As part of its year-long centennial celebration, the Opry will focus on the music that has made it so special with Opry 100: Country’s Greatest Songs. Out Friday (Nov. 7), the Virgin Music Group-distributed double album features 20 previously unreleased live recordings from the Opry stage.
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The collection, which highlights songs from the fan-voted Opry 100 greatest songs list, spans more than 60 years of recordings, starting with Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” captured live in 1962, as well as well-chosen covers like Ashley McBryde’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart” from 2024. There are also a pair of “Full Circle” tracks, which are mixes of two live performances featuring artists of different eras, including a 1981 take of Marty Robbins singing “El Paso” with a later performance of the same song by Marty Stuart.
Below, Billboard premieres a 2007 Opry appearance by Dolly Parton singing her classic, “I Will Always Love You,” to Porter Wagoner on his 50th anniversary of being an Opry member, accompanied by Patty Loveless and Marty Stuart.
“If it hadn’t been for Porter, I wouldn’t have written this song. It was kind of my goodbye song to Porter,” Parton says of her former musical partner.
Dan Rogers, vp and executive producer at the Opry, tells Billboard how the 20 album choices were pared down from the Opry 100 greatest songs list. “We began treating the selection process as if we were putting together a perfect night at the Opry. With every show, we seek not just to create a highly entertaining performance beginning to end, but also to celebrate the past, present, and future of country music and to showcase numerous styles under the country umbrella,” he says.
The selections are meant to take the listener on a journey. “We wanted to ensure that as the listener continues, he hears about everything Opry audiences have experienced for 100 years: Jesus, whiskey, love, heartache, and more from Patsy Cline, George Jones, Vince Gill, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, and their contemporaries who have been stepping up to the Opry microphone for decades.”
The Opry owns the recordings of the live performances that take place on its stage, but Rogers says the Opry worked closely “with artists, labels, and publishers to obtain any necessary rights that may be required for using the recordings. Like every piece of music being released, it takes a whole lot of communication and partnership to make it to release day with everyone on board.”
Even as the Opry looks back, Rogers says the 100th anniversary celebration is setting up the beloved institution for the next century. “Our 100th celebration, which will continue well into 2026, is about both celebrating the Opry’s past and paving a path for the next 100 years, and this project is an audio representation of that celebration,” he explains. “The music included features some of the oldest, most authentic sounds from the Opry’s early days to contemporary sounds that help make the Opry relevant for younger fans with broad tastes.”
A number of promotions will surround the project’s release, including Opry member Don Schlitz, who wrote Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” guest hosting on WSM Radio today (Nov. 6). On Friday, SiriusXM’s The Highway channel will celebrate they 100th anniversary during Music Row Happy Hour. On Nov. 8, Opry Live, which airs every Saturday, on the Opry Facebook and YouTube channels, among other outlets, will air a special, hosted by Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, that features performances of 10 songs on the album.
The Opry’s official 100th anniversary show is scheduled for Nov. 28 and will feature more than 20 members of the Grand Ole Opry, including Bill Anderson, John Conlee, The Gatlin Brothers, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson and Ricky Skaggs.
OPRY 100: Country’s Greatest Songs Track Listing:
1. “Your Cheatin’ Heart” – Ashley McBryde (2024)
2. “El Paso” – Marty Robbins and Marty Stuart (1981 / 2024) (Full circle mix)
3. “Crazy” – Patsy Cline (1962)
4. “Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash (1967)
5. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” – Loretta Lynn (1985)
6. “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” – Darius Rucker (2021)
7. “I Will Always Love You” – Dolly Parton (feat. Patty Loveless and Marty Stuart) (2007)
8. “The Gambler” – Don Schlitz (feat. Vince Gill) (2025)
9. “Devil Went Down to Georgia” – The Charlie Daniels Band (2015)
10. “Elvira” – The Oak Ridge Boys (1980)
11. “Tennessee Whiskey” – Luke Combs (2016)
12. “He Stopped Loving Her Today (Full Circle Mix)” – George Jones and Alan Jackson (1993 / 2013)
13. “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” – Kelsea Ballerini (2025)
14. “Forever and Ever, Amen” – Randy Travis (1989)
15. “Don’t Close Your Eyes” – Keith Whitley (1988)
16. “Fancy” – Reba McEntire (2017)
17. “Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson (2020)
18. “Go Rest High on That Mountain” – Vince Gill (feat. Patty Loveless) (2015)
19. “Jesus, Take The Wheel” – Carrie Underwood (2018)
20. “Mama Don’t Allow / Will The Circle Be Unbroken?” – Old Crow Medicine Show, Dom Flemons, Billy Strings, and Molly Tuttle (2020)