"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Killing Your Partner"
Murder-themed songs have always had a significant presence in traditional country music. Although they may not be as common in contemporary times, there is still a remarkable collection of exceptional songs depicting men murdering their female romantic partners. On the other hand, songs portraying women as the killers may be less frequent, but rest assured, country music offers a substantial number of such songs. And we have compiled a list to showcase them.
We eliminated certain contenders from this list based on a few specific criteria. Our main focus was to include only one song per artist, which meant that both Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who have multiple murder songs in their collections, were only given one spot each. Although songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately replaced by even more popular songs in the final selection.
The topic was defined in a way that made it more specific. In order for a murder to be included in 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 couldn't be included. 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 the final list.
Presented here is a remarkable and wicked compilation of the most remarkable songs in country music that express the desire to harm or kill someone. Take a look at the collection below to discover our top choices for revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that revolve around the idea of murdering a man, either by oneself or by persuading someone else to do it. Keep reading, and don't forget to inform us in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about eliminating your significant other.
Earl Had to Die: A Collection of the Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
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