Nominees for the Saving Country Music 2017 Song of the Year
There are all sorts of songs to fit all manner of moods one might go through in a given day or week. Sometimes we need a pick-me-up to get the day started, or a piledriver to get through the evening commute. But when we broach the exercise of whittling down the field of songs of a given year to a list of a chosen few to be considered Song of the Year, we’re not looking for booty shakers or boot scooters. We’re looking for those songs that through the power of words and music, hit you so deeply, you’re a different person after you’re done listening.
Similar to how it was a stellar year for Album of the Year candidates, so it can be said for Song of the Year nominees. The field is strong, and the choices are difficult. But as always, this isn’t just a decision for Saving Country Music. Your input is also appreciated and requested, thought this is not just an up or down vote. It’s your job to convince the rest of us why a certain song should be considered over the others.
And just because something isn’t listed in the field of candidates or in the Honorable Mention doesn’t mean it’s not qualified. Picking songs is always more personal than albums. We’re not looking to pit songs and songwriters against each other, we’re looking to combine our collective perspectives and opinions into a pool of musical knowledge for the benefit of all.
So without further ado, here are the nominees for Saving Country Music’s Song of the Year.
“Old Songs Like That” – Dillon Carmichael
Songwriters: Dillon Carmichael, Tom Botkin, Michael Rogers.
They just don’t get it. Undoubtedly, you can get a little sugar rush from listening to a lighthearted catchy song on country radio if that’s your cup of tea. But it will never impact you like the deep punch from a true country tearjerker that doesn’t depreciate from age, but grows stronger from its legacy of all the hearts it’s tugged and tears it’s wept as time has gone on. Don’t pass judgement on today’s pop country fans, feel sorry for them, because they will never feel the same soul an old classic country song affords to an appreciative audience. And be grateful to your parents, or your crazy uncle, or whomever it was that turned you on to the true beauty of country music from how much it’s enhanced your life.
What’s great about Dillon Carmichael‘s “Old Songs Like That” is it doesn’t focus on the negative, it accentuates what is positive about all those old country songs. It preaches their virtues, attempts to explain their importance, and pays homage to them not just in name, but in style. By focusing on song titles instead of name dropping a bunch of country legends—which invariable is more about the person dropping the names than it is the legends themselves—Dillon Carmichael makes the message much more about the music than posturing for country cred. (read full review)
“Bottle By My Bed” – Sunny Sweeney – Trophy
Songwriters: Sunny Sweeney, Lori McKenna
“Bottle By My Bed” is the type of song that Music Row in Nashville gets its hands on and figures out how to screw up. So many song ideas start with an excellent germ of inspiration drawn from actual events. But through the songwriting committee process, the emotional brunt is “softened,” and that inspiration gets slowly sifted out. Lucky for us, Sunny Sweeney, who wrote the song with Lori McKenna (who happens to be on fire at the moment), stayed away from all the usual commercial songwriting norms of scrubbing the specifics out of a song until the impact of the message loses its potency and is pallid enough for the simplified palette of the musical masses, and they shied away from getting too sappy to the point of making the message mawkish.
“I don’t even know you yet, but I know I love you,” Sweeney sings in such a specified honesty that its hard to handle, and hard to not believe. It’s lines like this that even if you do have kids, or find yourself on the opposite side of the gene pool from being able to bear children, you can still put yourself in those shoes, and feel the yearning that is hardwired into the human experience to procreate, and love.
“Bottle By My Bed” comes from the lineage of strong country music voices singing from the female perspective, but in a way that creates a broad audience from expounding on a universal truth, and from a perspective conducive to empathy. (read full review)
“Barabbas” – Jason Eady – Jason Eady
Songwriters: Jason Eady, Larry Hooper, Adam Hood, Josh Grider
Jason Eady will not be the next Stapleton, Isbell, or Simpson. He’s too good, and too country for all of that. Instead he’ll be the guy that remains so pure of expression—like Guy and Townes—that he’ll never get spoiled by superfame, while his legacy will still be something of such weight and import, nobody will concern themselves with how many seats in an arena he could sell during the height of his career.
To even germinate the idea of writing a song about the man who was let free when Jesus was sentenced to crucifixion is pretty wondrous in itself, but isn’t it a great representation of how we all walk through life holding on to guilt—products of our past transgressions—trying to make the best of second chances, and the past just as much of a burden as the future is a beacon. Barabbas got off scot-free so that an innocent man could die, but sometimes the conscience can be be as fierce as a prison sentence. Even so, life is what you make of it, and regardless of what got you here, you must move forward by being grateful for the opportunity, and gracious for the gift of life. We all owe that to those that died to make it all possible.
Far from preachy, “Barabbas” is even a bit folksy, which makes it that much more approachable. Yet this song is bolstered by the weight of religious moments most all of us have been taught, whether we choose to heed the message. “Barabbas” is about a specific man, and about all of us, and like all great songwriting its message melds to each of our individual stories to mean something different to everyone in the audience. “Barabbas” is pretty genius, but served in such a simple way anyone can enjoy. (read full review)
“If We Were Vampires” – Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
Songwriter: Jason Isbell
A love song with avid participation from his wife and singing partner Amanda Shires, the song delves into the sad perspective that forever in a marriage or a relationship is ultimately a relative term. Though the fantasy of timeless love may be alive in the hearts of young lovers, as we age and give rise to young ones ourselves and watch age overtake the older ones in our families, the reality that Isbell sings about as “Maybe we’ll get 40 years together” puts into perspective just how fleeting love and life is.
The sad reality is that barring double tragedy, one lover will leave before the other, an not uncommonly with the gulf of a decade or more in between. But Isbell doesn’t point these things out just as a lament or a sharp lesson of reality. He uses perspective in “If We Were Vampires” as a conveyance to one’s own heart to cherish every moment and make the most of it, because those moments, however powerful, are incredibly finite. But most importantly, Isbell uses that perspective to covey a deep affection for his other half. (read full review)
“Just Outside of Austin” – Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real – Self-Titled
Songwriter: Lukas Nelson
You can legitimately claim that in raw talent, Lukas Nelson might be the most gifted progeny of a country music superstar the world has ever seen. Perhaps Hank Jr. in his prime or some others may have something to say about that, and there’s newer generations of talent out there that may still have some upside potential to show before final judgement is passed. But Lukas Nelson’s ability to both evoke the timeless magic of his dad’s tone and warble, yet renew it with an original delivery all his own—along with the sheer explosiveness and natural ease of his guitar playing—makes him an awe-inspiring specimen for the theory of pedigree.
