Flip through the slideshow below for 20 of country's saddest songs, from classics like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" to newer songs like Jason Isbell's "Dress Blues." ...

The first flowering of country blues on records happened in 1926. It seems there were 25 or 30 records by blues artists on or related to the 1927 flood. The songs present a variety of commentary ...

These nostalgic country songs aren't all debuts or No. 1 hits, but they did help put some of the the genre's biggest names on the map.

Smith, along with Ma Rainey, toured the country with vaudeville tent shows spreading the blues across the States ... who took their name from one of his songs. BB King was another musician ...

When elements of R&B became integrated with white country music it became rock 'n' roll. If you were to meet a typical character from a blues song he would most likely be down on his luck ...

When elements of R&B became integrated with white country music it became rock 'n' roll. If you were to meet a typical character from a blues song he would most likely be down on his luck ...