Yay, Better Man! :cheer: Fab track that one. Diane is good, Swifty is never bad (I dont know those two, I think) :o

Tequila and Take Your Time are iconic 2010s country songs *.*

Taste *.*

 

Yay, Better Man! :cheer: Fab track that one. Diane is good, Swifty is never bad (I dont know those two, I think) :o

Omg both are essential!!

A banger *.* Surely the furthest into dance-pop a country hit has strayed all decade, and all the better for it. It's a perfect balance between twangs and synths, it should have been way bigger of a crossover hit than it was, but it's her the best song nonetheless.

 

This felt a real turning point in Carrie's sound! The atmospheric production is fitting for a song about a storm, and makes for probably one of her most pop songs to date, with 80s influences but keeping that country heart, it feels like one of those songs nobody else could record but Carrie nails it.

 

 

This improved even further on the formula of Take Your Time, a bit more R&B, a bit more drama, even a bit of dubstep - it all sounds so weird but it works! Sam Hunt to a T, this song defies categorisation but at its heart its got the relatable story, melodies aplenty and heartbreak that makes a great country song. Spoiler: this is the best country song of the decade by a male EASY :wub:

 

 

This led the iconic Speak Now album, and was a perfect introduction to the era. This felt like a natural progression as a slightly more realsitic and grown up Love Story, still sweet and lovely but with a grown-up view that things aren't always perfect.

 

Something more traditional now, a raw and simple country song where the vocals do all the work. Nobody can emote quite like Miranda in country today and that's the tea, you feel every word and every nuance and she makes it seem so effortless.

 

The soul in this song *.* She's got a touch of Amy Winehouse vibe in her voice that adds something different and I love that about her, there's a bit of gospel, a bit of soul, and a bit of country, and that combines for a genius singalong song that won't leave your head, and one hell of a statement for a debut single.

 

 

As with Diane, this is an often unused take on an old trope - a female narrator admitting she wronged a man. The sparse production allows the raw emotion to shine, with all the anguish, regret and pain on show, this is one of those songs that doesn't mean much to say a hell of a lot and sometimes less is more, so this really stands out among this decade's crop of the best country songs.

 

 

Taylor's same-titled album really toed the line and played with the malleability of pop and country, this title track is the perfect example of that. It has an undeniable country core, mixed with a glossier sheen in some pop production, plus a kaleidoscope of lyrics that paint the perfect picture in your mind, a fine example of why Taylor is arguably the best songwriter of our generation.

 

12

 

The chaotic excellence of this off-beat arrangement *.* This is like her classics Kerosene and Gunpowder & Lead, and joins them among her best songs with its angry and slightly unhinged delivery that tells of going off the rails even at the expense of the narrator's mother who is embarrassed at the way the next generation deals with heartbreak.

 

 

Just missing the top 10 is a glossy bop for the gays, Kacey yee-hawed her way to the disco and gave us life doing so *.* It's still undeniably country, but the sound melds so well with classic disco, it's just such a fun song that crosses boundaries and inspires so much experimentation, I hope her success invites more artist to blur boundaries like she has. The fact this wasn't a massive crossover smash is a robbery tbh, but then country radio hate her so she barely got a country hit either </3

Diane was a nice song, didn't make my votes but was in my Top 25 (and I can vaguely remember how it does which is always a good sign!)

 

I like Kelsea Ballerini but think I must have missed Miss Me More! Giving a listen now, it's fab just as I would expect :wub:

4 fab tracks I bought and charted here - My Church, Red, High Horse, Miss Me More. The others don't ring a bell (I'm more a casual country fan, buying them when I come across them), but the company they are keeping is quality, so.... :D :dance:

Mine >>>>> 90% of Taylor’s discography ngl

The most recent track in this top 10, the way this is going I think this just might be top 3 or 5 at least if I did it later, this kind of inspired the list but it feels too early to put it above some of my all time faves that are to come! This is this generation’s Before He Cheats, a scathing yet relatable revenge tune with huge pop sensibility plus a refreshing, empowering perspective, twisting the chorus from forgiveness to bitter in seconds with the one perfect line “and then I hope she cheats, like you did on me”. Just this week, this hit top 10 on the all-genre Hot 100, which hasn't happened for a female crossover act since Before He Cheats I believe, other than Taylor Swift.

 

Spirtual queen *.* Only Carrie could sample Amazing Grace and make it such a banger tbh x This is a soaring epic of a track that could ascend to the heavens with the vocals ALONE. Not since her own Jesus Take The Wheel has country and Christian merged so epically.

 

Diane was a nice song, didn't make my votes but was in my Top 25 (and I can vaguely remember how it does which is always a good sign!)

