Old-Time Country / Cowboy / Western Swing

Roy Acuff (1903–92)

The Essential Roy Acuff (1936–1949) [1936–49, Columbia/Legacy], A–
The Essential Roy Acuff [1936–49, Columbia/Legacy], A–
Columbia Historic Edition [1936–51, Columbia], B+

Clarence Ashley (1895–1967)

Greenback Dollar: The Music of Clarence "Tom" Ashley 1929–1933 [1929–33, County], A–

Gene Autry (1907–98)

The Essential Gene Autry (1933–1946) [1933–46, Columbia/Legacy], B
The Essential Gene Autry [1931–51, Columbia/Legacy, 2 CD], B–

Dock Boggs (1898–1971)

Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings (1927–29) [1927–29, Revenant], B+
His Folkways Years (1963–1968) [1963–68, Smithsonian/Folkways, 2 CD], B

Cliff Bruner (1915–2000)

Cliff Bruner and His Texas Wanderers [1937–50, Bear Family, 5 CD], B+(***)

The Carter Family [1926–1943]

Anchored in Love: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1927) [1927, Rounder], A
My Clinch Mountain Home: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1928–1929) [1928–29, Rounder], A–
When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1929–1930) [1929–30, Rounder], A–
Worried Man Blues: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1930) [1930, Rounder], B+
Sunshine in the Shadows: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1931–1932) [1931–32, Rounder], A–
Give Me the Roses While I Live: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1932–1933) [1932–33, Rounder], B
Longing for Old Virginia: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1934) [1934, Rounder], A–
Country Music Hall of Fame Series [1936–38, MCA], B+
On Border Radio, Vol. 1 [1939, Arhoolie], B
Clinch Mountain Treasures [1940, County], B+
Can the Circle Be Unbroken? Country Music's First Family [1935–40, Sony], A–
Last Sessions: Their Complete Victor Recordings (1934–1941) [1934–41, Rounder], A–
Diamonds in the Rough [1941, Copper Creek], B

Carter Sisters

Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle With Chet Atkins [1950, Country Routes], A–

Spade Cooley (1910–69)

Spadella: The Essential Spade Cooley [1945–46, Columbia/Legacy], B–

Vernon Dalhart (1883–1948)

The Wreck of the Old '97 and Other Early Country Hits [(1999), Old Homestead], B+

Darby and Tarlton [1920– ]

On the Banks of a Lonely River [1928–30, County], B
Complete Recordings [1927–33, Bear Family, 3 CD], B+

Jimmie Davis (1902–2000)

Country Music Hall of Fame [1934–54, MCA], B+

The Delmore Brothers [1926–1952]

Brown's Ferry Blues [1933–41, County], B+
Sand Mountain Blues [1944–49, County], A–

Al Dexter (1902–84)

Pistol Packin' Mama [1942–49, ASV], B+

Dorsey Dixon (1897–1968)

Babies in the Mill [1963, HMG], B+

Tommy Duncan (1911–67)

Beneath a Neon Star in a Honky Tonk [1951–56, Bear Family], B

Harmonica Frank Floyd (1908–84)

The Missing Link [1979, Memphis International], B+

Grayson and Whitter [1927–1930]

The Recordings of Grayson and Whitter [1928–30, County], A–

Hi-Flyers

Hi-Flyers [1937–41, Krazy Kat], B+

Adolph Hofner (1916– )

South Texas Swing [1938–5, Arhoolie], B

Hoosier Hot Shots [1936–1942]

Rural Rhythm, 1936–1942 [1936–42, Columbia], B+

Grandpa Jones (1913–98)

Country Music Hall of Fame Series [1956–59, MCA], B

Uncle Dave Macon (1870–1952)

Country Music Hall of Fame Series [1926–34, MCA], B+

Sam McGee (1894–1975)

Grand Dad of the Country Guitar Pickers [1963, Arhoolie], A–

Emmett Miller (1900–62)

Minstrel Man from Georgia [(1996), Columbia/Legacy], A

Patsy Montana (1914–96)

The Best of Patsy Montana [1935–40, Collectors' Choice], B+
The Cowboy's Sweetheart [1988, Flying Fish], B

Hank Penny (1918–92)

Flamin' Mamie [1938–41, Krazy Kat], B+
Hollywood Western Swing: The Best of Hank Penny (1944–1947) [1944–47, Krazy Kat], A–
Crazy Rhythm: The Standard Transcriptions [1951, Bloodshot], B+

Charlie Poole (1892–1931)

