"Earl Had to Go: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Taking Out Your Man"
Songs about murder have always been a prominent aspect of traditional country music. Although they may not be as common nowadays, there still exists a valuable collection of exceptional songs where men eliminate their female romantic partners. On the other hand, songs that portray women as the aggressor are not as frequent, but there's no need to worry. Country music also offers a significant number of songs about women who commit acts of violence, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
Several factors were taken into consideration when creating this list, which resulted in some notable contenders being eliminated. The main criteria was to include only one song per artist, so both Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who have multiple songs about murder in their collections, were only able to secure one spot each. Although songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately replaced by even more popular songs in the final selection.
The topic was well-defined to make it even more specific. In order for a murder song to be included in this list, it had to involve at least one male victim. As a result, Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," which is considered one of the best contemporary murder songs in the genre, was excluded. 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 make the final list.
What remains is an incredibly impressive and wicked collection of the best songs in country music that express the desire to kill someone. Take a look at the images below to see our choices for the most satisfying revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that revolve around the idea of murdering a man, either by your own hand or by persuading someone else to do it. 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
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
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