In simple musical skills, the talent of Lukas might even surpass that of his famous sire. Of course songwriting and style are a bit harder to tabulate, but Lukas is no slouch in these departments either. Yet nearly 10 years into the performing game now, and Lukas Nelson still feels like he’s attempting to find his footing. The issue is not his talent, or his ability to tell a story through song. If anything, it’s astounding how still under-the-radar Lukas Nelson is when measuring these attributes. It’s his inability to choose or discover a definable lane for his career that keeps him curiously obscure when compared to his skill set.
“Just Outside Of Austin,” with its cutting simplicity and complimentary structure to Lukas’s voice is a timeless song and a perfect example of why you should be paying attention to this performer. (read full review)
“No Glory in Regret” – John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
Songwriter: John Moreland
I’d feel like an idiot trying to sit here and describe the power of John Moreland’s words with whatever feeble and fleeting words I could compose myself. The greatest artists don’t evolve through their music, their music evolves through them. Their songs are a shadow of themselves, or a parallel line with their personal lives. Life takes them in a certain direction, and the music follows.
One of the problems with stellar songwriting is that just like a joke, it’s never going to hit you harder than the first time you hear it, unless there’s something to unravel. But a groove is longer lasting, and can even grow over time. And then when John Moreland strips the music back, like he does in “No Glory in Regret,” the moment is rendered that much more special because it’s isolated to one song instead of the approach to an entire performance or album. (read full review)
“Giving Back The Best of Me” – Jaime Wyatt – Felony Blues
Songwriters: Jaime Wyatt, Matthew Szlachetka
Whether it’s an inalienable flaw or cosmic brilliance, nature has designed humans to inherently need another to complete ourselves. We’re almost like half beings instead of whole ones, unable to fulfill some of our most core functions without a counterpart. So we couple up, and put our most basic trust in one another for our survival and future. And even though the practice feels essential, it’s regularly fraught with peril and heartbreak. But the most important thing is that you try to entrust yourself to another, and understand the importance of when someone entrusts themselves to you. Sometimes, the most honest and deliberate action of love is letting someone go, or allowing them to let go of you. While at other times, the hardest action is to allow yourself to be loved, or allow yourself to love someone else. Because loving is the most vulnerable thing a human can do.
“Old Stone Church” – John Baumann – Proving Grounds
Songwriter: John Baumann
The heartache we all feel in the loss of a loved one is a well-trodden song idea often used when the performer wants to have a deep impact on listeners and connect with them on a human level. However, broaching the subject in a way that doesn’t come across as cliché, mawkish, or even self-centered and opportunistic is one of the biggest challenges of these songs, and one of the reasons they don’t always hit the target, despite the honesty they may convey, or how personal they may be the the performer.
Everyone hurts when they lose a loved one. The difference is in how we deal with that loss. Some use it as an excuse to indulge in self-inflicted pain or to excessively lean on vices. Some use it to re-calibrate their life to find meaning or religion. The genius behind Texas country songwriter John Baumann’s approach in “Old Stone Church” is he uses one instance of loss to illustrate all the possibilities of how we each individually cope with tragedy, and in a way that also encompasses the cyclical nature of life, love, and community in an original, and deeply impacting manner.
Natalie Hemby – “Cairo, IL” – Puxico
Songwriters: Natalie Hemby, Jonathan Lawson, Cassandra Lawson
“As a kid growing up, it was my favorite part of the drive on the way to Puxico [Missouri], and also, the saddest part as I was leaving to go home back to Nashville.” says Natalie Hemby. “Only the skeletons of buildings remain, and what was once a thriving city one hundred years ago, is now what feels like a ghost town…a relic of its beauty. I’ve been driving thru that town for 40 years and it has become a landmark of my childhood.”
“Jonathan and Cassandra Lawson are both writers and artists who are married and in the band The Railers. We have become good friends over the years, but the turning point of that friendship was when we wrote this song. Jonathan is from Missouri, and he would also pass through Cairo, IL on his way back home. Jonathan is an amazing guitar player and came up with the beautiful acoustic melody that is the backdrop of the song. He and Cassandra poetically helped me carve the song into a story, my story, my memories. I loved it so much, the day we wrote it, I made them sing it with me over and over again.”
Honorable Mention:
“A Tornado Warning” – Turnpike Troubadours – A Long Way From Your Heart
“Lint Head Gal” – Phoebe Hunt – Shanti’s Shadow
“The Older I Get” – Alan Jackson
“Scarecrow in the Garden” – Chris Stapleton – From A Room: Vol. 2
“Sunscreen” – Ira Wolf – The Closest Thing to Home
“A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” – Ashley McBryde
“Whitehouse Road” – Tyler Childers – Purgatory
“If I Could Make You My Own” – Dori Freeman – Letters Never Read
“Way Down in My Soul” – Zephaniah Ohora – This Highway
Joseph Huber – Anything from his album The Suffering Stage
Andrew Combs – “Dirty Rain” – Canyons of My Mind
Dalton Domino – “Corners” – Corners
Lindi Ortega – “Final Bow” – Til the Goin’ Gets Gone
The Brother Brothers – “Cairo, IL” – Tugboats EP
All of these songs and more have been featured on the Saving Country Music Top 25 Current Playlist updated on a regular basis. The playlist primarily lives on Spotify, but is also available for those who use Google Play.
CLICK HERE to Follow Saving Country Music on Spotify, and/or follow the Spotify Top 25 Playlist.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:23 am
While all of these songs are truly outstanding, “If We Were Vampires” goes above and beyond them all. It is a lyrical masterpiece that encapsulates all that we are as humans. How we feel scared, how we wrestle with our own mortality, and how even when we’re in love we know that one day that person won’t be there with us. It is the perfect, and I mean PERFECT, bitter-sweet song. It has an amazing, yet simple, melody and the story is fantastic. It is the only song this year I’ve heard that has made me cry and I keep going back to listen to it time and time again. Jason Isbell might not have had the best album of the year depending on who you ask, but if it wasn’t for this song I don’t believe Jason would’ve been nominated for AOTY at the CMA’s or Grammys. This song is truly outstanding. Like it you agree this should be the song of the year for Saving Country music!
