George Jones (just about any song, but "he stopped loving her is pretty damn good)
Merle (ditto - “Mama Tried”)
Anyone else have some (possibly more obscure) artists and songs that might fit on this list?
Without a doubt,
HANK WILLIAMS SR.
I’m getting teary just thinking about his songs
Pezzie’s got it. It’s gotta be 'Ole Hank. Natch.
Well I’m listening to The Dixie Chicks right now and it sure seems to fit.Without You etc.
The Story of Us soundtrack is also good for those late nights alone.
Elliot Smith is good too.
Gin Blossoms
Paul Simon Hearts and Bones, Rhythym of the Saints, I am a Rock
Squeeze
I’ve got lots more where that came from.
Patsy Cline – when her voice breaks on “Faded Love”
Crazy Arms – can’t recall who did the original, but BR549’s remake was very nice
Dwight Yoakam and Jimmie Dale Gilmore are the current masters, I think
I have to agree with Hank Williams Sr. (and I don’t even like country as a rule), and add in Patsy Cline.
AuntiePam, you have excellent taste in honky tonk music.
I would add George Jones, Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, the underappreciated Webb Pierce (“There Stands the Glass,” “Tupelo County Jail”), and some early Buck Owens.
As far as current acts, in addition to those named by AuntiePam, I am partial to The Derailers.
Jerry Jeff Walker, an’ fer jest one dam’ song, tew: “London Homesick Blues”. Git on ovah ta Napstah, an’ download this piece o’ pure art, y’all.
spoke- - The Derailers? I haven’t been keeping up, but if you like my picks, I’d probably like them.
And the all time best honky tonk drinkin’ cryin’ song ever recorded is:
Johnny Cash – Sunday Morning Comin’ Down
God.
Gram Parsons: “Song for You”, “Brass Buttons, Green Silks and Silver Shoes”, “She”, “Hot Burrito”, etc…
Emmylou Harris: “Still Waters”, “Love Hurts”.
Buddy and Julie Miller: “I Still Cry”, “Broken Things”, “I Know Why the River Runs”.
Steve Earl: “My Old Friend the Blues”.
Neil Young: “Don’t Let It Bring You Down”, “Helpless”,
“Out on the Weekend”, “Old Country Waltz”, “Too Far Gone”.
Merle Haggard: “You Take Me For Granted”, “My Favorite Memory”, “Snowball Headed for Hell”, “Reasons to Quit”.
…Oh boy, I better stop. Guess I’ll put on a record.
Ray Price did the original “Crazy Arms.” It’s a great song.
Also:
Webb Pierce - There Stands the Glass
Merle Haggard - Sing a Sad Song
Hank Williams - I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
Bob Wills - Bubbles in My Beer and the original Faded Love
John Prine…check out http://www.ohboy.com
I guess it figures that someone named kawliga would know about honky tonk songs. 
spoke- - listened to some Derailers last night at http://www.ubl.com and ended up buying the Reverb disc. Nice stuff – thanks for the tip!
I’d like to hear some more nominations here. Quite a few I haven’t heard so far.
A few more I forgot to list:
Don Gibson - Oh Lonesome Me
Lefty Frizell - I Love You a Thousand Ways, Always Late
Ernest Tubb - You Nearly Lose Your Mind, Walking the Floor over You
Buck Owens - Cryin’ Time, Close up the Honky Tonks
Wynn Stewart, a somewhat forgotten pioneer of the Bakersfield sound and a great honky tonk singer - Heartaches for a Dime, Wishful Thinking
I will have to agree with any and all the posts put up by Kawliga. I cast my personal votes for:
George Strait - #7 and Something Special are both loaded with greatness. “Nobody in His Right Mind”, “It’s Not Right, But Lefty’s Gone”, and “Haven’t You Heard” are songs that define his sound, IMO.
Merle Haggard: The first album I ever bought was “The Best of The Best” with songs like “Daddy Frank”, “Silver Wings”, and “Hungry Eyes”, among others.
Gary Stewart - “Empty Glass”
The Dixie Chicks - “You Were Mine”
That just scratches the surface…
You’ll love that CD, AuntiePam. Especially the end. It closes with a big-grin-inducing, honky-tonk-style cover of Prince’s Raspberry Beret. The song is a hidden track (i.e., not listed on the jacket, but tacked on at the end of the last cut).
Kawliga, you have posted some real winners. Also, I don’t think anyone has mentioned Kitty Wells singing It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels, so I will. Great honky tonk tune. (Written as an answer to the song Wild Side of Life by Hank Thompson, wherein he loses his wife to the honky tonks.)
By the way, if any of y’all ever come through Atlanta, you owe it to yourselves to visit the Star Bar, dedicated to preserving the honky tonk tradition. All the up-and-coming “new honky tonk” acts play there. BR5-49, The Derailers, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore all came through, along with many others in the same vein. And don’t forget to visit the Elvis shrine.
Oh yeah, and those of you who don’t already own it ought to pick up a copy of Tulare Dust: A Tribute to Merle Haggard. There are some great covers on there. My favorite is “Big City” sung by Iris Dement.
One last thing. Has anybody mentioned Conway Twitty? Hard to beat “Fifteen Years Ago” or "Hello Darlin’ " as crying-in-your-beer soundtracks.
OK, OK, one more thing:
In the spirit of the season (and of this thread), y’all ought to give a listen to “Merry Christmas from the Family” by Rober Earl Keen. (It’s on his Gringo Honeymoon CD.) It is without a doubt the most hilarious Christmas song ever written.
I mean Robert Earl Keen, of course.
spoke- - a honky tonk in Atlanta? I wouldn’t have guessed. (I don’t get out much.) I saw Jimmie Dale (with Butch and Joe) in Minneapolis last April – they were astounding. I could go listen to them every night.
A few others that can make me cry are Rodney Crowell, Billy Joe Royal and k d lang.
And it seems like everyone mentioned has excellent back-up musicians.