Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits POLL

His range as a songwriter and singer was really something — he could be heartbreaking, hilarious, horny, haunted, all with total conviction.

"My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" is a banger.

"Mansion on the Hill"

"Ramblin' Man" is probably my most played (and has that unforgettable opening couplet) but...

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is one of the greatest songs ever written, it's the redneck's "Amazing Grace".

xps I know the harrowing stuff gets most of the attention, but I do enjoy his uptempo stuff a lot too and YES "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" is a banger - IIRC that's even Hank playing the guitar solo.

"Howlin' at the Moon" (A-WOOOO!!) and "Baby, We're Really in Love," all great.

Always have loved this live Patsy Cline version of "Lovesick Blues":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqTfvR3igPA

I had this yellow set too, on double CD. I picked Ramblin’ Man because it’s just one of the greatest sad songs ever recorded - up there with anything from Billie Holliday’s Lady in Satin. Also — it just sounds so different to the other 39, it always stuck out to me. Close second: Move it on Over and I Saw the Light.

I had this yellow set too, on double CD. I picked Ramblin’ Man because it’s just one of the greatest sad songs ever recorded - up there with anything from Billie Holliday’s Lady in Satin. Also — it just sounds so different to the other 39, it always stuck out to me. Close second: Move it on Over and I Saw the Light.

Isn't "Ramblin' Man" the only song on the record that was first released under his alter-ego Luke the Drifter?

xxxp Patsy's version of "Lovesick Blues" is the definitive version, IMO. Still might vote for it here.

“Window Shopping” also a favorite, his voice sounds so good on that one

Fucking impossible!
A fave that wasn’t a hit: The Battle of Armageddon

Decision time

One of my favorite Hank covers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy0TWmslZl8

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Not at all what I expected!

Both songs tied at #1 are probably the ones I've heard covered most, so not surprising, but "(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle" getting zero votes is a huge surprise - I would've predicted it for the top three.

the lyrics cancel it these days, but Kaw-liga was the first song that drew me in as a kid listening to my parents copy of the greatest hits. I now realize it's because it's the rare early country song built around drums.

xp any of those covers worth sharing?

There's so many, it's hard to pick one. "Lost Highway" sticks out because Hank didn't write that, it's a Leon Payne song. Here's the "original" version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6P6_nwnZ-c

Per Colin Escott: "In recent years, 'Lost Highway' has been the title of several books, a stage show, a record label, and a television series. In 1997, director David Lynch used it as a film title. It's seen as one of Hank's defining records, if not a defining moment in country music, which makes it ironic that it barely dented the charts on release and doubly ironic that it's not even one of Hank's songs."

The Mekons also did it for my favorite Mekons album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMzszayth1k

Jason & The Scorchers also did it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F67Jzc0cB-4

Jeff Buckley recorded it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLg0YzIZ1W4

Many, many more...

And "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" probably has a wider breadth of singers covering it: many jazz and pop singers have covered it, like Helen Merrill and Connie Stevens, lots of rock n' rollers like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Tommy James and The Shondells, Del Shannon, The Everly Brothers, etc...but Alfred posted my favorite already, from Al Green on what's probably the greatest of his '70s masterpieces, Call Me.

Here's another famous cover besides Al Green's - Cassandra Wilson did it for New Moon Daughter which is her biggest (and possibly best) album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBvVwgEjRsM

I'm mistaken, Alfred didn't post a link, so here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WxrKOh3ZkI

This song isn't on the compilation, but Haggard's version is my favorite version of any Hank Williams song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwTxVaB1vVc

I think the number one track I would have gone for is called May You Be Alone. I thought I knew it from that 40 Greatest Hits set. The Godz cover it on Contact High.
Failing that I went for I Saw The Light.