"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner"
In traditional country music, murder ballads have always held a significant place. Although they are not as common in today's country music, there is still a collection of exceptional songs that portray men killing their female romantic partners. On the other hand, songs that depict women committing such acts are less common. However, there is no need to worry as country music also offers numerous songs about women who kill, and we have compiled a list of them.
We excluded certain contenders from this list based on a few parameters. Our focus was on including only one song per artist, which means that even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder songs in their music collections, they were only given one spot each. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, but in the end, even more popular songs took precedence over them and didn't make the final selection.
The theme was quite specific, which made the selection process even more limited. In order for a murder song to be included in this list, it had to involve at least one male victim. Therefore, despite its quality as one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" didn't meet this criterion. Other notable mentions include Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but unfortunately, they didn't make it to this list either.
Presented here is an impressive and morally objectionable collection of the most impactful songs in country music that revolve around killing or seeking revenge against a man. Take a look at the gallery below to discover our chosen selections for the top revenge-themed hits and lesser-known tracks that explore the concept of murdering a significant other or persuading someone else to carry out the act on your behalf. Keep reading and don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments if we happened to overlook your preferred song about eliminating a man.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Portraying the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Gallery Attribution: Carena Liptak
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