December 6, 2017 @ 9:23 am
All solid choices, and I really like Sunny, but “if we were vampires” gets the nod from me. It’s realistic views on growing old and together is one for the ages.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:27 am
Great list Tigger. Would “Girl Going Nowhere” by Ashley McBryde qualify. It’s not on an album that I’m aware of, but it’s a really great song.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:34 am
To officially qualify, it probably needs to be released either as a single or on an album. Upon occasion a song will be released early as a single, and then appear on an album later, and then it can be considered in consecutive years.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:28 am
This list is too good. It’s impossible for me to pick a definitive winner, but “If We Were Vampires” tugs at me more than any song I’ve heard in recent memory, maybe ever, and I’m not being hyperbolic here.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:28 am
I haven’t heard all the songs on here, but looks like a solid list. Bottle by my bed gets my vote probably. An amazing song about something far less cliche than the title leads. It is so well written it’s almost hard to listen to sometimes.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:30 am
If we were vampires or just outside of austin takes the nod for me
December 6, 2017 @ 9:30 am
So many good ones. But again I’d give it to Sweeny with Isbell and Moreland right behind. That Baumann track is strong too.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:30 am
“Bottle By My Bed” is my favorite. In terms of raw honesty and transparency, it and “If We Were Vampires” are incredible — songs that we’ll remember years from now.
December 6, 2017 @ 12:11 pm
Every time I see it mentioned, I think of the Boland song of the same name. Great song, although it’s weird that she wouldn’t name it a bit differently given the Boland song.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:31 am
in order:
1 Bottle By My Bed (Sweeney), solid, confident, honest, heart-breaking songwriting
2 Way Down In My Sou (O’Hora), great sound, unusual way of praising women in country music
3 Now She Tells Me (Outlaw), great melody, packs more stories with depth in one song than most
4 Born Again (Childers), for the most original lines in a country song, and a great melody
5 A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega (McBryde), for cheering what should be cheered
December 6, 2017 @ 9:40 am
Just realized that outlaw has been excluded from both single and album of the year consideration…
December 6, 2017 @ 9:55 am
I’ve spent a lot of time with his two records, and I’m completely convinced he’s as fine a songwriter as come down the pike in a long time — but he’s got polish, and he’s so darn nice, that up against grittier artists like Childers, he seems not to be given enough credit for very, very high quality and serious innovation
for example, “Keep It Interesting” is about keeping a couple’s sexual love interesting (!), and the music is both a cheerful veneer and, with a martial snare drum at one point, pretty suggestive — it’s a hilarious song, insightful, with musical wit — what’s not to admire about that?
December 6, 2017 @ 10:06 am
“Excluded” feels like a harsh word. Sam Outlaw’s latest album received a very positive review here, and he sat right on the bubble to be considered for both Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. In years when the field isn’t so strong, he probably would have been included in both. The song I considered was “Say It To Me.” He will be on the Essential Albums list for sure.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:48 am
Sorry I used the word “Excluded”.
I guess like you pointed out in a year when there have been pretty strong music put out it is easy to lose track of some music while having some in heavy rotation
December 6, 2017 @ 9:31 am
apple music playlist: https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/2017-saving-country-music/pl.u-ljvzYFe3D86
when you drop this list it’s always one of my favorite days of the year
December 6, 2017 @ 9:38 am
Thanks!
December 6, 2017 @ 9:34 am
Sunny all the way!
December 6, 2017 @ 9:36 am
I think She Ain’t In It by Jon Pardi should get some consideration because of the significance of it being released to radio. It is also a pretty good song.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:36 am
If we were vampires definitely with bottle by my bed coming in second. This is a flawless list and the ‘honorable mentions’ aren’t bad either…
December 6, 2017 @ 9:40 am
Country music is alive and well.
Just not on the radio.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:44 am
If We Were Vampires without a doubt for me. There were a lot of great songs this year but that is an all time great right there.
December 6, 2017 @ 9:53 am
If We Were Vampires gets my vote.
Imposter by Lilly Hiatt is one of my favorites this year.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:00 am
Many good songs. My nr 1: Broken by Erin Enderlin.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:07 am
I haven’t listened to some of these, but Sunny get’s my vote.
Even before I heard the backstory to this song, I thought of it in the same class as “The house that built me”
December 6, 2017 @ 10:09 am
Unquestionably, Just Outside of Austin…that one grabbed me instantly. I hadn’t seen Lukes as a country artist prior to this. To my ear he is a blues player with a strange fixation on world beat rhythm.
This song came seemingly, magically out of the ether. But it is magnificent.Vocals sounding eerily like his dad, a slight passing resemblance to Gentle on my Mind, lyrics are sweet as is the message. Beautiful love song. Gorgeous melody…And it signals the start, hopefully of musical greatness for Lukas. What’s not to love here?
Isbell is getting maximum love mong the commentars, and it is a good song, but I just had to put .03 in on the one on your list that really grabs me.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:13 am
“If We Were Vampires” is my favorite among the listed; and among the honorable mentions, I was especially partial to AJ, Stapleton, Ashley McBryde, Dori Freeman, and Zephaniah Ohora. 🙂 (On the Spotify list, nice to see LAW’s “Bottom of the Barrel” and Lilly Hiatt’s “Records” singled out from their albums!)
December 6, 2017 @ 10:16 am
Great list, and great honorable mentions. This had to be almost as tough as the Album of the Year selections. Sunny’s song popped up on my Top Songs playlist on Spotify while listening just about an hour ago, and I immediately thought “Song of the Year,” then you put out your list. I had the fortune of hearing Sunny play this live, and if you thought the recorded version was tough enough to get through…. Kudos to all you do to keep us in the know about great music.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:16 am
For me it is a tie between “Bottle By My Bed” and “Vampires.” Both are so true that it almost hurts me to listen to them due to the nerve they strike.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:20 am
I guess I have a different taste in Country Music than a lot of the people on this site. Most of these songs are not my cup of tea. I like Sunny though for sure that would be my favorite. If we where vampires is good too.
My List would be in this order if I could pick some of my songs for the year
Kody West with “The Prayer”
or Koe Wetzel with “Love”
or even Read Southall Band with “Why”
or Parker McCullum “Hell of a Year”
or Jake Ward “Where The Wind Blows”
December 6, 2017 @ 7:20 pm
Koe Wetzel? Lol. Come on.
