"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner"
Murder-themed songs have always held a significant place in traditional country music. Although they may not be as common in contemporary times, there is still a collection of exceptional songs that focus on men murdering their female romantic partners. On the other hand, songs that explore the opposite scenario are not as widespread. However, rest assured that country music also offers a considerable number of songs about women taking the life of their partners, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
To narrow down our list, we considered certain factors that eliminated some obvious choices. Our focus was on including only one song per artist, which meant that even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder songs in their repertoire, they were only represented by one song each. While songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately overshadowed by even more popular songs and did not make it to the final selection.
The criteria for the theme were precise enough to further limit the selection. In order for a murder song 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 contemporary 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 meet the requirements to make it onto this list.
The remaining content is an impressive and wicked compilation of the most powerful songs in country music that express the desire to harm or eliminate someone. Take a look at the images below to discover our selections for the top revenge songs and hidden gems that revolve around the topic of murder, particularly targeting the man in your life (or persuading someone else to carry out the act). Keep reading and don't forget to share your favorite song about getting rid of your significant other in the comments section.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Credit for Gallery: Carena Liptak
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