What is the best country band of all time?

Country music is the sound of American life — its heartaches, its highways, its wide-open spaces. From the Carter Family's foundational harmonies to Alabama's crossover domination and the Eagles' sun-soaked anthems, these bands shaped a genre and a culture. Which country band do you believe left the most enduring legacy?

1. 1
   The Carter Family

   The first family of country music, pioneers of the country sound
2. 2
   Alabama

   Country band that dominated the charts in the 1980s with a rock-influenced sound
3. 3
   The Eagles

   Country rock band known for "Hotel California" and "Take It Easy"
4. 4
   The Chicks

   Formerly the Dixie Chicks, country trio known for their outspoken views
5. 5
   Zac Brown Band

   Contemporary country band known for blending country with rock and jam band elements
6. 6
   Old Crow Medicine Show

   String band known for "Wagon Wheel" and old-time Americana music
7. 7
   Little Big Town

   Harmony-driven country quartet known for "Girl Crush"
8. 8
   Lady A

   Country trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum, known for smooth country pop
9. 9
   Rascal Flatts

   Country trio known for their harmony-heavy pop-country sound
10. 10
    Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

    Country rock band known for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"
11. 11
    The Band

    Canadian-American rock group rooted in country and Americana music
12. 12
    Shenandoah

    Country band from Alabama known for "The Church on Cumberland Road"
13. 13
    The Highwaymen

    Country supergroup featuring Cash, Nelson, Kristofferson, and Jennings
14. 14
    Midland

    Texas country band known for their retro 80s country sound
15. 15
    Confederate Railroad

    Southern country band known for "Trashy Women"