"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs Depicting Killing Your Partner"
Murder ballads have always held a significant place in traditional country music. Although they may not be as common in today's music, there still exists a collection of exceptional songs centered around men murdering their female romantic partners. However, it is less frequent to find songs that explore the opposite scenario. But don't worry, country music also offers a substantial number of songs portraying women who commit acts of violence, and we have compiled a list to showcase them.
In order to narrow down the options for this list, we set some criteria. We decided to include only one song per artist, which meant that popular country singers Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who have multiple songs about murder in their discographies, were only represented by one song each. While songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, they were ultimately overshadowed by even more popular songs and did not make the final selection.
The theme of the list was quite specific, which made it even more restricted. In order for a murder song to be included, it had to involve at least one male victim. As a result, even though Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" is considered one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, it couldn't be included. Some other notable mentions are Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but they also didn't make it to this list.
What remains is a remarkable and wicked collection of the most impactful songs in country music that revolve around killing someone. Take a look at the selection below to discover our choices for the top revenge songs and lesser-known tracks that explore the topic of murder, particularly when it involves killing a man in your life (or persuading someone else to do it on your behalf). Keep reading and don't forget to tell us in the comments if we overlooked your preferred song about eliminating your man.
Earl's Demise: The Top 20 Country Songs Depicting the Act of Eliminating Your Partner
Photo Credit: Carena Liptak
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