Country Tunes…Help!

I have a confession to make: I love happy country tunes.  I loathed them growing up, but somewhere along the line I fell for country and I fell hard.  The thing is, I know so little about it!  I have a playlist of 30 or so songs made by a friend (it has everything from Johnny Cash to Taylor Swift), but that’s it.  So I need your help—what country songs and/or artists do you recommend?  Where should I start?  I’d be forever grateful!

(image: paranoiagirl)