December 7, 2017 @ 9:27 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9aTOV7vSg8
Check this song out. The song starts at 1:00. Hopefully if you have time to mock me you have time to listen to the song. This Koe singing a brand new song just acoustically. I showed this to Trigger in an email and he said he liked it. If all you have heard is the distorted guitars and one song like Febuary 28, 2016 then you don’t really know him and the work he can do. Songs like the one in the link, “Tell it all Town” and “Love” show the true artist he is. He has great lyrics in most of his songs and an excellent voice. I understand the downfalls that Koe and his band have with the almost grunge rock style at times but I still really like that album. I don’t everyone to like him but he has respectable talent.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:25 am
Sunny
December 6, 2017 @ 10:25 am
Pictures on My Phone
December 6, 2017 @ 5:39 pm
ol wheeler!
December 6, 2017 @ 10:28 am
Wow what a list! My favorite tune ive heard in the last little while is Feathered Indians by Tyler Childers, really any song from Purgatory would be tough. From the list i would go with Bottle By My Bed from Sunny. Such an emotional track and couldnt have been easy to sing or write about. Strongest year end list in quite some time!
December 6, 2017 @ 10:30 am
Barabbas is far and away number one for me!
Everyone seems to be favoring If We Were Vampires… this may be an unpopular opinion, but Vampires comes off as super melodramatic. The quiet humanity in Barabbas hooked me from the first time I heard it!
December 6, 2017 @ 10:34 am
2nd that for Barabbas.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:46 am
Personally…
1- Barabbas (Jason Eady)
2- A Tornado Warning (Turnpike)
3 – You Look to Yours (Colter Wall)
4 – Black Jesus (Jason Eady)
5 – Housefire (Turnpike)
December 6, 2017 @ 11:22 am
So glad to see this song getting the attention it deserves. It captivated from the first time I listened to it.
December 6, 2017 @ 2:45 pm
Not that its being argued here, it helps define what song of the year is. Imo, the difference between song of the year vs. Album of the year, album of the year is about the entire project. Song of the year is about that particular song. Eady’s way of taking a subject matter like this and crafting a song that never states what the title suggest, is down right amazing. And the way it’s presented, he nailed it.
All of these songs on this list are great, but what Eady is able to do with this song, sets the bar to another level.
December 6, 2017 @ 12:03 pm
Agree Sam. Vampires is a touching song, but a bit sappy for me. I think that people tend to give way to many props to songs that are “sad” or “depressing” or self loathing. This is what has led to guys like Moreland (I totally respect the guy) being a bit overrated when it comes to their writing chops. In my opinion, the ability to tell a story…..and from varied viewpoints and about different subjects….is the most important aspect of writing. That is what makes guys like Eady, Childers, Prine and many others so great as writers in my book. Not saying that Isbell or Moreland don’t get there in many cases / songs, but overall, a large focus on introspection and emotional subjects focused on oneself get a bit tired after a few albums worth of that stuff.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:48 pm
Yep, sappy is a great way to describe Vampires. Just doesn’t do much for me. Barabbas, and Old Songs Like That are 1A and 1B to me, of those on the list.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:35 am
Hmm
1) Tyler Childers – Whitehouse Road
2) Chris Stapleton – Second One To Know
3) Midland – Make A Little
4) Turnpike Troubadours – Pipe Bomb Dream
5) Whitney Rose – I Don’t Want Half (I Just Want Out)
6) The Steel Woods – Straw In The Wind
7) Luke Combs – Beer Can
8) John Baumann – Here I Come
9) Sunny Sweeney – Pass The Pain
10) Jason Isbell – Cumberland Gap
11) Steve Earle – Looking For A Woman
December 6, 2017 @ 1:44 pm
Yes to Steel Woods. That is a great song.
December 6, 2017 @ 8:58 pm
Nice List. No love for Steel Woods.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:41 am
Lukas Nelson – Just Outside of Austin. Just such a great song that gives you that feeling that he can carry the torch for his father. I think this shows the depth of his music brilliantly. Maybe not the deepest song lyrically on this list but it’s still my favorite.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:55 am
Song of the Year: Prolly Vampires
My Favorite from the list: Tornado Warning, thing grows on you like crazy
Great list as some of my favorites were picked off by Trig off of some strong albums and I love the time of year when trig puts these out because so many songs I haven’t heard about that hit others are mentioned in the comments. Some of my favorites I have found this year that haven’t been mentioned so far.
Better Boat – Travis Meadows
If We Never Go – The Steel Woods
Runnin’ With An Angel – Riley Green
South of the City Lights – Parker McCollum
No Genie in this Bottle & Where I’ve Been – Jason Eady
26 Weekends a Year – Jarrod Birmingham
Empty Bottles – Hellbound Glory
December 6, 2017 @ 10:59 am
Hands down “If We Were Vampires” takes the trophy for me. I was laying down in my cabin in the mountains when I heard it and I remember being speechless listening to the lyrics and how perfect I thought they were. That’s the kind of love people dream about having and only some get that lucky.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:01 am
My song of the year is “Universal Sound” by Tyler Childers. That song just speaks to me on a different level man.
December 7, 2017 @ 8:43 pm
Absofuckinglutely. It is an amazing song.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:03 am
If We Were Vampires gets my vote. Just an emotional powerhouse. Also have to give some love to Eden by Amanda Platt and the Honeycutters. Terrific song as well.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:07 am
The lack of Colter Wall on this list bothers me.
Anyway, my vote is for If We Were Vampires. Amazing song from an amazing performer.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:19 am
Colter Wall’s got some great music, but this isn’t a list of artists, it’s a list of songs. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who told me their favorite song from 2017 was something from Colter Wall.
December 6, 2017 @ 8:35 pm
I’ve seen at least one vote here for his “You Look to Yours” and I’d agree that song is a contender.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:11 am
I don’t want to be a broken record, but I think AJ Hobbs’ Too Much Is Never Enough was my favorite new song of the year. After that it was Childers’ Honky Tonk Flame.
December 6, 2017 @ 12:07 pm
The Hobbs album is great. He needs to tour, though. There are a handful of guys out there who put out great albums in 2017, but need to get out there on the road nationally in a bigger way. Hobbs, Pinnell, Ohora. If only $ grew on trees!
