"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Murdering Your Partner"
Murder-themed songs have always been a significant part of traditional country music. Although they may not be as common in today's country music scene, there is still a collection of exceptional songs where men sing about killing their female romantic partners. However, less frequently explored are songs that depict women taking the same violent path. Nevertheless, there are still numerous country songs that showcase women committing murder, and we have compiled a list of the best ones.
We had to establish a few rules to narrow down the selection for this list. Our main criterion was to include only one song per artist. As a result, popular country singers Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who have multiple songs about murder in their repertoire, were limited to just one slot each. Although songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all exceptional revenge anthems, they were ultimately overshadowed by even more popular songs that made it into the final cut.
The criteria for inclusion in this list was quite specific. Only murders with at least one male victim were considered, which unfortunately excluded Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," even though it is regarded as one of the best modern murder songs in the genre. Other notable mentions include Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but they also did not make it onto this list.
We have compiled a collection of the most remarkable and wicked songs in country music that revolve around the idea of killing someone. Take a look at our selection of the top revenge hits and lesser-known gems that focus on the theme of murder, particularly targeting the man in your life (or persuading someone else to do it for you). Keep reading, and don't forget to share in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about getting rid of your man.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Portraying the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Image Credit: Carena Liptak
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