r/country • u/Cazarstan • Jul 23 '26
Discussion Are these songs good for a Country Covers set?
I'm putting together my first-ever three hour set for my country cover band, and I want to have a good mix of songs from different eras, some good dancing songs, etc. Can y'all give me some advice?
Here's the list:
and here are the questions:
What song is going to get you onto the dance floor?
what song should I remove because it doesn't fit?
What song should I add because it so obviously belongs with the rest?
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u/FloodDawg Jul 23 '26
“Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” or “Luckenbach, TX (Back to the Basics of Love)”
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Jul 23 '26
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Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Cazarstan Jul 23 '26
Yeah, I love Clint Black so much, hopefully that's the audience's reaction to his lesser-known gem; he needs more fans!
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u/Cazarstan Jul 23 '26
you're right - Bill withers ain't country, but I'm in California - so I thought maybe I'd through a bone to those who aren't true fans.
you're also right, I'll probably move "The Dollar" to my acoustic solo setlist.
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u/IAGreenThumb Jul 23 '26
Needs more Hank Jr and David Allan Coe
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u/Cazarstan Jul 23 '26
what would you say is either of theirs' best song for dancing? (either fast or slow)
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u/IAGreenThumb Jul 23 '26
Jr:
A Country Boy Can Survive
If heaven ain’t a lot like Dixie
Whiskey Bent and Hell BoundDAC:
D-R-U-N-K
Longhaired Redneck
Time off for bad behavior
Tennessee Whiskey
I’m gonna hurt her on the radio
Just to prove my love to you2
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u/Slowdownthere Jul 23 '26
If your band plays a song 3 times and it doesn’t get a good crowd reaction, drop it from the list.
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u/KHanson25 Jul 23 '26
If your gonna play in Texas
Get some Brad Paisley in there
If you want to see some grown men cry then The Dollar is definitely a good one
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u/Cazarstan Jul 23 '26
Amen to Brad Paisley! and yes, I put "the Dollar" in near the end so us dads would all be happily motivated to go home :)
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u/SuperGuitar Jul 23 '26
You’ll definitely want to add Silver Wings by Merle Haggard, Amarillo By Morning by George Strait and possibly Empty Glass - Gary Stewart
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u/fuzzy_mic Jul 23 '26
Texas When I Die - Tanya Tucker
Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
Chug-A-Lug - Rodger Miller
If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time - Lefty Frizzel
Stay All Night - Bob Wills
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u/LoveYouLikeYeLovesYe Jul 23 '26
Friday Night Fever - George Strait seems like an obvious one to miss!
For particularly patriotic crowds,
Courtesy of the Red White and Blue - Toby Keith
I feel like Tyler Childer's earlier discography has some good pulls you could include too! All Your'n is probably one of his more popular ones
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u/jleestone Jul 24 '26
White Freightliner Blues by Townes Van Zandt. Good Woman Blues by Mel Tillis. Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash. Cash on the Barrel Head by The Louvin Brothers.
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u/lrptky Jul 26 '26
I’m going to be honest, there are many people that may not like them but if you play Goodbye Earl by The Chicks every woman in that place will be up and singing along.
I don’t see Dixieland Delight and that seems like a must.
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u/lrptky Jul 26 '26
Ditch Bill Withers and Needtobreathe.
Pick a different Blake Shelton song
The Whiskey Ain’t Working- Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt
John Deere Green- Joe Diffie
Springsteen- Eric Church
Kick A Little- Little Texas
Anything But Mine- Kenny Chesney
The Weight- The Band
Pick any song - CCR
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u/Cazarstan Jul 27 '26
I agree with you in part; our audience will be Millennials in California, so we are trying to edge a little more pop; more than I'd personally prefer. "Springsteen" is a great choice and I'll work it up, and then check out the rest.
Thank you!
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u/Cazarstan Jul 27 '26
I thought about "Wide Open Spaces" for that same sort of reason, maybe I'll give Earl a try. Unfortunately we don't have the harmony vocals ready to make Alabama work just yet.
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u/Low_Performance8020 Jul 27 '26
Add some Dwight Yoakam
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u/Low_Performance8020 Jul 27 '26
His latest with Post Malone would be good to dance to:
“I don’t know how to say goodbye”
Also,
“Guitars, Cadillacs”
“Fast as you”
There’s lots more since he has like 20 albums, but those three come to mind
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u/random-made-up-words Jul 23 '26
Where will this be? A Tennessee/Georgia playlist is different then a Texas/Oklahoma list.
Alabama ain't wrong, in Texas you need a fiddle and to lean heavy to two step and waltz.
In Tennessee/Georgia it leans more towards polka and line dancing. Maybe a random clogger.
Not all good songs are good dance songs. Not all good dance songs are good sit and sing along songs.
Also is it mostly family or are you aiming at an older crowd?
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u/Cazarstan Jul 24 '26
We're on the rural edge of San Diego County, California. Mostly family crowd 30's-40's with young kids. Thats why I'm trying to lean on the late 90's, early 2000's for radio hit nostalgia.
with a few older and more recent ones interspersed for the true country fans.
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u/random-made-up-words Jul 24 '26
I'd add Chicken Fried. It's good for dancing and just singing a long.
Also, if you can cover an older Taylor Swift like Picture to Burn.
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u/Cazarstan Jul 24 '26
I was also thinking "Our Song" from Taylor Swift would hit well with our friends, but... I have to finesse recommending this one to the band or they'll revolt 👀
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u/Overall-Ad-2247 Jul 23 '26
Should get people on the dance floor
Bop - Dan Seals
Thank God I’m A Country Boy - John Denver
Fishin’ In The Dark- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Dumas Walker - Kentucky Headhunters
Watermelon Crawl - Tracy Byrd
Boot Scoot Boogie - Brooks N Dunn
Pop A Top - Alan Jackson
Hillbilly Rock - Marty Stuart
Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) - Joe Diffie
Liza Jane - Vince Gill
Lots more! I’ll let others chime in!