December 6, 2017 @ 6:50 pm
What’ the best tune to buy by Pinnell? Just bought “I Don’t Believe” yesterday and I like it – but as you say, “$ doesn’t grow on trees”. I usually get into a new artist these days by picking off tracks on Amazon til I get the whole album… So what do you recommend?
December 6, 2017 @ 10:43 pm
Ties of Blood and Affection really is good start to finish and worth buying. Some good variety in tempo, song structure, etc., and it all ties together well, but I would recommend listening to some samples on amazon and going from there. “I Don’t Believe” is definitely one of the more up-tempo songs on the album.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:11 am
Hands down Bottle By My Bed. So much emotion and meaning in that song!
December 6, 2017 @ 11:14 am
Triggers Nominees: Sunny Sweeney – “Bottle By My Bed”
Sweeney + McKenna = great music. No gimmicks. Pure & simple.
My Songs Of 2017:
Matt Kennon – “Burn Bourbon Burn”
Kenna Danielle – “I-35 Reasons”
Tyran Hamilton – “When I Listen To The Whiskey”
Ashley McBryde – “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega”
Kasey Tyndall – “Everything Is Texas”
Reid Farris – “Don’t Want To Want You”
Tyler Dixson – “Background Music”
Will Day – “This Country Life”
Lee Ann Womack – “All The Trouble”
Suzi Oravec – “Long Drive Home”
Gretta Ziller – “Queen Of Boomtown”
Cottonwood Creek – “The Road That Led To Me”
Jess Moskaluke – “Drive Me Away”
Justin Michael Bell – “How Fast”
Courtney Lynn – “Gold Turns To Rust”
Tom Curtain feat. Luke O’Shea – “Never Never Land”
Tom Curtain – “Territory Time”
Gretta Ziller – “Slaughterhouse Blues”
Ray Scott – “Living This Way”
Liam Kennedy-Clark – “Same Old Town”
Paul Costa – “Best Version Of Me”
Donna Ulisse – “A Little Past Lonely”
Jaryd Lane – “Still Rollin'”
Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis – “Rose In Paradise”
Adam Gregory – “Dirt Road Therapy”
And the winner is: …later…
December 6, 2017 @ 12:34 pm
A big Heck-Yeah on Donna Ulisse’s “A Little Past Lonely.”
December 6, 2017 @ 11:20 am
Chalk another up for “If We Were Vampires” however every song on this list, and honorable mention, deserves a HUGE nod. In my opinion, IWWV was written from a perspective that truly sets itself apart from other love songs today.
We can sit here and argue all day but as we approach the turn of the calendar we should be ecstatic that these artists continue to release amazing pieces of work!
December 6, 2017 @ 11:29 am
Great year, great list — and thanks to Saving Country Music for introducing me to so many terrific artists, bands and songs over this past year. My life is richer for it. Here’s my top ten (which easily could have been a top 50):
1. If We Were Vampires, Jason Isbell
2. Way Down in My Soul, Zephaniah Ohora
3. To All the Girls Who Cry, The Secret Sisters
4. Kate McCannon, Colter Wall
5. The Housefire, Turnpike Troubadours
6. Wasco, Jaime Wyatt
7. Barabbas, Jason Eady
8. Bottle By My Bed, Sunny Sweeney
9. Old Stone Church, John Midland
10. Feathered Indians, Tyler Childers
December 6, 2017 @ 11:31 am
I always look forward to this list. Great Job. My personal list would go as follows:
1. John Moreland- No Glory In Regret
2. Turnpike – Oklahoma Stars
3. Childers – Universal Sound
4. Sweeney – Bottle By My Bed
5. Isbell – vampires
And call me crazy but I think an honorable mention should go to Wheeler Walker Jr for “Summers In Kentucky”. I know, I know…..but damn it’s a good song.
December 6, 2017 @ 12:27 pm
Hey, Summers in Kentucky may be a dirty song, but it’s a realistic type of story. Told the way people often tell it
December 6, 2017 @ 1:44 pm
I was going to mention that one as well. His melancholy way of looking back on his life and the way him and the woman parted ways, now he’s thinking about what might have been… That one pulls at my guts, especially these two lines:
But who am I to say cuz I’ve aged liked shit?
That’s why I think we’d be the perfect fit
After singing about how she’s not *ahem* as good as she once was… he immediately admits he can’t talk cause he hasn’t aged well either. But that’s why they might just work out after all. Really a great song all the way around. And I’ll agree with Rob, Wheeler tells it the way most average folks would.
December 6, 2017 @ 4:37 pm
When you were f’in around on me i was f’in around on you
Another great song
December 6, 2017 @ 11:46 am
“Bottle by Bed” Sunny Sweeney gets my vote hands down.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:52 am
Great list this year. If I had a vote it would be a tie between Sunnny and Lukas. Those two songs had more emotional resonance with me.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:57 am
Five for consideration:
HEARTACHE IS AN UPHILLL CLIMB–Tift Merritt
ECHO CANYON–Alice Wallace
A LITTLE PAIN–Margo Price
WISHING WELL–Jaime Wyatt
TIL THE GOING GETS GONE–Lindi Ortega
In one sense, this is a list slanted towards the modern approach to the old-school country-rock of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. And in another sense, it’s my response to Keith Hill’s “men are the lettuce, women are the mere tomatoes” comments of 2015–an Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes (LOL).
December 6, 2017 @ 11:57 am
If We Were Vampires definitely hits like very few songs, and a song most people can relate to in serious relationships. You can’t go wrong with any of those songs but this one is the top for me.
December 6, 2017 @ 11:57 am
“One of the brightest rising stars in country music, Dillon Carmichael is that lightning-in-a-bottle, once-in-a-lifetime talent that reassures you that the future of country music is in very good hands. His powerhouse voice has his own traditional twist with a Ronnie VanZant stage presence, super personality, God-given talent and a hard work ethic that makes it easy to believe in his music and writing ability. And I do believe in Dillon Carmichael. I believe Dillon Carmichael is the next big thing in country music and I believe the sky’s the limit for this soon-to-be superstar!”
