Country USA was a 23-volume series issued by Time-Life Music during the late 1980s and early 1990s, spotlighting country music of the 1950s through early 1970s.
Each volume in the series chronicled a specific year in country music, from 1950 through 1972, and was issued on a double-length compact disc or cassette, or two vinyl albums. Individual volumes contained 24 tracks, usually representing the year's most popular and important songs. Also included was a booklet, containing liner notes written by some of the most respected historians of the genre, photographs of the artists, and information on the songs (writers, performers and peak position on Billboard magazines country charts).
All told, the entire series contains 552 tracks.
History "Country USA" was first issued during the summer of 1988, and is patterned after Time-Life's successful "Rock'n'Roll Era" and "Your Hit Parade" series. It represented Time-Life's first real attempt at chronicling country music's post-1950 history; earlier in the 1980s, Time-Life had a budget "Country Series" and the later "Country & Western Classics."
During its peak, the "Country USA" series was advertised in television and magazine advertisements. The series was available by subscription (by calling a 1-800 number); those who purchased the series in that fashion received a new volume roughly every other month (on the format of their choice), and had the option of keeping just the volumes they wanted. Each volume was also offered for individual sale.
New volumes continued to be issued through 1991. Another series, "Contemporary Country," essentially picked up where "Country USA" left off, as that series covered the 1970s through early 1990s.
Time-Life continued to offer "Country USA" through the early first decade of the 21st century. The series has essentially been replaced by "Classic Country." Three newer series — "Country Gold," "Superstars of Country" and "Lifetime of Country Romance" — have also since been issued.
Critics widely hailed "Country USA" as a definitive overview of the genre during what some refer to as the Golden Age. In many cases, the songs offered on each volume represented the first time they had ever been re-released on compact disc. However, critics tempered their praise by pointing out a few minor faults, such as the exclusion of some tracks (in lieu of songs that weren't necessarily hits) and alternate versions/re-recordings of some hits.
The series The track listings below represent the sequencing on the compact discs. While the sequencing is identical on the records and cassettes, some songs may be on different sides.
Also, while the years will be listed sequentially under the track listing section, the "Country USA" series was not issued sequentially by year. The series was issued in the following order:
1988 – 1961, 1957, 1962 and 1970. 1989 – 1971, 1968, 1958, 1969, 1959, 1965, 1963 and 1960. 1990 – 1956, 1964, 1954, 1952, 1967, 1972, 1955 and 1953. 1991' – 1966, 1951 and 1950.
Track listing 1950 "Hillbilly Fever" – Little Jimmy Dickens "Birmingham Bounce" – Red Foley "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" – Lefty Frizzell "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" – Hank Williams "Throw Your Love My Way" – Ernest Tubb "Remember Me (I'm the One Who Loves You)" – Stuart Hamblen "Cuddle Buggin' Baby" – Eddy Arnold "The Gods Were Angry With Me" – Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely "Moanin' the Blues" – Hank Williams "I Love You a Thousand Ways" – Lefty Frizzell "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" – Red Foley "I'm Moving On" – Hank Snow "Anticipation Blues" – Tennessee Ernie Ford "Why Don't You Love Me" – Hank Williams "The Lovebug Itch" – Eddy Arnold "Letters Have No Arms" – Ernest Tubb "I Love You Because" – Leon Payne "A-Sleepin' at the Foot of the Bed" – Little Jimmy Dickens "Mississippi" – Red Foley "Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me" – Eddy Arnold "Quicksilver" – Elton Britt and Rosalie Allen "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" – Hank Williams "Mule Train" – Tennessee Ernie Ford "Goodnight Irene" – Red Foley and Ernest Tubb