Old-Time Songs [1925–30, County], A–
Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, Vol. 2 [1926–30, County], A
The Legend of Charlie Poole, Vol. 3 [1926–30, County], A
You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music [1902–40, Columbia/Legacy, 3 CD], A

Lesley Riddle (1905–80)

Step by Step: Lesley Riddle Meets the Carter Family: Blues, Country and Sacred Songs [1965–78, Rounder], A

Tex Ritter (1905–73)

The Capitol Collectors Series [1942–73, Capitol], B

Jimmie Rivers

Brisbane Bop: Western Swing 1961–64 [1961–64, Joaquin], B

Eck Robertson (1887–1975)

Old Time Texas Fiddler: Vintage Recordings 1922–1929 [1922–29, County], A–

Jimmie Rodgers (1897–1933)

The Early Years 1928–1929 [1928–29, Rounder], A–
On the Way Up 1929 [1929, Rounder], B+
America's Blue Yodeler 1930–1931 [1930–31, Rounder], A–
The Essential Jimmie Rodgers [1927–31, RCA], A–
Down the Old Road 1931–1932 [1931–32, Rounder], B
RCA Country Legends [1927–33], A

The Skillet Lickers

Old Time Fiddle Tunes and Songs from North Georgia [1926–31, County], A

Hobart Smith (1897–1965)

In Sacred Trust: The 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes [1963, Smithsonian Folkways], A–

The Sons of the Pioneers [1934– ]

Cool Water [1959, RCA], B+

Ernest V. Stoneman (1893–1968)

1928 Edison Recordings [1928, County], A–

Tex Williams (1917–85)

On the Air 1947–1949 [1947–49, Country Routes], B
Vintage Collections [1946–63, Capitol], B–

Billy Jack Wills (1926–91)

Billy Jack Wills and His Western Swing Band [1952–54, Joaquin], B
Crazy, Man, Crazy [1952–54, Joaquin], B+

Bob Wills (1905–75)

The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 1 [1946–47, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 2 [1946, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 3 [1946–47, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 4 [1946–47, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 5 [1946–47, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 6: Sally Goodin [1946–47, Rhino], B+
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 7: Keep Knockin' [1946–47, Rhino], A
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 8: More of the Best [1946–47, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 9: In the Mood [1946–47, Rhino], A–
The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 10: The McKinney Sisters [1946, Rhino], B
The Essential Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys [1935–47, Columbia/Legacy], A
Take Me Back to Tulsa [1932–50, Proper, 4CD], A
Boot Heel Drag: The MGM Years [1947–54, Mercury, 2 CD], B+
Hall of Fame: Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan [1960–61, DCC], B+
Longhorn Recordings [1964–65, Bear Family], C+
For the Last Time [1973, Capitol], B
Anthology 1935–1973 [1935–73, Rhino, 2 CD], A
Legends of Country Music [1932–73, Columbia/Legacy, 4 CD], A

Johnnie Lee Wills (1912–84)

The Band's A-Rockin' [1941–51, Krazy Kat], B+

Various Artists

Altamont: Black String Band Music from the Library of Congress [1942–49, Rounder], B+
Are You from Dixie: Great Country Brother Teams of the 1930's [(1988), RCA], A–
The Bristol Sessions [(1991), Country Music Foundation, 2 CD], A–
Classic Old-Time Music: From Smithsonian Folkways Recordings [1958–85, Smithsonian/Folkways], B+
Doughboys, Playboys and Cowboys: The Golden Years of Western Swing [1932–47, Proper, 4 CD], A–
Flowers in the Wildwood: Women in Early Country Music [1923–39, Trikont], A
Good for What Ails You: Music of the Medicine Shows [1926–37, Old Hat, 2 CD], A
Man of Constant Sorrow and Other Timeless Mountain Ballads [(2002), Yazoo], B+
Mississippi String Bands: Volume Two [1927–35, County], B+
My Rough and Rowdy Ways, Vol. 2 [1924–38, Yazoo], B+
Nashville: The Early String Bands, Volume One [1926–38, County], B+
Okeh Western Swing [1927–50, Columbia], A–
Raged But Right: Great Country String Bands of the 1930's [(1988), RCA], A–
Seven Come Eleven: Texas Swing on Radio & TV, 1946–64 [1946–64, County Routes], B
The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of [1926–32, Shanachie, 2 CD], B+(***)
Tarheel Swing [1946–53, Krazy Kat], B+
Under the Double Eagle: Great Western Swing Bands of the 1930's, Vol. 1 [(1990), RCA], B+
Western Swing and Country Jazz: An Expertly Selected Package [1935–40, JSP, 4 CD], B+(***)

Introduction