Here are the rules by which this list was selected. It had to be released off an album that was released in 2019, is an independent release not on any other project, or is an already-released single off a to-be-released album. If the album came out in 2018 or before, it couldn’t be included- even if it wasn't released as a single until 2019. What resulted was an even-par number of our favorite 72 tracks of the year.
Looking back, there's some amazing songs that moved us more than all the others:
2018 – Ashley McBryde – “Girl Goin’ Nowhere”
2017 – Sunny
Sweeney – “Bottle By My Bed”
2016 - Jack Ingram - "The Sailor and the Sea"
2015- Chris Stapleton - "Tennessee Whiskey"
2014 - Emily West - "Made for the Radio"
2013 - Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow"
2012 - Waylon Jennings - "I Do Believe"
2011 - Ronnie Dunn - "Cost of Livin'"
2010 - Joe Diffie - "Route 5 Box 109"
2009 - Dean Brody - "Cattleman's Gun"
2008 - Jamey Johnson - "In Color"
2007 - Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder and Lead"
2006 – Johnny Cash – “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
2016 - Jack Ingram - "The Sailor and the Sea"
2015- Chris Stapleton - "Tennessee Whiskey"
2014 - Emily West - "Made for the Radio"
2013 - Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow"
2012 - Waylon Jennings - "I Do Believe"
2011 - Ronnie Dunn - "Cost of Livin'"
2010 - Joe Diffie - "Route 5 Box 109"
2009 - Dean Brody - "Cattleman's Gun"
2008 - Jamey Johnson - "In Color"
2007 - Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder and Lead"
2006 – Johnny Cash – “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
Without giving much away, below, I believe it
important to note that four of the top five songs are all by women. Despite
what general country radio thinks, some of the most powerful songs and projects
are coming from the fairer sex and clearly deserve a better shake at being
heard to a wider audience. (Steps down from soapbox.)
The Very Best (1-10):
1.
Erin Enderlin – “Broken” – Much like the rest of her
new album (ranked #1 for 2019 by this very site), no song rips your heart out
like “Broken,” a story of giving up a child to break the cycle of
self-destructive family history. “A broken limb from a crooked family tree.
When you have got that kinda history, it’s hard to break free. When’s broken’s
all you know, it’s all you know how to be.” It’s poetic virtuosity. Timeless.
2.
Austin Jenckes – “Fat Kid” – Co-written and assisted on
vocals with Lori McKenna, this look back on growing up is as much looking
forward as it is in the rear-view mirror. We’re all insecure in our own way,
and that’s okay. “Ain’t life just like high school sometimes?” he sings in the
rueful chorus. “Probably sitting in the back of a cafeteria by yourself/Feeling
like a fast girl, a math nerd, the fat kid.” It’s McKenna at her very best and
Jenckes delivers it with a heartfelt honesty that drives it home.
3.
Hailey Whitters – “Ten Year Town” - This track is one for
the ages. Chasing one's musical dreams is a passion that is done for the love
of music and for every one artist or songwriter that succeeds, there are dozens
of others that are equally as talented (or more so) that never make it over the
hump. This track "Ten Year Town" is one of those songs that details
the trials and tribulations of chasing the dream inside Music City. It's one of
our favorite songs of the year and I implore you to take a minute and listen to
it. It's powerful stuff.
4. Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than
Mine” – This fresh new face out of Colorado hit an absolute smash with her
very first single. There are insecurities in bringing the love of your life
home to meet the parents and this song details all the excitement and fears
that rite of passage holds. Breakups can be so much harder than just getting
over that person. It's their parents. Their dog. Their friends. Andress
eloquently elaborates on how while she may get over a possible future break-up,
her family might not be so lucky. It’s brilliant.
5.
Madison Kozak – “First Last Name” – I discovered Kozak
first through the Song Suffragettes Monday show at The Listening Room- when I
heard her sing this dedication to a daughter’s father. “First Last Name,” pays tribute to a
father-daughter relationship. Not only did the touching ballad kickstart her
career by leading to a publishing deal with powerhouse company Big Loud, but it
also feels meaningful because it was Kozak’s dad who taught the Nashville-based
artist everything she knows and loves about country music. Growing up the
seventh child in a family of eight siblings in rural Ontario, Kozak’s Dad introduced
her to the greats — Loretta Lynn (Kozak’s first concert), Patsy Cline, Dolly
Parton, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash — and also taught her to play guitar
when he discovered she loved to sing. Full circle stuff. Remember this name-
she’s going to be a star.
6.
Cody Johnson – “Monday Morning Merle” –
Full of good old country music production and a heavy dose of sentimentalism,
Johnson name-drops artists that move him like Jackson Browne and the Eagles
before admitting that nothing quite matches a broken heart quite like “Misery
and Gin” from the late great Merle Haggard.
7.
Jack Ingram – “Sailor and the Sea” – One of our
favorite tracks from this Texan was this little-heard dedication to his good
friend and late legendary songwriter Guy Clark- about a story that he told
Ingram about riding out a hurricane in a boat.
