40 Greatest Hits

by Hank Williams

40 Greatest Hits cover art
  • Type: Compilation
  • Released: 1978
  • Label: Polydor
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 1:46:39
  • Community rating: 5/5 from 4 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Released on the 25th anniversary of his death, '40 Greatest Hits' serves as the definitive introduction to Hank Williams, preserving his recordings in their original mono without the overdubs that marked previous compilations. The collection showcases the foundational country and honky-tonk sound he pioneered, centered on his uniquely raw, emotive vocal delivery that transformed personal struggles with pain and heartbreak into universally understood anthems. Spanning his most influential tracks, the album distills his unmatched skill for songwriting, which combined deceptively simple language with profound themes of love, loss, and redemption, cementing his legacy as a cornerstone of American music.

Genres

Tracklist

  1. Move It On Over (02:45)
  2. Mansion On The Hill (02:36)
  3. Lovesick Blues - Single Version (02:45)
  4. Wedding Bells (02:56)
  5. Mind Your Own Business (02:57)
  6. You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) - Single Version (02:59)
  7. Lost Highway (02:44)
  8. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It (02:33)
  9. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Single Version (02:49)
  10. I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Living - Single Version (02:49)
  11. Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Single Version (02:38)
  12. My Son Calls Another Man Daddy - MGM Single Version (02:34)
  13. Why Don't You Love Me - Single Version (02:25)
  14. Why Should We Try Anymore - Single Version (02:38)
  15. They'll Never Take Her Love From Me - Single Version (02:47)
  16. Moanin' The Blues - Single Version (02:25)
  17. Nobody's Lonesome For Me - Single Version (02:31)
  18. Cold, Cold Heart (02:45)
  19. Dear John (02:35)
  20. Howlin' At The Moon (02:42)
  21. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) - Single Version (02:25)
  22. Hey, Good Lookin' (02:55)
  23. Crazy Heart (02:29)
  24. (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle - Single Version (02:28)
  25. Baby We're Really In Love (02:34)
  26. Ramblin' Man - Single Version (03:04)
  27. Honky Tonk Blues (02:12)
  28. I'm Sorry For You My Friend (02:43)
  29. Half As Much (02:44)
  30. Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (02:54)
  31. Window Shopping - Single Version (02:33)
  32. Settin' The Woods On Fire (02:38)
  33. You Win Again (02:36)
  34. I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (02:26)
  35. Kaw-Liga (02:35)
  36. Your Cheatin' Heart (02:43)
  37. Take These Chains From My Heart - Single Version (02:40)
  38. I Won't Be Home No More (02:45)
  39. Weary Blues From Waitin' - Single Version / Dubbed (02:38)
  40. I Saw The Light (02:44)

Credits

  • Hank Williams - voice, guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Zeke Turner - guitar
  • Jerry Byrd - steel guitar
  • Bob McNett - guitar
  • Hillous Butrum - bass
  • Jerry Rivers - fiddle
  • Don Helms - steel guitar
  • Malcolm Jones - compiled by, coordinator, remastered by [album re-mastering]
  • Tony Byworth - compiled by, liner notes, album compiler, photography
  • Bill Smith (19) - design [sleeve]
  • Peter Wilson - engineer
  • Fred Rose - producer
  • Wesley Rose - producer [produced with]
  • Ted Jensen - cd mastering, mastered by
  • Tom Ruff - digital preparation and transfers from best available mono sources, transferred by [digital prep]
  • Tim Rogers - digital preparation and transfers from best available mono sources, transferred by [digital prep]
  • Alan Stoker - digital preparation and transfers from 78 rpm discs, transferred by [digital prep]
  • Holly Friedman - art direction
  • Richard Deagle - design [cd]

More from Hank Williams: full discography