1951 "The Golden Rocket" – Hank Snow "Howlin' at the Moon" – Hank Williams "The Shot Gun Boogie" – Tennessee Ernie Ford "There's Been a Change in Me" – Eddy Arnold "Mom and Dad's Waltz" – Lefty Frizzell "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way" – Carl Smith "Hot Rod Race" – Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan "Hey Good Lookin'" – Hank Williams "Kentucky Waltz" – Eddy Arnold "Down Yonder" – Del Wood "Slow Poke" – Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys (feat. Redd Stewart) "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" – Lefty Frizzell "Alabama Jubilee" – Red Foley "The Rhumba Boogie" – Hank Snow "Poison Love" – Johnnie and Jack "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" – Hank Williams "Let's Live a Little" – Carl Smith "I Want to Be with You Always" – Lefty Frizzell "Cherokee Boogie (Eh-Oh Aleena)" – Moon Mullican "I Wanna Play House With You" – Eddy Arnold "The Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page "Music Makin' Mama from Memphis" – Hank Snow "Cold, Cold Heart" – Hank Williams "Peace in the Valley" – Red Foley
1952 "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" – Hank Williams "Blackberry Boogie" – Tennessee Ernie Ford "That Heart Belongs to Me" – Webb Pierce "Midnight" – Red Foley "Are You Teasing Me" – Carl Smith "Give Me More, More, More (Of Your Kisses)" – Lefty Frizzell "A Full Time Job" – Eddy Arnold "The Wild Side of Life" – Hank Thompson "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" – Kitty Wells "Half as Much" – Hank Williams "Back Street Affair" – Webb Pierce "Almost" – George Morgan "Too Old to Cut the Mustard" – Ernest Tubb and Red Foley "I'm an Old, Old Man (Tryin' to Live While I Can)" – Lefty Frizzell "(When You Feel Like You're in Love) Don't Just Stand There" – Carl Smith "Easy on the Eyes" – Eddy Arnold "Indian Love Call" – Slim Whitman "Waiting in the Lobby of Your Heart" – Hank Thompson "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" – Skeets McDonald "Wondering" – Webb Pierce "Don't Stay Away (Till Love Grows Cold)" – Lefty Frizzell "Missing in Action" – Ernest Tubb "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" – Hank Williams "The Gold Rush Is Over" – Hank Snow
1953 "No Help Wanted" – The Carlisles "Hey Joe!" – Carl Smith "Eddy's Song" – Eddy Arnold "There Stands the Glass" – Webb Pierce "Paying for That Back Street Affair" – Kitty Wells "Yesterday's Girl" – Hank Thompson "I Let the Stars Get in My Eyes" – Goldie Hill "Your Cheatin' Heart" – Hank Williams "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I" – Hank Snow "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" – Marty Robbins "It's Been So Long" – Webb Pierce "Crying in the Chapel" – Rex Allen "Mexican Joe" – Jim Reeves "Rub-a-Dub-Dub" – Hank Thompson "Kaw-Liga" – Hank Williams "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" – The Davis Sisters "I'll Go On Alone" – Marty Robbins "Shake a Hand" – Red Foley "I'm Walking the Dog" – Webb Pierce "How Much is That Hound Dog in the Window" – Homer and Jethro "Bimbo" – Jim Reeves "Take These Chains from My Heart" – Hank Williams "A Dear John Letter" – Jean Shepard and Ferlin Husky "Wake Up, Irene" – Hank Thompson
1954 "That's All Right" – Marty Robbins "Sure Fire Kisses" – Justin Tubb and Goldie Hill "Honky-Tonk Girl" – Hank Thompson "More and More" – Webb Pierce "I Don't Hurt Anymore" – Hank Snow "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" – Faron Young "You Better Not Do That" – Tommy Collins "Back Up Buddy" – Carl Smith "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" – Ray Price "I Really Don't Want to Know" – Eddy Arnold "If You Don't Somebody Else Will" – Jimmy & Johnny "Secret Love" – Slim Whitman "Blue Moon of Kentucky" – Elvis Presley "Even Tho" – Webb Pierce "Two Glasses Joe" – Ernest Tubb "One by One" – Red Foley and Kitty Wells "Loose Talk" – Carl Smith "Let Me Go Lover" – Hank Snow "This Ole House" – Stuart Hamblen "Watcha Gonna Do Now" – Tommy Collins "Slowly" – Webb Pierce "Release Me" – Ray Price "The New Green Light" – Hank Thompson "Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight" – Johnnie and Jack
