Billboard had their great country stars of the past 30 years( http://www.billboard.com/news#/features/top-25-country-artists-1985-2010-1004095821.story?page=5 ) and I could nit pick but in the end it is not Merle Haggard, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson and many, many others, fault that it was 1980 – 2011 and not 1950 – 1979.
Any name above could battle George Strait for the # 1 spot here, several of them would win. Strait would've made the top 10 MAYBE, nobody else would've. Alan Jackson OK for the top 20
So read em and weep at the fate of modern country.
1. George Strait
2. Garth Brooks
3. Reba McEntire
4. Alan Jackson
5. Tim McGraw
6. Kenny Chesney
7. Toby Keith
8. Randy Travis
9. Alabama
10. Brooks and Dunn