2010 in Country Music: Best and Worst Singles

I have two criteria for the songs that were released late last year but were still on the charts into this year: 1) The single reached its chart peak during this year and 2) It wasn't on last year's list.

10. Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather
Chart peak: 54 (and rising)

An old theme of a rambling man leaving his woman behind, but they make it sound fresh. Zac Brown does a good job conveying emotion in songs like this. Bonus points for the guy being in Lincoln (where I go to school) while the woman he loves is in Colorado (where my best friend is from).



9. Terri Clark - A Million Ways To Run
Did not chart

A well done song about the many ways people deal with their problems, usually by trying to avoid them altogether. It details a woman who comes to grips with the fact she has been doing exactly that and it isn't working anymore.



8. Sunny Sweeney - From A Table Away
Chart peak: 18 (and rising)

I'm shocked Sunny got a song in the Billboard Top 20, in a good way. It's one of the more traditional sounding singles to actually chart as it details the other woman looking on as her love interest is on a dinner date with his wife.



7. Ryan Bingham - The Weary Kind
Did not chart, but did win an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song

I'm sure Bingham wasn't expecting to win an Academy Award when he wrote what became essentially the theme song for Crazy Heart, but he did. The song is central to the movie as we see Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) write it throughout the film, culminating in it becoming a hit for his protege, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell).



6. Gary Allan - Get Off On The Pain
Chart peak: 18

As I mentioned in the albums list, I love Gary Allan. This is one of those songs I talked about that could be part of the soundtrack to my life, with lines like "My whole life I've been picking fights there ain't no way to win".



5. Jamey Johnson - Playing the Part
Chart peak: 39

I'm not sure if it says more about Johnson's music or the state of country radio when one of the best singles of the year was one of the more mediocre songs off The Guitar Song.




4. Eli Young Band - Guinevere
Chart peak: 45

This one flew under the radar for anyone who isn't specifically paying attention to EYB, but it's my favorite song they've done so far. It's a great job of using a character from the King Arthur legend as a metaphor in modern times.



3. Dierks Bentley - Draw Me A Map
Chart peak: 33

I've been a fan of Dierks for a while, but he really elevated himself with Up On The Ridge. If you don't have this album, you need to get it. There isn't a weak song on it.




2. Zac Brown Band (feat. Alan Jackson) - As She's Walking Away
Chart peak: 1

The first time I heard this song on the radio, it grabbed me by the neck and made me take notice. This is just flat out a damn good song that's bolstered even more by the addition of Alan Jackson as an old sage passing along advice, while also passing the torch to the new wave of country stars.



1. Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me
Chart peak: 1

This song elevated Miranda from very good to elite. The bare bones acoustic instrumentation really allows the vocals - and more importantly, the lyrics - to take center stage, and they are rock solid.



Five Singles I Hated

5. Carrie Underwood - Undo It
Chart peak: 1

This song stole my happy and I wish there was a way for me to uh-uh-uh-uh uh-uh-uh-unhear it.



4. Jason Aldean - Crazy Town
Chart peak: 2

This might be clever if it were sung as a critique of Nashville by someone whose success couldn't be directly attributed to exactly the things it talks about. Instead, it's sung by Jason Aldean. He's been "bending those strings" on the radio for five years now, and I've yet to hear even a tiny bit of Hank come out.



3. Justin Moore - Backwoods
Chart peak: 6

Justin Moore is so country, he has to tell us how country he is on every song just so we don't forget.

 

2. Craig Morgan - Still a Little Chicken Left on That Bone
Chart peak: 38 (and, sadly, rising)

Remember when Craig Morgan used to do good songs? Those days seem to be long gone.



1. Fast Ryde - Top Down
Mercifully did not chart

I don't think the clip Amazon uses adequately conveys how craptacular this autotuned monstrosity is, so here's the music video.