5 Popular Country Music Songs You Need to Know
5 popular country music songs you need to know about to stay current in the genre.
“Body Like a Back Road”
“Body Like a Back Road” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Sam Hunt. It was released to country radio on February 1, 2017 as the lead single from Hunt’s forthcoming second studio album. The song became Hunt’s sixth consecutive number one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
The song is co-written by Hunt, Zach Crowell, Josh Osborn, and Shane McAnally. It is in the key of D♭ major with a four-chord progression of D♭–F–B♭m–G♭maj7
“Tin Man”
“Tin Man” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. It was released in October 2016 as the lead single from her sixth studio album, The Weight of These Wings. The song peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart and number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Lambert wrote the song with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall. It is a ballad about longing for someone who is no longer part of your life. The song’s title is a reference to the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, who is searching for a heart.
The song received positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised Lambert’s vocal performance. Rolling Stone named it one of the best country songs of 2016, and Taste of Country included it on their list of the best songs of the year.
At the 52nd Annual CMA Awards, “Tin Man” won Song of the Year, making Lambert the first artist in CMA history to win the award three times.
“Die a Happy Man”
“Die a Happy Man” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Thomas Rhett. It was released on September 28, 2015, as the lead single from his second studio album, Tangled Up. The song became his first number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in early 2016. The song was written by Rhett, Sean Douglas and Joe Spargur.
Rhett told Taste of Country that the inspiration for the song came from his wife, Lauren Akins. “I’d never really written a love song before,” he said. “I’ve written songs about girls and I’ve written songs about relationships, but I’d never really sat down and been like, ‘This is a love song to my wife.'” He added that he wanted to write something that would make his wife cry, and that he succeeded in doing so.
“Die a Happy Man” is a mid-tempo country ballad with electric guitar accompaniment. In it, the narrator lists all of the things he would do to make sure that his significant other knows how much he loves her. The chorus repeats the phrase “I wanna die a happy man.”
The song was met with positive reviews from music critics. many of whom praised its sentiments and Rhett’s vocal performance. It also achieved commercial success, peaking at number one on both the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. In addition, it became Rhett’s first single to reach top ten on the Hot 100 chart peaking at number six, thus giving him his first crossover hit. The song received Single of the Year at both the 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards and 2016 CMA Awards.
“Humble and Kind”
Released in 2016, “Humble and Kind” is a song by American country music singer Tim McGraw. The song was written by Lori McKenna, and produced by McGraw and Byron Gallimore. It is the lead single from McGraw’s album Damn Country Music.
The song peaked at number one on the Country Airplay chart, becoming McGraw’s 26thnumber one hit on that chart. It also charted at number four on the Hot Country Songs chart and number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Humble and Kind” received positive reviews from music critics. many of whom praised McKenna’s lyrics and McGraw’s vocal performance. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
“My Church”
Maren Morris’ “My Church” is a ode to country music. The clear standout on her debut album, Hero, the song is classic Morris: catchy, sassy, and unapologetically country. She celebrates how music can be a form of worship, singing, “That’s my church / That old three-chord gospel / I was born in.” It’s a Hell Yeah anthem for country fans, and it reminds us all why we fell in love with the genre in the first place.
