Country legend Hank Williams has many enduring and influential songs to his credit, from “Hey, Good Lookin’” to “Honky Tonk Blues” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”
Now the Alabama native is earning new kudos for one of his tunes, via the Grand Ole Opry and its 100th anniversary celebration.
“Your Cheatin’ Heart,” a 1952 classic, is prominently featured in “Opry 100: Country’s Greatest Songs,” a double album set for release on Friday, Nov. 7. Even better, Williams’ song is the first track on the 20-song collection, setting the tone for all the songs to follow.
Fans votes determined the tracks for “Opry 100: Country’s Greatest Songs,” according to a news release, and the album highlights live performances from the Opry stage in Nashville. Ashley McBryde’s 2024 version of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” kicks off the album, with her twangy vocals front and center.
“On September 7, 2024, Opry member Ashley McBryde stepped up to the microphone to sing ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart,’ more than 70 years after Hank Williams first sang it,” the Opry’s YouTube channels says. “In that moment, she carried on a timeless Opry tradition — keeping the songs of the past alive for those in the audience that night and tuned in around the world.“
It’s no surprise when a tune by Williams appears on any list of the greatest country songs. In fact, the issue is which Hank song to choose.
Williams, who died in 1953 at age 29, left behind an acclaimed catalog that includes “Lovesick Blues,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Jambalya (on the Bayou),” “Lost Highway,” “Move It on Over,” Kaw-Liga,“ ”I Saw the Light,” “Why Don’t You Love Me?” and many more.
Williams often appeared at the Opry during his heyday, and was inducted into its ranks in 1949, along with his band, the Drifting Cowboys. However, Williams’ membership in the Opry was revoked in 1952, after the artist, who struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse, missed several shows without an explanation.
His music still looms large in the country world, famed for the elegant simplicity of its lyrics — hence Williams’ nickname as the “Hillbilly Shakespeare” — and the emotional power of his voice. Williams is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and more. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Here’s the full track listing for “Opry 100: Country’s Greatest Songs,” along with the artist featured in the live recording and the performance year. These recordings haven’t been released before, according to the Opry, and two “full circle mix” tracks on the album paired performances of the same song — one classic version and one modern rendition.
- “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” Ashley McBryde, 2024.
- “El Paso,” Marty Robbins and Marty Stuart, 1981/2024, full circle mix.
- “Crazy,” Patsy Cline, 1962.
- “Ring of Fire,” Johnny Cash, 1967.
- “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Loretta Lynn, 1985.
- “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’,” Darius Rucker, 2021.
- “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly Parton featuring Patty Loveless and Marty Stuart, 2007.
- “The Gambler,” Don Schlitz featuring Vince Gill, 2025.
- “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Charlie Daniels Band, 2015.
- “Elvira,” Oak Ridge Boys, 1980.
- “Tennessee Whiskey,” Luke Combs, 2016.
- “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” George Jones and Alan Jackson, 1993/2013, full circle mix.
- “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” Kelsea Ballerini, 2025.
- “Forever and Ever, Amen,” Randy Travis, 1989.
- “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” Keith Whitley, 1988.
- “Fancy,” Reba McEntire, 2017.
- “Chattahoochee,” Alan Jackson, 2020.
- “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” Vince Gill featuring Patty Loveless, 2015.
- “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” Carrie Underwood, 2018.
- “Mama Don’t Allow / Will The Circle Be Unbroken?,” Old Crow Medicine Show, Dom Flemons, Billy Strings, and Molly Tuttle, 2020.
