"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Finest Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner"
Traditional country music has long been known for its murder ballads, although they are not as popular as they once were. However, there is still a notable collection of exceptional songs that narrate the act of men killing their female romantic partners. Conversely, songs that portray women killing their partners are less common but still exist within the country genre. We have compiled a list of such songs to showcase this.
We eliminated certain contenders for this list based on a few factors. Our main criterion was selecting only one song per artist, so even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder songs in their catalog, they each only got one spot on the list. While songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately surpassed by even more popular songs and didn't make the final cut.
The criteria for making it onto this list was quite specific. Only murders with at least one male victim were considered, which is why Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," despite being a great modern murder song, didn't make the cut. 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.
Presented here is a remarkable and wicked compilation of the most captivating songs in country music that express the desire to harm or eliminate the male figures in one's life. Take a look at the collection below to discover our top choices for revenge-driven songs and lesser-known gems that revolve around the theme of murder. Feel free to share your favorite song about getting rid of your man in the comments, if we happened to overlook it.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Image Credit: Carena Liptak
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