"Earl Had to Die: The 20 Greatest Country Songs About Killing Your Man"
Murder ballads have always been a significant part of traditional country music. Although they may not be as common nowadays, there are still many excellent songs about men killing their female romantic partners. Conversely, songs about women committing murder are not as frequent, but there are still plenty in the country music genre, and we have a list to showcase them.
Several factors eliminated certain top contenders from being included in this list. The criteria was to choose only one song from each artist, which resulted in Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, both known for their songs about revenge, only having one song featured. Hits like "Before He Cheats," "Church Bells," "White Liar," and "Kerosene" are all strong revenge anthems, but were ultimately edged out by even more popular songs.
The theme was focused enough to make the selection criteria even more specific. In order for a murder song to be included on the list, it had to involve a male victim. This meant that songs like Ashley McBryde's "Martha Divine" were not eligible, even though it is considered one of the best modern murder songs in the genre. Other songs like Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" and The SteelDrivers' "If It Hadn't Been for Love" were also considered, but ultimately did not make the final list.
What remains is a collection of the most epic and sinister songs in country music that revolve around killing someone. Take a look through the gallery below to see our top choices for songs that focus on revenge and murder, particularly when it comes to killing a significant other. Keep reading, and feel free to share in the comments if we overlooked your favorite song about getting rid of your man.
Earl Must Go: A Collection of the Top 20 Country Songs About Taking Out Your Partner
Credit for Gallery: Carena Liptak
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