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)

• Blues Singer 1929–1931: Booger Rooger Saturday Nite [1929–31, Columbia/Legacy], B+(**)
• 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

Milton Brown (1903–36)

• Milton Brown and the Musical Brownies: The Complete Recordings of the Father of Western Swing 1932–1937 [1932–37, Texas Rose, 5CD], A–

Cliff Bruner (1915–2000)

• Cliff Bruner and His Texas Wanderers [1937–50, Bear Family, 5CD], 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
• Across Generations [2019, Reviver Legacy], 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], A–

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

Benton Flippen (1920– )

• Old Time, New Times [1970, Rounder], 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 [1938–2005, 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+

J.E. Mainer (1898–1971)

• 18 Gospel Favorites [1967–69, Rural Rhythm], B+(**)

Sam McGee (1894–1975)

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

Emmett Miller (1900–62)

• The Minstrel Man From Georgia [1928–29, Columbia/Legacy], A

Polk Miller (1844–1913)

• w/The Old South Quartette: Music of the South [1909–28, Flaherty], 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

Red Fox Chasers [1928–1931]

• I'm Going Down to North Carolina: The Complete Recordings of the Red Fox Chasers (1928–31) [1928–31, Tompkins Square, 2CD], B+(**)

Blind Alfred Reed (1880–1956)

• Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order (1927–1929) [1927–29, Document], A–
• Appalachian Visionary [1927–29, Dust-to-Digital], 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

Roy Rogers (1911–98)

• Country Music Hall of Fame Series [1937–42, MCA], B+(*)
• Roll On Texas Moon [1945–52, Bear Family], 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+
• American Epic: The Best of Country [1927–34, Third Man/Columbia/Legacy], A–
• Are You from Dixie: Great Country Brother Teams of the 1930's [(1988), RCA], A–
• Arkansas at 78 RPM: Corn Dodgers and Hoss Hair Pullers [1928–37, Dust-to-Digital], A–
• Bloody War: Songs 1924–1939 [1924–39, Tompkins Square], 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. 1 [1920, Yazoo], 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–
• Ragged But Right: Great Country String Bands of the 1930's [1930, RCA], A–
• The Rose Grew Round the Briar: Early American Rural Love Songs, Vol. 1 [1920, Yazoo], B+(***)
• The Rose Grew Round the Briar: Early American Rural Love Songs, Vol. 2 [1920, Yazoo], A–
• The Rough Guide to the Roots of Country Music: Reborn and Remastered [1926–33, World Music Network], B+(***)
• Seven Come Eleven: Texas Swing on Radio & TV, 1946–64 [1946–64, County Routes], B
• Stompin' Western Swing: Roots of Rock 'n' Roll Vol. 2 [1936–41, President], A–
• 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+(***)