1955 "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" – Faron Young "I've Been Thinking" – Eddy Arnold "There She Goes" – Carl Smith "When I Stop Dreaming" – The Louvin Brothers "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" – Elvis Presley "Yellow Roses" – Hank Snow "Love Love Love" – Webb Pierce "Why Baby Why" – George Jones "Sixteen Tons" – Tennessee Ernie Ford "Just Call Me Lonesome" – Eddy Arnold "Making Believe" – Kitty Wells "It Tickles" – Tommy Collins "Mystery Train" – Elvis Presley "In the Jailhouse Now" – Webb Pierce "Cry! Cry! Cry!" – Johnny Cash "All Right" – Faron Young "Eat Drink and Be Merry (Tomorrow You'll Cry)" – Porter Wagoner "The Cattle Call" – Eddy Arnold "Wildwood Flower" – Hank Thompson "As Long as I Live" – Red Foley & Kitty Wells "Kisses Don't Lie" – Carl Smith "A Satisfied Mind" – Porter Wagoner "I Don't Care" – Webb Pierce "Yonder Comes a Sucker" – Jim Reeves
1956 "Heartbreak Hotel" – Elvis Presley "Why Baby Why" – Red Sovine & Webb Pierce "I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night" – Faron Young "Cash on the Barrel Head" – The Louvin Brothers "I Take the Chance" – The Browns "The Blackboard of My Heart" – Hank Thompson "Singing the Blues" – Marty Robbins "Crazy Arms" – Ray Price "I Want You I Need You I Love You" – Elvis Presley "I'm a One-Woman Man" – Johnny Horton "You and Me" – Red Foley & Kitty Wells "I Walk the Line" – Johnny Cash "Blue Suede Shoes" – Carl Perkins "Any Old Time" – Webb Pierce "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby" – The Louvin Brothers "Trouble in Mind" – Eddy Arnold "I've Got a New Heartache" – Ray Price "Searching" – Kitty Wells "You Are the One" – Carl Smith "Sweet Dreams" – Faron Young "Yes I Know Why" – Webb Pierce "Folsom Prison Blues" – Johnny Cash "You're Running Wild" – The Louvin Brothers "You Don't Know Me" – Eddy Arnold
1957 "Honky Tonk Song" – Webb Pierce "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)" – Marty Robbins "Dixie Fried" – Carl Perkins "Home of the Blues" – Johnny Cash "Walkin' After Midnight" – Patsy Cline "My Special Angel" – Bobby Helms "Bye Bye Love" – The Everly Brothers "Gonna Find Me a Bluebird" – Marvin Rainwater "A Fallen Star" – Jimmy C. Newman "Four Walls" – Jim Reeves "Repenting" – Kitty Wells "The Story of My Life" – Marty Robbins "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You" – Ray Price "Young Love" – Sonny James "I'm Tired" – Webb Pierce "Fraulein" – Bobby Helms "I Found My Girl in the USA" – Jimmie Skinner "You Win Again" – Jerry Lee Lewis "I'm Coming Home" – Johnny Horton "Knee Deep in the Blues" – Marty Robbins "Am I Losing You" – Jim Reeves "Tangled Mind" – Hank Snow "Honeycomb" – Jimmie Rodgers "Gone" – Ferlin Husky
1958 "Oh Lonesome Me" – Don Gibson "Tupelo County Jail" – Webb Pierce "Just Married" – Marty Robbins "Invitation to the Blues" – Ray Price "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" – Charlie Walker "Don't" – Elvis Presley "Guess Things Happen That Way" – Johnny Cash "Treasure of Love" – George Jones "All I Have to Do Is Dream" – Everly Brothers "She's No Angel" – Kitty Wells "I Can't Stop Loving You" – Don Gibson "Squaws Along the Yukon" – Hank Thompson "Cigarettes and Coffee Blues" – Lefty Frizzell "Half a Mind" – Ernest Tubb "Alone with You" – Faron Young "Blue Boy" – Jim Reeves "City Lights" – Ray Price "It's Only Make Believe" – Conway Twitty "My Baby's Gone" – Louvin Brothers "Bird Dog" – Everly Brothers "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" – Johnny Cash "Blue Blue Day" – Don Gibson "Life to Go" – Stonewall Jackson "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On – Hank Locklin
1959 "The Battle of New Orleans" – Johnny Horton "White Lightning" – George Jones "Who Cares" – Don Gibson "The Three Bells" – The Browns "Black Land Farmer" – Frankie Miller "The Same Old Me" – Ray Price "El Paso" – Marty Robbins "Amigo's Guitar" – Kitty Wells "I Ain't Never" – Webb Pierce "Cabin on the Hill" – Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs