"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Best Country Songs About Killing Your Man" is a compilation of country songs that revolve around the theme of murder. These murder ballads were once a prominent element of classic country music, although they are not as common in present times. However, there is still a collection of exceptional songs that depict men killing their female romantic partners. On the other hand, songs that tell the story of women killing men are less widespread but do exist in the country music genre. This list showcases some of these songs.
In order to create this list, we had to eliminate some obvious choices based on a few criteria. We decided to include only one song per artist, which meant that popular country singers Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who have multiple songs about murder in their discography, were only represented by one song each. Although songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately overshadowed by even more popular songs and did not make the final selection.
The topic was detailed enough to make it more specific. In order for a murder to be included on this list, it had to involve a male victim. Therefore, even though Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" is considered one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, it was excluded. Other notable mentions include Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but they also didn't make it onto this list.
What remains is a truly remarkable and wicked collection of the most powerful songs in country music that talk about killing someone. Take a look at the gallery below to discover our choices for the top revenge songs and lesser-known gems that revolve around the theme of murder, particularly targeting the man in your life (or persuading someone else to do it on your behalf). Keep reading and don't forget to share in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about getting rid of your man.
Earl Must Perish: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting Harming Your Partner
Image Attribution: Carena Liptak
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