The 28 Best George Jones Songs, from The Grand Tour to He Stopped Loving Her Today

What is George Jones' most famous song?

"He Stopped Loving Her Today" is George Jones' most famous song, a 1980 ballad that is regularly voted the greatest country song of all time. "The Grand Tour", "She Thinks I Still Care" and "White Lightning" are his other classics, and his original "Tennessee Whiskey" has found new fans thanks to Chris Stapleton's cover.

George Jones' early hits

1. "Why Baby Why", 1955: his first hit.
2. "White Lightning", 1959: his first number one, a rollicking song about moonshine.
3. "The Window Up Above", 1960: a heartbreak song he wrote himself.
4. "Tender Years", 1961: a long-running number one.
5. "She Thinks I Still Care", 1962: a classic of quiet denial.
6. "We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds", with Melba Montgomery, 1963: an early duet hit.
7. "The Race Is On", 1964: an upbeat song built on horse-racing imagery.
8. "Things Have Gone to Pieces", 1965: a slow, aching ballad.
9. "Walk Through This World with Me", 1967: a tender love song and a number one.

George Jones songs of the 70s

10. "A Good Year for the Roses", 1970: a devastating song about a marriage ending.
11. "The Grand Tour", 1974: a heartbreak ballad and one of his signature number ones.
12. "The Door", 1974: a number one ballad about the end of a marriage.
13. "Bartender's Blues", 1978: a James Taylor song he made his own.

George Jones and Tammy Wynette duets

14. "Take Me", 1971: their first duet hit.
15. "We're Gonna Hold On", 1973: their first duet number one.
16. "Golden Ring", 1976: the life story of a wedding ring.
17. "Near You", 1976: a sweet number one.
18. "Two Story House", 1980: a reunion duet after their divorce.

George Jones songs of the 80s and later

19. "He Stopped Loving Her Today", 1980: his signature song.
20. "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)", 1981: a famous barroom ballad.
21. "Still Doin' Time", 1981: a number one barroom ballad.
22. "Same Ole Me", 1982: a reflective hit with the Oak Ridge Boys on harmony.
23. "Tennessee Whiskey", 1983: a smooth love song later revived by Chris Stapleton.
24. "I Always Get Lucky with You", 1983: a warm, happy love song.
25. "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes", 1985: a tribute to the legends of country music.
26. "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", 1992: a defiant, all-star anthem about aging.
27. "Choices", 1999: a Grammy-winning song about regret.
28. "Yesterday's Wine", with Merle Haggard, 1982: a duet between two legends.

Who was George Jones?

George Jones was born in 1931 in Saratoga, Texas, and learned to play guitar as a boy, singing on the streets of Beaumont for tips. He served in the Marines before scoring his first hit in 1955. Over more than five decades he recorded dozens of top ten country hits and became known as "the Possum" for his looks and, during his hardest years, as "No Show Jones" for missed concerts. He was married to Tammy Wynette from 1969 to 1975, and their duets made them country's most famous couple. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992 and died in 2013.

The story behind He Stopped Loving Her Today

Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman wrote "He Stopped Loving Her Today", about a man whose love for a woman ends only with his death. Jones reportedly disliked the song at first, saying it was too sad, but his performance turned it into his biggest hit. It won the CMA Song of the Year in 1980 and 1981 and earned him a Grammy, and it is often called the greatest country song ever recorded.

The story behind Tennessee Whiskey

"Tennessee Whiskey" was written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove and first recorded by David Allan Coe in 1981. George Jones' 1983 version became a top ten hit. More than 30 years later, Chris Stapleton's soulful cover made it one of the most popular country songs of the 2010s and introduced the song to a new generation.

The voice that singers worship

Frank Sinatra is often quoted as calling George Jones the second-best singer in America, and generations of country stars, from Garth Brooks to Alan Jackson, have named him their favorite. His ability to bend a note and break a heart in the same phrase is why his records are still the model for country ballad singers.

George Jones songs for a memorial

"He Stopped Loving Her Today", "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" and "Walk Through This World with Me" are moving choices for a celebration of life, especially for someone who loved traditional country. See our country funeral songs for more.

More classic country artists

For more from the golden age of country, see our Conway Twitty songs, Waylon Jennings songs and Kris Kristofferson songs.

A classic country song about your story

For a George Jones fan, a personalized country song can tell their story with the same heart: their name, the people they love and the years they have shared. It makes a touching anniversary, birthday or Father's Day gift.

How to create a personalized country song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: country, acoustic, folk and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a country song of their own: create a song and hear four previews for free.