The Top Country Music Songs of 2002

Join us as we countdown the top country music songs of 2002. From Carrie Underwood to Brad Paisley, these are the songs that defined a year.

Introduction

2002 was a big year for country music. Top songs of the year included hits like “The Long Black Veil” by Johnny Cash, “Hurt” by Christina Aguilera, “burning down the house” by The Wreckers, and more. This was also the year that Faith Hill’s “Breathe” hit number one on the country charts, making her the only female artist in history to have four number one singles from the same album.

The Top Ten Country Music Songs of 2002

It’s hard to believe that 2002 is already coming to a close. This year has flown by and has seen some great country music. As we look back on 2002, there have been some great songs that have topped the charts. Here is a list of the top ten country music songs of 2002.

“Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” by Alan Jackson

On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States took the lives of nearly 3,000 people. In the days and weeks that followed, people all over the world were trying to make sense of what had happened. Alan Jackson’s song “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” captured the emotions of that time. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and won two Grammy Awards.

“The Good Stuff” by Kenny Chesney

“The Good Stuff” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in May 2002 as the lead single from his album No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems. The song became Chesney’s sixth Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in August 2002. Chesney wrote this song with Craig Wiseman.

The song is an up-tempo anthem in which the narrator declares that he has “found the good stuff” in life, referring to his truck, his dog and his woman.

critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard gave the song a positive review, saying that it was “a rollicking, tongue-in-cheek hymn to the simple life that will no doubt strike a chord with fans.” She went on to say that “Chesney’s good-natured delivery is perfect for this lighthearted paean to the things that matter most.”

“A Little Too Much” by Shania Twain

“A Little Too Much” is a song recorded by Canadian country music artist Shania Twain. It was released in October 2002 as the sixth and final single from her fourth studio album, Up!. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Country singles chart in December 2002, making it Twain’s sixth top ten hit from Up!. It was written by Robert John “Mutt” Lange and Shania Twain.

“A Little Too Much” is a mid-tempo song with country and pop influences. The lyrics are about a woman who is struggling to deal with a recent break-up. Critical reception of the song was mixed. Some praised Twain’s vocal performance, while others found the lyrics to be unoriginal.

The song’s accompanying music video was directed by Jeff Lipkes and features Twain walking around aimlessly in an empty cityscape.

“Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” by Toby Keith

In Toby Keith’s patriotic song, the narrator expresses his love and pride for his country, America. He talks about how the country has been through tough times, but it is always pulled through by the citizens who are willing to fight for it. The song reached number one on both the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the Mainstream Top 40 chart.

“She’s My Kind of Rain” by Tim McGraw

“She’s My Kind of Rain” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in February 2002 as the lead single from his album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in April 2002, his ninth single to do so. The song was written by McGraw, Chris Wallin and Charlie Crowe.

“She’s My Kind of Rain” is a mid-tempo ballad in which the narrator describes his ideal woman using various metaphors relating to rain. Throughout the song, he compares her to “a summer rain”, “a morning rain”, “a cold front comin’ through” and finally “a hard rain”.

The song received positive reviews from critics, with many praising McGraw’s vocal performance and the lyrics. It was a commercial success, becoming McGraw’s ninth number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart and remaining there for five weeks. In addition, it peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also became a top ten hit in Canada, peaking at number six on the RPM Country Tracks chart.

“She’s My Kind of Rain” was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over two million copies in the United States.

“Angels” by Montgomery Gentry

“Angels” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music duo Montgomery Gentry. It was released in April 2002 as the third single from their album Carrying On. The song reached the top of the Billboard country charts, becoming their fourth Number One single on that chart. “Angels” was written by Eddie Montgomery, Troy Gentry, Mac McAnally and Kendell Marvel.

“Beer for My Horses” by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson

“Beer for My Horses” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith with guest vocals from Willie Nelson. It was released in April 2003 as the lead single from Keith’s 2003 album Shock’n Y’all. The song — which tells of a group of friends who staged an intervention to stop one from drinking himself to death — became a Number One hit on the Billboard country charts in August 2003. It also crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at Number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of the song led to Keith and Nelson co-headlining the Toby Keith & Willie Nelson Show in 2004.

“I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” by Shania Twain

“I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released in September 2002 as the first single from her fourth studio album, Up! (2002). The song peaked at number-one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December 2002 and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 2003. Internationally, “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” peaked at number one in Australia and New Zealand and number two in Canada.

“I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of one million copies. The song received positive reviews from music critics and won Twain a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance at the 46th Grammy Awards. The accompanying music video for “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” took six days to film and features Twain dancing around different sets in various costumes. It was nominated for Video of the Year at both the CMT Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards.

“Where I Come From” by Alan Jackson

“Where I Come From” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in July 2002 as the lead single from his album, Drive. The song became Jackson’s sixteenth Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart in September 2002. Jackson wrote the song with Jim “Mohawk” Van Cleve.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Jackson said that he got the idea for the song while driving through his hometown of Newnan, Georgia:

“I was thinking about all of the changes that had taken place since I was a kid growing up there, and how different it is now. Then I started thinking about all of the kids growing up there who will never know what it was like back then.”

Jackson also said that he liked the song because it “has a lot of different images and stories going on in it”.

The song is a mid-tempo backed mainly by steel guitar. In it, Jackson reminisces about his hometown and how things have changed since he was growing up there. He also talks about how he is proud of where he comes from.

“Drive (For Daddy Gene)” by Alan Jackson

In 2002, Alan Jackson released “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” a song about a man reminiscing on his deceased father and how he learned to drive. The song became a number one hit on the Billboard Country Music charts, as well as reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” is considered one of Jackson’s signature songs and is widely regarded as one of the greatest country music songs of all time.