 

I like Kelsea Ballerini but think I must have missed Miss Me More! Giving a listen now, it's fab just as I would expect :wub:

MMM is her best song for sure *.*

 

4 fab tracks I bought and charted here - My Church, Red, High Horse, Miss Me More. The others don't ring a bell (I'm more a casual country fan, buying them when I come across them), but the company they are keeping is quality, so.... :D :dance:

I'd recommend them all, ofc :P

 

Mine >>>>> 90% of Taylor’s discography ngl

It's probably like top 20-15 of ALL her stuff for me :lol:

Oops should probs quickly finish this, lost motivation

 

08 Taylor Swift - Back To December

This was a change of pace for Taylor, she was becoming known for her break-up songs and this turned her familiar narrative around by admitting her wrongs in a relationship, confessing and apologising through the medium of this gorgeous orchestrally backed huge and dramatic country ballad. She'd written so relatably and deftly about heartbreak, break-ups and rejection, it was great to see her tackle something else, being apologetic and having that moment of growth and maturity when you realise your mistakes and move on from them.

 

07 The Band Perry - If I Die Young

This is one of the most heartbreaking songs of all time, of course it is with a title like that :lol: The narrator describes her short life and how it was "just enough", despite harbouring some sadness about the things she'd missed out on. It's morbid really but it's a beautiful song, it took on new levels of sadness with the recent death of Naya Rivera, as of course her Glee character sang it for the memorial of character Finn Hudson (and in turn his actor Cory Monteith, her friend and co-star who also passed away). With that extra meaning behind it, it hits different ever since </3

 

06 Lady A – Need You Now

Technically this is 2009 but it was 2010 in the UK and I didn't realise that until too late oops xx This is the highest song to feature any male vocals, the two go so well together, complimenting the two sides of the story and the pain each party feels, the longing and needing for someone when it's the loneliest times in the small hours of the night.

 

05 Taylor Swift – Mean

Taylor’s best country song of the decade is this, a bluegrass influenced take-down of a critic. I love the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, a song like this could easily be kind of cheesy or cringe/try-hard but being the brilliant songwriter she is, there’s a deftness to the lyrics that dodges all of that, and her vocals tie it all together perfectly. I’d love to hear more songs like this from her sonically tbh!

 

04 Miranda Lambert – The House That Built Me

Miranda’s highest entry here means that her emotional raw side wins over her usually superior angry scorned woman side! This is so beautifully simple, just a melancholy guitar ballad with so much history, heart and charm behind it, a story we can all imagine ourselves in, and sometimes those few things are all you need.

 

03 Kacey Musgraves – Slow Burn

On an album as flawless as Golden Hour, this is the absolute pinnacle. So hazy, so wistful, and so raw, this is one of the most open songs of Kacey’s career about her newfound outlook on life, making sure we appreciate every small thing for what it is, because sometimes that’s all we have. This feels so timeless, like a lost 70s classic, but equally it feels like an exciting look to the future, the likes of which we’ve never heard before.

 

02 Kacey Musgraves – Follow Your Arrow

I could rage for hours about how country radio does Kacey dirty, but the fact that this wonderful slice of country joy, an ode to being yourself and enjoying that, couldn’t even go top 40 on airplay because country radio is living in 1882 and won’t take references to same-sex relationships or weed :rolleyes: This was such a shift in country music, and summises my #1 reason to love Kacey, she writes and sings what she wants in a way that’s so universal, and makes bloody amazing songs while doing it. This rightfully has a reputation as one of the best country songs of recent years regardless, and I think in future decades, it’ll go down as a classic of the genre anyway.

 

01 Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round

Yep it’s a Kacey top 3! :lol: It really was close, but this won out in the end. The whole “I was born in a small town” thing is so overdone in country, but this clever debut single from Kacey turned that on its head. This is a no-holds-barred cynical observation of small-town America, with so much nuance, maturity and humour in its biting lyrics. Before she blurred the lines of genres and released the album of the decade in Golden Hour, Kacey effortlessly showed what a brilliant and clever songwriter she was, not just in her lyrics but also her unflinching melodies, a perfect country song that deserved so much more, but at least it got the Best Country Song Grammy. Kacey really delivered the two best country songs of the decade on her debut album, legends only.

Sooo many classics there! Back To December is still an 11/10 for me after all these years, always glad to see love for it. If I Die Young is so perfectly poetic, The Band Perry's lyrics overall are so clever and underrated IMO, curious to know if you have any other faves from them.

 

Need You Now yessss, it was amazing to see that cross over not only in the US but into a global hit! More of those in this decade please :P And I'll never argue with a Kacey sweep of the top 3 lmao, I especially loved your commentary of Slow Burn.

 

Oh and your 11-15 section had most of my ultimate faves so shout-out to those *.* Plus A Little Bit Stronger, Better Man, and Blown Away from the other sections that I missed :wub: Needless to say this was great!

Giving your #1 a listen now - a nice little track, lyrically good and a nice melody as well. Thanks for doing this Liam!