December 6, 2017 @ 12:17 pm
this song list, along with other posts and comments at SCM, have made my stocking stuffer list longer. in addition to what I’ve got, now I need to pick up cd’s from Sweeney, Huber, Eady, Freeman, Ellis, Wyatt, Nelson, and Amber Cross
and OlaR, you’re making my world even more complicated hahahaha
December 6, 2017 @ 12:25 pm
I haven’t even listened to Lukas Nelson, but I already know he isn’t on the level of Hank Jr. in his prime. Hank Jr. in his prime was one of the very best country music singers of all time, if not the best, hands down
December 6, 2017 @ 12:28 pm
Incomplete list without “Light It Up” by Luke Bryan. One of the greatest songs ever, really.
December 6, 2017 @ 12:37 pm
You’re absolutely right. It’s an accomplishment to sink that low.
Trig, you should consider a Worst Song of the Year category.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:04 pm
There would be plenty to choose from, that’s for sure.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
Again, not on an album so I know it’s not eligible, but Eric Church’s “Why Not Me,” was amazing. Just great songwriting.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:47 pm
Surprised he hasn’t released a studio version of that yet.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:07 pm
“Old Stone Church” from John Baumann takes it for me. That song hits you right in the gut, like a lot of Baumann’s songs do on his latest album. This is a great list (as usual), but no other song stuck with me like “Old Stone Church” and it’s personal, heartfelt examination of dealing with loss.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:13 pm
Love this song. I understand it so deeply.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
1. Barabbas
2. Old stone church
3. Giving back the best of me
I’m really surprised at the popularity of Vampires. I guess I’m missing something but to me it wasn’t original, thought provoking, or delivered in any special way. It just seems to be missing all of the things that make his previous songs like “Elephant” great. Maybe I’ll have to give it a few more listens
December 6, 2017 @ 1:30 pm
“Maybe time running out is a gift”
is a question that’s more than a question, isn’t it? and the fast fingerpicking, and fast delivery, captures maybe the urgency of what he’s talking about, — but I’m with you, the music doesn’t sink into the subject matter very deeply, so the impact isn’t maxed out for me, and the vampire thing is tired
*vampires*
really?
December 6, 2017 @ 1:42 pm
“Vampires” probably fit the meter better than “immortal beings” (though it does seem odd that for the title, he singled out that line from a fairly small part of the song).
December 7, 2017 @ 4:11 am
Yeah, title seems like it is pandering to the teen Twilight Crowd. A little late for that, I fancy, I think that train left the station a bit ago. I would have called it “40 Years” or something like that.
I do quite like it, but if I had heard it on the radio rather than seeing it talked about here, I would not have known it was a Country record. Doesn’t really sound very Country to me. If you sold it as being from a mainstream artist with no Country background nobody would say they had “gone Country” upon hearing it, I don’t think.
(A little background, please forgive my ignorance as to who’s who in Country these days:)
I only recently discovered this site, and have not been following Country music in decades, so am unfamiliar with these artists. Country music used to regularly chart in my country, back in the 60s and 70s, and the stars from those days were household names. But it has next to no presence in our popular culture any longer. I think Achy-Breaky Heart or Shania Twain were the last things to make any sort of cultural impact. Seems I have some catching up to do.
I’m going to have to give all these a good listen, see if there is anything else that chimes with me. Thanks, Trigger.
December 7, 2017 @ 12:19 pm
Welcome, and +1 for your name. Coward of the County is an awesome song.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:41 pm
Barabbas- Jason Eady
Bald Butte- Colter Wall
Pay No Rent- Turnpike Troubadours
Kate McCannon- Colter Wall
Black Jesus- Jason Eady
Scarecrow in the Garden- Chris Stapleton
Old Time Feeling (like Before)- Turnpike Troubadours
The Older I Get- Alan Jaclkson
December 6, 2017 @ 1:47 pm
Spotify released their annual “Your Top Songs” playlist. My #1 track this year was John Moreland, but it wasn’t “No Glory In Regret” – it was “Old Wounds”. Wish that one had been chosen.
This list is an embarrassment of riches, though. What a great year for music. My favorite on this list is “Barabbas”. A great song from a fantastic album.
December 6, 2017 @ 1:49 pm
If We Were Vampires – Damn. This has to be Song of the Year. How many genres does this song fit into? How many layers of feeling are baked into this thing? Transcendent.
Bottle By My Bed – She is pulling her heart out of her chest and laying it on the table for the world to see. And that’s how you make a great country song.
Not on the list: Dori Freeman – If I Could Make You My Own. This hangs with the other two just fine. Again, we see her heart and soul through the song.
IMO these three are head and shoulders above anything else I’ve heard in 2017 (not that I’ve heard everything, mind).
December 6, 2017 @ 1:52 pm
From Trigger’s list, I’d have to pick either Sunny’s or Eady’s song.
But my personal pick for song of the year is Bobby Bare’s “I Drink”
Bare’s vocals aren’t what they once were, but damn. Such a simple, straight-forward chorus. Fish swim, birds fly. Daddies yell, mommas cry. Old men sit and think… I drink.
Talk about something that knocked my hat in the creek the first time I heard it, that was it.
December 6, 2017 @ 2:11 pm
No “Body Like a Backroad”? The thing broke records, so it has to be good… right?
Seriously though…
1. If We Were Vampires (even my non-Isbell fan of a wife sings along when it comes on)
2. She Ain’t in It
3. Bottle by My Bed
4. Cumberland Gap
5. Scarecrow in the Garden
(Honorable Mention): Vaquero – Aaron Watson (in today’s charged and divided world, we need a major reminder that EVERYBODY has a story to tell and lessons to share)
December 6, 2017 @ 5:40 pm
Yes to She Ain’t In It, Bottle By My Bed, and Vaquero. All great songs. ????
December 6, 2017 @ 2:21 pm
Chris Stapleton should win.
December 6, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
Out of these I would give it to vampires. Beautiful written and its been somewhat of a breakthrough song for Isbell seeing as how he’s performed it on 2 major late-night shows and it was featured on This is Us.
Two I would include for consideration would be “Jackpot” from Nikki Lane and “Better Get it Right the First Time” by Rhiannon Giddens- it’s definitely americana rather than country but it’s one of the best written songs I’ve heard all year and a standout on a phenomenal album.
December 6, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
Gregg Allman’s “My Only True Friend” has more country credibility than anything on “country” radio.
