The Definitive Collection: George Jones (1955-1962)

There are a few compilations that gather early Starday and Mercury singles by the late, great George Jones, but this one boils it all down to an ample 22 essentials spanning his first seven years. It starts with his very first single, “Why Baby Why”: a honky tonk tune that contrasts upbeat tempos and peppy melodies with lovelorn lyrics of infidelity. Recorded in 1955 at Houston's Gold Star Studios, it featured Jones backed by the house band of lead guitarist Glenn Barber, pedal steel picker Herb Remington, pianist Doc Lewis, and fiddle player Tony Sepolio (who vowed never to work with Jones again due to his heavy drinking during the session). Other gems include the rollicking “I’m Ragged But I’m Right,” which not only became Jones’ theme song but also the title of a 1984 George Jones autobiography penned by Dolly Carlisle. “Just One More” is the first slower song here that lets you intimately hear the palpable ache in Jones' voice. It was this style of singing that earned him the nickname “King of the Broken Hearts.”