Countdown

In times of tragedy, country music heals. Songs from some of the genre's best artists are used as therapy during great personal and national strife. No song has unified quite like Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

Jamey Johnson's "In Color" would be higher on this list of the Top Country Songs of the Century if it was based purely on artist and songwriter opinion. It's the most frequently named song, or at least one of two (the other is still to come).

“It’s just the greatest message ever put on the radio in my opinion, and to the world frankly,” one country artist said of Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying." The singer is a bit more humble about song No. 4 on this list of the Top Country Songs of the Century, but he recognizes the importance of the song.

All five remaining songs on this list of the Top Songs of the Century required little or no conversation. Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" is an inspiring sonic masterpiece that blanketed country radio for five years before pulling back ever so slightly.

Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" is a song that inspired other artists. Song No. 6 on this list of the Top Country Songs of the Century reminded anyone feeling held down in a very cautious genre that it's alright to be different.

This multi-platinum hit from Carrie Underwood showed a side of the singer that even the most creative fan couldn't have imagined was there.

Gretchen Wilson admits that while her hit song "Redneck Woman" was skyrocketing up the airplay charts she didn't feel like she fit in. Years later she'd tell Taste of Country that at the time, she felt underdressed for a black tie party. It's now clear the guests at that party were happy she injected new energy into their predictable sound.

Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" is the best-selling country song of the century and a song that blew the doors open for a progressive, hip-hop-flavored brand of country that longtime fans of the genre are still trying to determine what to do with.

Taylor Swift’s collective country catalog had an undeniable influence on 21st century country music, but finding one song that shaped the format more than another proved challenging. “Love Story” was chosen as Swift’s selection for this list of the Top Country Songs of the Century because, if for no other reason, it was such an undeniable hit.

You're most likely to hear Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow's "Picture" on country radio stations today, but it was actually a bigger hit on pop radio. Song No. 11 on this list of the Top Country Songs of the Century was a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while only reaching the Top 20 on the country chart.