Hard for me to hate on Steve Earle for his politics he is such a great songwriter. And why Copperhead Road isn't on this list I will never know.
I assume the folks who compiled the list Disapprove of Marijuana. (I do, too, in a "mind your own business" sorta way, but that's another thread.)
Steve's a total goofball, but he is an incredible songwriter. What he records is only a fraction of his writing output. When I used to watch videos on CMT (back when we had cable) I was amazed at all his songwriting credits.
I'm pretty sure he wrote "Black Velvet," which was recorded by a lovely, tall girl with a powerful soprano voice. That should be on the list of Best Southern Songs, too.