December 6, 2017 @ 2:46 pm
In no particular order:
-Transcendental Ramblin’ Railroad Blues (Wall)
-Honky Tonk Flame (Childers)
-Barabbas (Eady)
-Cumberland Gap (Isbell)
-Weakness (Price)
-Pussy King (WWJr)
-Bottle By My Bed (Sweeney) probably gets my vote
-Pills (Sweeney)
-Find Yourself (Nelson)
Thank you for compiling this Trigger, I look forward to listening to several of these artists whom I haven’t gotten around to yet.
December 6, 2017 @ 2:50 pm
I’ve never shared the love for Isbell. I’ve never liked any of his albums much and never had any of his songs really grip me. But damn, If We Were Vampires is incredible. My girlfriend was out of the country for six weeks this summer, and we had almost no contact. During that time was when I first heard this song, and it floored me. Hit me right in the gut. This is an easy call for me.
1. If We Were Vampires – Jason Isbell
2. Old Stone Church – John Baumann
3. Feathered Indians – Tyler Childers
Other Favorites
Scarecrow in the Garden – Chris Stapleton
This Grand Charade – Will Hoge
Cairo Ill – Brother Brothers
You Dont Scare Me – Whitney Rose
Gold All Over the Ground – Brad Paisley
Grow Old With Me – Sunny Sweeney
Misunderstood – Parker McCollom
Pay No Rent/Old Time Feeling Like Before – Turnpike Troubadours
And a bonus…Summers in Kentucky – Wheeler Walker Jr
December 6, 2017 @ 3:20 pm
I appreciate this site so much. It’s made my life more enjoyable.
All great songs, but “If We Were Vampires” is the Song of the Year.
Anyone who knows love knows its unspoken fear. This song captures that fear–and the existential way of living that makes the impending, inevitable cliff towards which we are all walking less frightening–incredibly well.
For that: Song of the Year.
December 6, 2017 @ 3:29 pm
You Showed Me by Joseph Huber is my favorite followed by
Aaron Watson- Clear Isabell
Bob Wayne- Fairground In The Sky
Andrew Combs- Dirty Rain
Andrew Combs- Lauralee
December 6, 2017 @ 4:08 pm
Jamie Wyatt
December 6, 2017 @ 5:04 pm
“It’s not your hand searching slow through the dark…”
“It’s knowing that this can’t go on forever…”
The very antithesis to all the bro-crap these days. Kind of blows away Jake Owens’ misguided idea of “never gonna grow up/never gonna grow old”
Jason Isbell takes it away! Vampires it is.
December 6, 2017 @ 7:52 pm
Cairo IL is a close second though. Dang, Trigger, ya got me distracted from Christmas music this week!
December 6, 2017 @ 5:21 pm
I thought the first few verses of If We Were Vampires to be ok but not great. And then Isbell throws in that pair of lines “Maybe time running out is a gift / I’ll work hard ’til the end of my shift” It may be the hardest hitting 16 words ever strung together.
But it’s not nearly as country as the Turnpike Troubadours track on the honorable mention list!
December 6, 2017 @ 5:34 pm
I love Five More Minutes by Scotty McCreery. I would have liked to see this on the list.
December 6, 2017 @ 5:36 pm
The best compliment I have ever heard, read, or seen, was what you said about Jason Eady. That is so cool. Thank you for saying that. The guy is so real. I recently called Sturgill Simpson a hipster. A lot of people probably disagreed. But when I am looking at a Jason Eady next to a Sturgill Simpson, come on? Simpson is a hipster compared to someone like Eady. Jason Eady is a throwback to a time when a guy like Sturgill would have a completely different world view. And that world view would be coinciding with what is “hip” at the time. Hence the label “hipster.” I vote for “Barabbas.” Although “If we were vampires” is one emotional trip. Jason Eady all the way.
December 6, 2017 @ 5:43 pm
My top 10.
1. If We Were Vampires – Jason Isbell
2. Sea of Night – Joseph Huber
3. Got Soul – Valerie June
4. Something to Hold on to – Turnpike Troubadours
5. El Camino – Left Arm Tan
6. Anxiety – Jason Isbell
7. Way Down in My Soul – Zephaniah Ohora
8. Old Wounds – John Moreland
9. Don’t Look at Me – Porter Union
10. Whitehouse Road – Tyler Childers
December 6, 2017 @ 6:40 pm
Barabbas of those listed.
“Sons Of The Wandering” by Joseph Huber was the year’s best though. Also, “Transcendent Railroad Blues” by Colter Wall was exceptional and “Forget About Georgia” by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. And I also loved Ryan Adams’ “To Be Without You”.
Can’t quite get a song off “Purgatory” on my list but they are all outstanding. “Tattoos” is one that I find myself playing often.
December 6, 2017 @ 7:30 pm
Joseph Huber’s The Suffering Stage title track is my #1. Childers “I Swear to God” is good stuff too
December 6, 2017 @ 7:31 pm
Surprised to not see anyone mention “It Ain’t Over Yet” – Rodney Crowell.
December 6, 2017 @ 7:32 pm
Barabbas for all the reasons Trigger started above. Whitehouse Road was pretty damn awesome too.
December 6, 2017 @ 8:26 pm
From this list id go with Vampires. Blew me away seeing it live. Really warmed up to Isbell’s solo stuff with his new record. Other than that toss up between some of the cuts on Pinball… Bloodweiser, Vandalism Spree or Hellbound Blues perhaps. Fantastic writing and groove like none other.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:07 pm
Isbell’s “Vampires” is my #1 of your finalists due to what many have alreasy said: great lyrics and delivered in a way with Amanda that feels sincere and is both tragic, real and a different kind of love song.
#2 is Lukas Nelson- “…Austin” is a very emotional song and I am glad you showed tbe live vwrsion as it was strong live in concert when I saw him. You can hear Lukas’ voice and at times, his father within it.
December 6, 2017 @ 10:08 pm
Lukas Nelson is great and all, but did you forget about Rosanne Cash when you were writing that?
December 6, 2017 @ 11:24 pm
Of the ones listed, Whitehouse Road without any semblance of a doubt.
A few more I enjoyed were Black Jesus by Jason Eady, Bald Butte by Colter Wall, and Born Again by Tyler Childers.
