"Earl Had to Die: 20 Great Country Songs About Killing Your Partner"
Murder-themed songs have always been a significant part of traditional country music. Although they may not be as common in today's country music scene, there is still a noteworthy collection of exceptional songs that revolve around men killing their female partners. However, it is less usual to come across songs that depict women as the perpetrators. But don't worry, the country genre also offers a substantial number of songs that tell stories of women who commit murder, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
Several factors eliminated certain contenders from being included in this list. Our criteria involved selecting only one song per artist, which meant that even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple murder-themed songs in their repertoire, they were each only given 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 of greater popularity took precedence over them in the final selection.
The criteria for making it onto this list of murder songs was quite specific. Only murders with at least one male victim were considered, which unfortunately excluded Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," even though it is widely regarded as one of the best modern murder songs in the genre. Some 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 cut for this list.
We have compiled a collection of the most impressive and wicked songs in country music that revolve around killing someone. Take a look at our selection of the best revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that center on the theme of murder, particularly when it involves killing a man in your life or persuading someone else to do it for you. Keep reading and don't forget to tell us in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about getting rid of your man.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner
Image Attribution: Carena Liptak
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