"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Killing Your Partner"
Songs about murder have always had a significant presence in traditional country music. Although they may not be as common today, there is still a substantial collection of excellent songs that depict men killing their female romantic partners. On the other hand, songs that portray women killing their partners are less frequent. However, in the realm of country music, there are still numerous songs that explore this topic, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
We had to establish some criteria to narrow down the choices for this list. Our focus was on including only one song per artist, so even though Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert have multiple songs about murder in their discographies, they each only made it onto the list once. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, but in the end, there were other songs that were even more popular and deserving of a spot on the final list.
The theme was quite specific, which made it even more restrictive. In order for a murder song to be included in this list, it had to involve at least one male victim. Unfortunately, Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," which is considered one of the best contemporary murder songs in the genre, did not meet this criteria. There are also some other notable mentions like Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but they also did not qualify for this list.
What remains is a truly remarkable and wicked collection of the most impactful songs in country music that express the desire to harm or eliminate someone. Take a look at the images below to discover our selection of the top songs that seek revenge and delve into the topic of murder, specifically targeting men in relationships (or persuading someone else to carry out the act). Continue reading and don't forget to inform us in the comments if we overlooked your preferred song about eliminating your partner.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Image Source: Carena Liptak
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