I’d vote for Vaughn Monroe.
[sarcasm]
Hey don’t forget the rousing rendition by Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman in “Blues Brothers 2000” [/sarcasm]
Podkayne
*Using mostly Pepsi caps, I’m working on a cowboy mix for my sister.
*
What are Pepsi caps ?
Just in passing, I’m a big fan of cowboy music, what are some of the other songs in the mix?
I hate to disappoint, but I’m afraid it’s more cowboy-themed music than cowboy music per se, with some other westerny-sounding stuff I like thrown in.
Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys by Willie Nelson with Waylon Jennings
This is the inspiration for the whole thing, really. For my birthday this year, along with a couple books from my Amazon wishlist (none of them having anything to do with cowboys) my sister (inexplicably) gave me a bookmark with cartoon picture of a little boy playing cowboy on it, and (equally inexplicably) wrote 'Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys!" on the back.
Nothing to say I couldn’t throw some more cowboy music in, though. My grandpa had this great 8-track of cowboy songs that we listened to all the time when we were kids. I should try looking some of them up. But, darn it, iTunes doesn’t have Slim Whitman’s “Cattle Call”!
Grand Prairie TX Homesick Blues by Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer
I love this tune. The theme is that you can never go home again. (Even if you’re a cowboy.)
Highwayman by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings & Kris Kristofferson
Just 'cause it’s dorky and I like it.
Untitled by Live
It’s westerny-sounding and The chorus is, “She rode a horse into my head / She won’t discipline the children . . .” Not strictly about cowboys.
Midnight Rider by Willie Nelson
Another dorky one I like. Plus I have a thing for the Redheaded Stranger, if you haven’t noticed.
Sad Songs And Waltzes by Cake
Orignally written by Willie Nelson, if I am not mistaken, and nicely revisited by Cake.
WALTZ For Zizi by the Seatbelts
A pretty little waltz from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Willie Nelson
Cowboys . . . Willie . . .
Firefly Main Theme by Sonny Rhodes
From Firefly the series. She’s neither a Joss Whedon fan nor a sci fi fan, so she probably won’t “get” it, but I still think it’s a cool song.
Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys
My sister was absolutely nuts for this song when she was, like, four years old. She looooved the “Giddyup a-oom-pop a-oom-pop, a-mow-mow” part. 
Makes me grin just thinking about her singing along to it.
Are you looking for an introduction to cowboy music, or just some other things to listen to besides the traditional stuff?
For goofy English Rockabilly version, you can’t top King Kurt from the early 1980’s
I’m very fond of a twisty-spooky rock version by Christian alternative rock band Daniel Amos. Unfortunately it’s not available online.
After Vaughn Monroe’s version, I would vote for the instrumental version by Roy Clark from the 1973 album Superpicker.
Michael Martin Murphey did a whole album of only cowboy songs. My ex got it in the divorce, but there are quite a lot of old standards on it and it is a very good album. I’m pretty sure “Ghost Riders” is on it and that was pretty good. However, count me in the crowd of folks who say Sons of the Pioneers for the definitive version. I like the version I have that was done by a local chuck wagon band, The Bar D Wranglers. The guy who sings tenor toured with SotP for a while. I don’t think it is available in general release, though.
There is also a version of Riders on the Blues Brother 2 soundtrack. Dan Akroyd, John Goodman, Blues Brother Band.
Well, I’m glad to say you can still get the CD! It’s “Colorado”
I like the Spike Jones version myself 
Daniel Amos did some interesting stuff, including “Posse in the Sky” and “Shotgun Angel.” VERY hard to find, though, even through “illegitimate” sources.
May I suggest adding to your compilation the Pinkard & Bowden song, “Crumbling Stumbleweed”?
They kept crumbling stumbleweed
They’d put in their pipe and they’d puff a cloudy draw
There were crumbling stumbleweed
They were having too much fun, and that’s against the law
For my money it’s the Outlaws version.
I’m pretty familiar with the genre (probably can tell from my first post), but I tend to prefer the more traditional stuff. I even have a copy of the Bronze Buckaroo himself singing (among other things) Ghost Riders… (and a western swing version by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys)
No, I was just interested in what other tunes he was going to include.