Country Women

They're tough, they're tender, and you can bet your bottom dollar they've got something to say: the women of country tell us about life and love they way it is, from the devotional resilience of Shania Twain ("You're Still the One") to the man-weary exasperation of Deana Carter, who asks, "Did I Shave My Legs for This?" Make no mistake, there's a ton of great advice to be found among these Nashville-centric Essentials, so listen up, girls, and learn. Our strongest country women take a stand, in Next Steps.

When country women find themselves at the rough end of the stick, there's no way they're going to take it lying down, especially Miranda Lambert, whose heroine plans to show an abusive husband "what little girls are made of" on "Gunpowder & Lead" from 2007's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Mindy McCready, who thinks up a fistful of ways to level the playing field on "Guys Do It All the Time". Men aren't all bad, though, judging by Lila McCann's "Because of You". We pay homage to the women who made it all possible, in Deep Cuts.

Two of the singers who gave the macho establishment a run for its money in the '60s, and paved the way for countless aspiring country women, take pride of place here in Deep Cuts. Tammy Wynette offers her peerless take on domestic strife with "I Don't Wanna Play House" while Loretta Lynn takes a stand against a love rival with "You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man". And Linda Ronstadt joins Dolly Parton for a crossover duet to die for: "I Never Will Marry".

These Essentials are much, much more than a collection of great country tunes: they make up a guide to life — the good, the bad, and the ugly (that'll be men-folk, at their low-down worst) — as experienced by hard-hitting, hard-lovin', hard-done-by women. It's all about taking a stand and singing like a nightingale. Here you'll find former American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler resplendent in her "Red High Heels", Martina McBride in fine spiritual form on "Anyway" ("God is great, but sometimes life ain't good"), and Aussie country girl Kasey Chambers dreaming of life the way it's supposed to be in the movies ("Hollywood"). Girls, before you head out into that big, old world and live your life to the full, take in the collective country wisdom we've assembled here: it's worth its weight in gold.