http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3457&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rssBorn in Waco, Tex., in 1925, country star Hank Thompson's success and career longevity is frankly amazing, given the fickle nature of popular music. From the late 1940s through the 1970s he was consistently in the country charts, landing nearly fifty songs in the Top-10 or Top-20. The key to Thompson's longevity lies in his songwriting and his band's consistent sound. Thompson's songs often cast an unflinching eye on the drinking and carousing honky-tonk lifestyle, as exemplified by his signature song "The Wild Side of Life" as well as "Honky-Tonk Girl" and "Six-Pack to Go." Thompson and his band the Brazos Valley Boys created a prototypical honky-tonk/western swing hybrid sound, with twin fiddles, steel guitar, piano, bass and drums joining his rough-hewn baritone vocals to form a streamlined sonic juggernaut that was both hard-hitting and musically sophisticated. Thompson stuck by his sound over the years, and it has never really gone out of style. For much of his career he maintained a brutal touring schedule of over 200 nights a year on the road. Thompson released a record of brand new songs in 2000. Not bad for a 75-year-old man. He passed away in hospice on November 6, 2007 at the age of 82 after being diagnosed with lung cancer. - Tom HeymanTraditional Countryen720Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:03:38 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3457&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Born in Waco, Tex., in 1925, country star Hank Thompson's success and career longevity is frankly amazing, given the fickle nature of popular music. From the late 1940s through the 1970s he was consistently in the country charts, landing nearly fifty songs in the Top-10 or Top-20. The key to Thompson's longevity lies in his songwriting and his band's consistent sound. Thompson's songs often cast an unflinching eye on the drinking and carousing honky-tonk lifestyle, as exemplified by his signature song "The Wild Side of Life" as well as "Honky-Tonk Girl" and "Six-Pack to Go." Thompson and his band the Brazos Valley Boys created a prototypical honky-tonk/western swing hybrid sound, with twin fiddles, steel guitar, piano, bass and drums joining his rough-hewn baritone vocals to form a streamlined sonic juggernaut that was both hard-hitting and musically sophisticated. Thompson stuck by his sound over the years, and it has never really gone out of style. For much of his career he maintained a brutal touring schedule of over 200 nights a year on the road. Thompson released a record of brand new songs in 2000. Not bad for a 75-year-old man. He passed away in hospice on November 6, 2007 at the age of 82 after being diagnosed with lung cancer. - Tom Heyman http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044428&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044428 tra.2044428 Hank Thompson art.3457 1.29 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true The Wild Side Of Life tra.2044428 164000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044428&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044428&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044441&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044441 tra.2044441 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true A Six Pack To Go tra.2044441 129000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044441&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044441&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044425&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044425 tra.2044425 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Humpty Dumpty Heart, (I've Got A) tra.2044425 146000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044425&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044425&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512917&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Tue, 6 Jul 1999 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 1512917 tra.1512917 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Hankworld: The Unissued World Transcriptions alb.236000 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/7/397148_170x170.jpg 2004-01-01 00:00:00.0 1999-07-06 00:00:00.0 true New Deal of Love tra.1512917 126000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512917&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512917&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512908&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Honky-Tonk Tue, 6 Jul 1999 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 1512908 tra.1512908 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Hankworld: The Unissued World Transcriptions alb.236000 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/7/397148_170x170.jpg 2004-01-01 00:00:00.0 1999-07-06 00:00:00.0 true A Lonely Heart Knows tra.1512908 127000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512908&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512908&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28431860&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Fri, 29 May 2009 06:05:48 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 28431860 tra.28431860 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 The Very Best Of alb.28422286 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/1/7/2/1682717_170x170.jpg 2009-04-21 00:00:00.0 null true The Blackboard Of My Heart tra.28431860 135000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28431860&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28431860&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044445&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044445 tra.2044445 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Oklahoma Hills tra.2044445 166000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044445&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044445&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044433&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044433 tra.2044433 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Wildwood Flower - (instrumental) tra.2044433 177000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044433&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044433&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1384296&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Tue, 2 Sep 1997 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 1384296 tra.1384296 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Hank Thompson & Friends alb.218092 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/8/9/1/421986_170x170.jpg 1997-09-02 00:00:00.0 1997-09-02 00:00:00.0 true Gotta Sell Them Chickens - (with Junior Brown) tra.1384296 177000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1384296&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1384296&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512930&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Sun, 1 Jan 1995 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 1512930 tra.1512930 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Greatest Songs Vol. 2 alb.249516 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/1/8/5/285810_170x170.jpg 1995-03-28 00:00:00.0 1995-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Breaking The Rules tra.1512930 