"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Harming 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 collection of exceptional songs about men murdering their female romantic partners. However, it is less frequent to come across songs that depict women committing such acts. Nevertheless, country music also offers a considerable number of songs about women who kill, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
We excluded certain contenders from this list based on a few parameters. Our focus was on including only one song per artist, which meant that Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, both popular country stars with multiple songs about murder in their catalogs, only received one spot each. Although songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately edged out by even more popular songs in the final selection.
The criteria for the theme was quite specific, which further limited the selection. In order for a murder song to be included in this list, it had to involve at least one male victim. Therefore, even though Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" is regarded as one of the best contemporary murder songs in the genre, it did not qualify. Additionally, notable mentions such as Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love" did not make it onto this list for the same reason.
The remaining content is undeniably extraordinary and wicked, comprising a collection of the most powerful songs in country music that advocate for harming or killing someone. Take a look at our selection of the top revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that revolve around the theme of murder, particularly when it involves getting rid of a man in your life (or persuading someone else to do it on your behalf). Keep reading, and don't forget to inform us in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about eliminating your partner.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Acknowledgment for Gallery: Carena Liptak
Additional content from Taste of Country
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