Waltz Around Our 100 Best Texas Songs

14. Gene Autry, "(I've Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle"Texas has spawned more than a few singing cowboys over the years, none as successful as Gene Autry. "(I've Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle" is an ode to wandering and bachelorhood, and Autry's original is great, but it's the version sung on horseback by Olive Oyl, siren of the cartoon world, that rattles around in my head. Doug Davis

13. 13th Floor Elevators, "You're Gonna Miss Me"The song encapsulates the raw psychedelic energy heard throughout much of the '60s and '70s, with a long-standing impact that's endured nearly a half century, as any self-respecting garage-rock aficionado can attest. Zach Hale

Illustration by Jonathon Kimbrell/Napkin Art Studios

Illustration by Jonathon Kimbrell/Napkin Art Studios

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• Audra Schroeder
• Doug Davis
• Willie Nelson
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12. Lightnin' Hopkins, "Bring Me My Shotgun">Any song from the Centerville guitarist could be mentioned here, but this one has some added emotional heft. He was incredibly prolific in his 70 years on this planet, and even recorded with the 13th Floor Elevators. Audra Schroeder

11. Roy Orbison, "In Dreams"Orbison's great falsetto delivery and the song's epic climax showcase what a singular talent the Vernon, Texas, native was. The perfect marriage of emotion and song cemented the status of Blue Velvet, too. Doug Davis

10. Ernest Tubb, "Waltz Across Texas"Ernest Tubb was the role model for old-school country, with simple sentiments sung off key, and pedal steel playing a prominent role in the arrangement. "Waltz Across Texas" remains a dancehall standard that serves as a touchstone to an era gone by. Doug Davis

09. Joe Tex, "Skinny Legs and All"Joe Tex loved women of all shapes and sizes. This song was Tex in his soul phase, the polar opposite of the funky "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)." It was an anthem of sorts, an empowering talk-sing build up over triumphant horns. Audra Schroeder

08. Freddy Fender, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls"Baldemar Garza Huerta, aka Freddy Fender, collaborated with Augie Meyers and Flaco Jimenez in the late '80s as the Texas Tornados, but his solo run, which included this song and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," showcased his incredible voice, in English and Spanish. Audra Schroeder

07. Roy Head, "Treat Her Right"Those horns, those splits. Roy Head was the Houston flipside of James Brown, and this 1965 single would have been No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, if not for those meddling Beatles. Audra Schroeder

06. Big Mama Thornton, "Ball and Chain"Listen, around the 3:20 mark, your chest is going to be split open, your heart is going to be ripped out, and you're going to be better for it. Willie Mae Thornton left no soul unshaken. Audra Schroeder

05. Willie Nelson, "Crazy"With its efficient but biting lyric, jazzy progression and off-kilter timing, "Crazy" defined the career of Patsy Cline and gave Nelson the freedom to establish his own solo career. Doug Davis

04. Freddie King, "Going Down""Going Down" never charted and is probably better known these days as the theme song to Eastbound and Down. The Dallas icon's 1971 version of the Don Nix song features scorching guitar and an insistent piano part from producer Leon Russell, with the late Donald "Duck" Dunn holding down the low end. Jesse Hughey

03. Barbara Lynn, "You'll Lose a Good Thing"This Beaumont southpaw is often overlooked when it comes to both soul singers and guitarists, but for the mid-'60s, she was a trailblazer. This single, which she wrote, is an almost perfect pop song. Audra Schroeder

02. Sir Douglas Quintet, "She's About a Mover""She's About a Mover," done when Sahm was in the Sir Douglas Quintet, is simply the most recognizable in an impressive body of work. The single best show I've ever attended was Sahm performing at Antone's in Austin on New Year's Eve in 1987. "She's About a Mover" was the encore. Darryl Smyers

01. Archie Bell & the Drells, "Tighten Up"We could spend hours arguing whether this song has the best bassline in history, but let's look at the bigger picture. The Houston group did something truly remarkable in less than four blissful minutes: They constructed a song in real time, pivoting on that shrugging guitar riff, that atomic bassline and Bell's multi-tasking sing-song. It's one that has the power to make even the most conservative turn a hip. Audra Schroeder