December 7, 2017 @ 2:18 am
Definitely Dillon Carmichael! He’s bringing real country music back with “Old Songs Like That”!
December 7, 2017 @ 5:06 am
Dead race between Sweeney and Wyatt. Both songs makes me shiver and gives me goosebumps. If I ever marry, Giving Back the Best of Me will be there.
December 7, 2017 @ 6:45 am
1. This is where it ends. Steve Earle/Miranda Lambert
2. Vampires. Jason Isbell
December 7, 2017 @ 9:23 am
Well… if at all this proves one thing. Country music is NOT dead. It’s just the jagoffs like Bobby Bones that want us to believe otherwise. Anyway… my pick is “Old Songs Like That” – Dillon Carmichael. I don’t feel like it’s a country protest song like we’ve talked about before on SCM, but more of a tribute song that shines a light on what’s missing in country music today. The instrumentals really give it the old time country feel and Dillon’s voice couldn’t be better to sing a song like this. There’s a lot of great talent here and I want to thank you Trigger for bringing it to us… but I feel Dillon has the opportunity (if given) to inspire a whole new audience with the love of true country music.
December 7, 2017 @ 10:04 am
“Just Outside of Austin” by Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real. Mirth at it’s finest.
December 7, 2017 @ 11:29 am
Bottle By My Bed
In a year when we saw the worst in men, we saw the best in women. They didn’t just look good by comparison. This song takes the impossibly personal and makes it universally understandable, even to the opposite gender. “We wait… We wait. (sigh) It’ll be our turn …someday.” Sunny’s voice (as polarizing as it is) renders that moment perfectly and expertly, right down the middle. No vocal fireworks and yet it’s a knockout performance full of understatement that takes time to truly unpack. Some diva may one day come along and sing the shit out of it and have a hit like Whitney Houston did with Dolly Parton’s song “I Will Always Love You.” But there will always be the original that we fell in love with. A song that won’t ever lose all meaning with technological advances or whatever. A song built to transcend space and time. Truly truly a master class in songwriting and performance that doesn’t need to put anyone or anything else to shame to stand head and shoulders above the fray as a high point in a year of lowdown and dirtyness.
December 7, 2017 @ 11:55 am
Just has to be ‘If we were vampires’. There were great songs throughout the year but in a high class field I have to go with the song that moved me most. And this was it.
December 7, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
Jason Eady’s Barabbas is a great song, but I don’t think it’s even the best song on that album. ‘No genie in this bottle’ and ‘where I’ve been’ top that album in my opinion.
December 7, 2017 @ 1:28 pm
Another vote for Vampires. Besides what everyone else mentioned about the lyrics & message, that guitar melody stays with you long after the song ends.
December 7, 2017 @ 1:35 pm
Am I the only one who listened to Kasey Chambers’ “Dragonfly” ? I thought there were several outstanding songs on that album. Although maybe not country-enough to be included here?
December 7, 2017 @ 3:01 pm
Vampire by Isbell and Bottle by Sweeney are my picks from your list, but one of my top five of the year is “A Simple Song” by Chris Stapleton. Good Lord, it’s good.
December 7, 2017 @ 3:38 pm
Is there a “Music Video of the Year” category?
https://youtu.be/sqwaVPUxc_k
December 7, 2017 @ 6:56 pm
Sunny without a doubt . That hit close to home, hard. The definition of what country should be.
December 7, 2017 @ 8:39 pm
As a 56 year old who has been married for just over 29 years I can’t listen to Vampires. It simply hits too close to home. While I hope there are still a lot of years left…it’s just too hard. Damn you, Jason Isbell for your perfect songwriting.
FWIW, I love Tyler Childers’ “Universal Sound.” That song gets me about as close to spiritual as anything I’ve heard in a while.
“I’ve been up on the mountain, and I’ve seen his wondrous grace
I’ve sat there on a bar stool, and I’ve looked him in the face
He seemed a little haggard, but it did not slow him down
He was humming to the neon of the universal sound
I focus on my breathin’ in the universal sound
I let it take me over from the toenails to the crown‘
Til the body that I’m in, ‘til they put me in the ground
And I return to the chorus of the universal sound”
Maybe what Jason is telling us is not to worry, that after some point in time we will join with those we love in the universal sound?
December 8, 2017 @ 10:46 am
If I had to pick a top 5 it would probably be:
1. If we were Vampires – isbell
2. A tornado warning- TpT
3. Bottle by my bed – Sweeney
4. Universal sound – Childers
5. Anxiety – Isbell (I know in a purely songwriting sense Vampires is probably the best song in all genres this year but I found myself relating to and coming back to this one more than any on the album)
December 8, 2017 @ 3:15 pm
I know you have to consider all the candidates, and I appreciate that you do because there are some songs I miss through the year and it’s a great recap. But much like the year you gave Sturgill Album of the Year…just give it to Isbell already and be done with it 😉
December 8, 2017 @ 6:39 pm
My picks?
Sunny Sweeney – Bottle by My Bed
Sam Outlaw – Tenderheart
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives – Time Don’t Wait
Geoff Berner – Don’t Play Cards for Money with Corby Lund
Shinyribs – I Don’t Give a Shit
Oh Susanna – My Old Vancouver
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Hope the High Road
Sarah Jane Scouten – Rosehips for Scurvy
David Rawlings – Cumberland Gap
Kayla Howran – Country Radio
A good year, really!
Brian Saunderson
Host: Hurtin For Real
December 8, 2017 @ 10:54 pm
“Angel’s Wings” or “Little Bit of Rust ” by Will Hoge.
December 9, 2017 @ 1:30 pm
Since I didn’t see anybody else mention it, Souls Without Maps by Joseph Huber is one of my favorite songs this year
December 10, 2017 @ 7:57 pm
Great list and very hard to single out a particular one above any of the others. I would suggest Dalton Domino’s “Corners” is a notable omission from the list, but there may be a compelling reason for it (oops, just noticed it in Honorable Mentions…Sorry!)
Must say, I was very taken by “Echo Canyon” by Alice Wallace. Lovely song.
December 11, 2017 @ 9:29 am
Bottle By My Bed takes it for me, with Vampires a close second.
My favorite song this year, though, is A Tornado Warning and it’s not even close. Already on my Top 25 Most Played on iTunes.
December 11, 2017 @ 11:21 pm
Sweeney
Isbell
Childers