Song · Willie Nelson
“Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson
From the album Shotgun Willie (1973)
“Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson appears on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2001 and 2026. It was first released in 1973 on the album Shotgun Willie. Its best result is #773 on the KXT 917 Song Countdown. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #5,183 indie & aaa song of all time.
Willie Nelson didn't write "Whiskey River" (his friend Johnny Bush did, with Paul Stroud), but he claimed it anyway, first cutting it for Shotgun Willie and then making it the song that kicks off his shows, which it has done since around 1974. Not being a Nelson original hasn't stopped it from becoming one of his signature tunes and a concert staple.
In 1978 Columbia took a live version from Willie and Family Live and released it as a single. And when Austin City Limits shot its pilot episode, Nelson's "Whiskey River" was the first song ever performed on the long-running show.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1485 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2007 | 838 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2026 | 773 | KXT | KXT 917 Song Countdown | 917 |
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