"Earl Must Perish: The Finest 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner"
In the realm of classic country music, murder ballads hold a significant place. Although they may be less common in the present day, there is still a rich collection of exceptional songs that depict men murdering their female lovers. However, it is rarer to find songs that portray women committing such acts. Nevertheless, the country genre also offers a substantial number of songs that showcase women who take the lives of their partners. And we have compiled a list to demonstrate this.
To create this list, we eliminated certain contenders based on specific criteria. We decided to include only one song per artist, so even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder songs in their repertoire, they were each given only one spot on the list. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, but in the end, other songs that were even more popular prevailed and took their place in the final selection.
The theme was clear and precise, which helped to further narrow down 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 Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" is considered one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, it did not qualify. 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.
Presented here is an exceptionally remarkable and sinister collection of the most impactful songs in country music that revolve around the idea of eliminating someone. Take a look at the selection below to discover our top choices for revengeful tracks and hidden gems that explore the theme of murder, particularly when it involves getting rid of a significant other (or persuading someone else to do it on your behalf). Keep reading, and feel free to inform us in the comments if we overlooked your preferred song about doing away with your man.
Earl Had to Die: A Compilation of the Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner. Attribution: Carena Liptak
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