178000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512930&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512930&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044426&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044426 tra.2044426 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Whoa, Sailor tra.2044426 141000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044426&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044426&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044427&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044427 tra.2044427 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Swing Wide Your Gate Of Love tra.2044427 143000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044427&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044427&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28310942&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Fri, 22 May 2009 12:45:09 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 28310942 tra.28310942 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Country Classics - 26 Original Hits alb.28301560 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/7/4/3/1673476_170x170.jpg 2009-05-05 00:00:00.0 null true The Wild Side of Life tra.28310942 162000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28310942&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28310942&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044434&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044434 tra.2044434 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Honky-Tonk Girl tra.2044434 147000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044434&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044434&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2136214&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Tue, 6 Jul 1999 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2136214 tra.2136214 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Hankworld: The Unissued World Transcriptions alb.236000 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/7/397148_170x170.jpg 2004-01-01 00:00:00.0 1999-07-06 00:00:00.0 true Rub-A-Dub-Dub tra.2136214 121000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2136214&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2136214&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.26365796&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Sun, 1 Mar 2009 07:01:58 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 26365796 tra.26365796 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Kings & Queens Of Country alb.26359931 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/0/3/9/1579302_170x170.jpg 1999-01-01 00:00:00.0 null true The Wild Side Of Life tra.26365796 170000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.26365796&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.26365796&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28432184&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Fri, 29 May 2009 06:05:59 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 28432184 tra.28432184 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Greatest Country Hits Of The 50s alb.28422294 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/2/7/2/1682725_170x170.jpg 2009-04-28 00:00:00.0 null true Wake Up,Irene tra.28432184 137000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28432184&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28432184&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044430&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044430 tra.2044430 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Wake Up, Irene tra.2044430 137000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044430&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044430&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.11167223&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 11167223 tra.11167223 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Hank Thompson: Hank World alb.11155490 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/7/0/4/1604070_170x170.jpg 2006-01-10 00:00:00.0 2006-01-10 00:00:00.0 true A Lonely Heart Knows tra.11167223 127000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.11167223&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.11167223&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.11167243&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 11167243 tra.11167243 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Hank Thompson: Hank World alb.11155490 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/7/0/4/1604070_170x170.jpg 2006-01-10 00:00:00.0 2006-01-10 00:00:00.0 true Humpty Dumpty Heart tra.11167243 115000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.11167243&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.11167243&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512926&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Sun, 1 Jan 1995 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 1512926 tra.1512926 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Greatest Songs Vol. 1 alb.284339 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/9/0/8/5/285809_170x170.jpg 1995-03-28 00:00:00.0 1995-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Squaws Along The Yukon tra.1512926 148000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512926&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512926&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512931&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Sun, 1 Jan 1995 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 1512931 tra.1512931 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Greatest Songs Vol. 2 alb.249516 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/1/8/5/285810_170x170.jpg 1995-03-28 00:00:00.0 1995-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Anybody's Girl tra.1512931 155000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512931&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1512931&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044431&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044431 tra.2044431 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Cryin' In The Deep Blue Sea tra.2044431 151000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044431&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044431&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044436&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 2044436 tra.2044436 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Vintage Collections alb.234808 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/0/4/1/4/394140_170x170.jpg 1996-06-11 00:00:00.0 1996-01-01 00:00:00.0 true This Train tra.2044436 149000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044436&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2044436&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29839435&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Traditional Country Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Hank Thompson on Rhapsody Online 29839435 tra.29839435 Hank Thompson art.3457 0.99 Country Bumpkin alb.29821166 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/8/7/4/1784788_170x170.jpg 2009-08-17 00:00:00.0 2009-08-17 00:00:00.0 true Green Light tra.29839435 131000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29839435&variant=play&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29839435&variant=data&rws=%2Fhank-thompson%2Ftop-tracks.rss