"He told me a story about riding out Hurricane Carla, 1963, in the
bay at Rockport on a boat he had helped restore & was scheduled to sail to
Florida the next week. Hurricane Carla took out Galveston. It was a big one. He
anchored the boat out in the bay with 100 lb test rope. He tied 10 lines of
rope to the anchor, each one 10' ft longer than the previous. As one would
break there would be 10 more feet of line & the boat remained steady. Storm
passed. Made a few minor repairs & sailed the boat to Florida."
Symbolically, there might not be a better premise for a song and Jack delivers
a profoundly insightful dedication to Guy. "I loved Guy. I didn't need him
to but he let me know in ways he knew I'd know that he was glad I was in his
world. That felt really fuckin' good. He knew I needed that from him and he
gave it to me. Guy Clark took moments of absolute CLARITY and turned them into
songs that were clearer than the original moment." Call me sentimental,
but this ode to one of our generations finest songwriters who was lost this
year is one of our favorites track of the year.
8.
Aaron Lewis (with Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss) – “State I’m In” –
Life on the road and the trade-offs that come therein is at the heart of this
song. “I lost my faith a long time ago/ Puttin' miles on this old road/ I lost
my family and I lost my soul/ 800 miles and one more show,” sings Lewis. The fact
that Johnson and Krauss sing background vocals on this one is just cherry on
top.
9.
Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – As big boisterous fun party radio-friendly
arena-anthem drinking songs go, this one’s about damn-near perfect. It’s ear
candy that’s catchy as can be and is as representative of Combs popularity as
anything he’s released.
10. David Nail – “Oh
Mother”- Nail’s catalog has been criminally underrated so far in his career
and this latest title track off of his latest EP is another example of just
why. Nail has publicly dealt with mental health issues like depression and
never shied away from it. This track- a dedication to his mom about how she’s
not to blame- is a highly autobiographical and emotional deep dive into the topic.
The arrangement is equal parts haunting and stirring. “’Oh, Mother’ was a song
where the writing came very easily, almost as if it had been stirring inside
for some time,” says Nail. “I think it’s always been very important for me to
make sure that those closest to me didn’t in some way think they were
responsible for any of my mental health issues.“
The Cream of the Crop (11-45):
11. Midland – “21st Century Honkytonk American Band”
12. Randy Houser – “What Leaving Looks Like”
13. Vince Gill – “I Don’t Want To Ride The Rails No More”
14. Emily Scott Robinson – “The Dress”
15. Cody Jinks – “William & Wanda”
16. George Strait – “God and Country Music”
17. Mike and the Moonpies - “Danger”
18. Blake Shelton – “God’s Country”
19. Logan Brill – “Walk of Shame”
20. Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
21. Carly Pearce & Lee
Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
22. Tyler Childers – “Peace of Mind”
23. Jimmie Allen and Abby
Anderson – “Shallow”
24. Trisha Yearwood – “The Matador”
25. Little Big Town – “The Daughters”
26. Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
27. Emily Scott Robinson – “Ghost in Every Town”
28. Cody Jinks – “Ain’t A Train”
29. Emily West and
Brennin Hunt – “Where We Began”
30. Jude Cole – “Partners In Time”
31. Jon Pardi – “Starlight”
32. Josh Kelley – Busy Making Memories”
33. Del Barber – “Every Day Life”
34. Jon Pardi - “Me and Jack,”
35. Mike and the Moonpies - “If You Want A Fool Around”
36. Austin Jenckes – “If You’d Been Around”
37. Gabe Lee – “Eveline”
38. Willie Nelson – “Immigrant Eyes”
39. Tanya Tucker - “Bring My Flowers Now”
40. Whiskey Myers – “Bitch”
41. Miranda Lambert,
Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack – “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”
42. Hardy – “Signed, Sober You”
43. Vince Gill – “That Old Man of Mine”
44. Erin Enderlin – “These Boots”
45. The Highwomen – “The Highwomen”
The Upper Crust (46-60):
46. Randy Houser – “No Good Place To Cry”
47. Cody Johnson – “On My Way To You”
48. Logan Brill – “Roar”
49. Midland – “Mr. Lonely”
50. Charles Wesley Godwin – “Here in Eden”
51. Johnny Cash and Sheryl
Crow – “Redemption Day”
52. Miranda Lambert – “Holy Water”
53. Riley Green – “Numbers On The Car”
54. Austin Jenckes – “Never Left Memphis”
55. Sheryl Crow and Chris
Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”
56. Erin Enderlin – “The Queen of Marina del Rey”
57. Chris Roberts and Ashley
Campbell – “Something To Brag About”
58. Trisha Yearwood – “When Lonely Calls”
59. Reba McEntire - “The Bar’s Getting Lower”
60. Jamie Floyd – Life’s a Party”
The Best of the Rest:
61. Stoney LaRue – “Hill Country Boogaloo”
62. Luke Combs – “Refrigerator Door”
63. Randy Houser – “What Whiskey Does”
64. P!nk and Chris
Stapleton – “Love Me Anyway”
65. Willie Nelson – “Nobody’s Listening”
66. Chris Jones and the
Night Drivers – “Own The Blues”
67. Sturgill Simpson – “The Dead Don’t Die”
68. Tracy Lawrence – “Work On My Willie”
69. Vince Gill – “When My Amy Prays”
70. The Highwomen – “Streets of Laredo”
71. Sheryl Crow and
Willie Nelson – “Lonely Alone”
72. Whiskey Myers – “Die Rockin’”
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