"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Finest Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner"
In the world of classic country music, murder ballads hold a significant place. Although they may not be as prominent in today's country music scene, there remains a rich collection of exceptional songs that portray men murdering their female romantic partners. Conversely, while less common, country music also features numerous songs about women who commit acts of murder. We have compiled a list of such songs to showcase this.
Several factors eliminated certain contenders from being included on this list. Our criteria included selecting only one song per artist, which meant that Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, both country stars with multiple songs about murder, were only given one slot each. Songs like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all excellent revenge anthems, but ultimately, other songs that were even more popular surpassed them and made it onto the final list.
The criteria for making it onto this list of murder songs was quite specific. Only murders that involved at least one male victim were considered. Unfortunately, this meant that Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine," which is regarded as one of the best modern murder songs in the genre, didn't qualify. There were also notable mentions for Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love," but they didn't make the final cut for this list either.
What remains is an incredibly impressive and sinister compilation of the top country songs that express a desire to harm or kill someone. Take a look at the images below to discover our chosen songs that best capture the theme of seeking revenge and the lesser-known tracks that are still worth exploring. Keep reading and don't forget to share in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about eliminating the man in your life.
Earl Had to Die: A Collection of the Finest Country Songs Depicting the Act of Killing Your Partner
Acknowledgment: Carena Liptak
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