tunes will definitely be called. If you are a guitar player you’ll need to know the signature licks. If you are a drummer you’ll be expected to know the tempo and proper count off. If you are a bass player you will be leading the arrangement with the proper root motion. If you are a singer you’ll need to know some easy standards that everyone knows if you want to sit in or gig regularly.

Beyond all of that, if you don’t know country music it is essential to know these chord progressions, melodies, feels, and signatures as they are at the core of this style. If you don’t know these tunes and plan to gig in town regularly, you put yourself at risk of looking like an idiot at some point. This list of songs is like Country music 101. If you know all the intros, chord progressions and arrangements of these tunes you will be prepared you for much of what you will be doing in Nashville as a working musician whether you play clubs, road gigs or work as a session player.