"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Finest Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing a Man"
Murder-themed songs have always held a significant place in traditional country music. Although they may not be as prevalent in today's country music scene, there still exists a collection of exceptional songs that portray men murdering their female romantic partners. However, it is less common to find songs that explore the opposite scenario. However, rest assured, country music also offers a generous selection of songs that depict women taking the life of their male counterparts. And we have compiled a list of these songs to showcase this aspect.
We had to consider certain parameters when creating this list, which eliminated some obvious choices. Our focus was on including only one song per artist, so even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder songs in their collection, they were each only given one spot. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all fantastic revenge anthems, but in the end, other songs that were even more popular took precedence and replaced them in the final selection.
The theme was sufficiently precise to further limit the selection. In order for a murder to be included in this list, it had to involve at least one male victim. Therefore, even though "Martha Divine" by Ashley McBryde is considered one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, it didn't qualify. Other notable mentions include "Red Headed Stranger" by Willie Nelson and "If It Hadn't Been for Love" by The SteelDrivers, but they also didn't meet the criteria for this list.
The remaining content consists of an impressive and wicked collection of the most impactful songs in country music that are centered around killing someone. Take a look at the gallery below to discover our top choices for revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that revolve around the theme of murder, particularly when it involves taking the life of a man in your own life or persuading someone else to do so. Keep reading, and don't forget to share in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about getting rid of your man.
Earl Had to Die: A Compilation of the Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner
Credit for Gallery: Carena Liptak
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