The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 5: #120-#101
#120
“Tonight I Wanna Cry”
Keith Urban
2005
Peak: #2
A chillingly frank portrait of loneliness, awkward reference to “All By Myself” notwithstanding. Few mainstream vocalists today could pull off something this intense. – Dan Milliken
#119
“Portland, Oregon”
Loretta Lynn with Jack White
2004
Peak: Did not chart
If you can take a healthy dose of dirty rock ‘n’ roll in your country, this is one of the coolest-sounding records of the decade, a classic one-night-stand duet. That it’s a very cross-generational pairing singing it would be creepy if not for the goofy smiles shining through Lynn’s and White’s performances. – DM
#118
“If You Ever Stop Loving Me”
Montgomery Gentry
2004
Peak: #1
This charismatic band never encountered a better hook than this one, with an instant sing-along melody that is impossible to ignore. – Kevin Coyne
#117
“I Just Wanna Be Mad”
Terri Clark
2002
Peak: #2
A song that would have felt more at home in the 90s than in 2003, Clark’s playful plea is an encapsulation of all the female charm that’s missing from this decade’s mainstream country music. – Tara Seetharam
#116
“The Long Goodbye”
Brooks & Dunn
2001
Peak: #1
They often paint in broad strokes, but the portrait painted of this crumbling relationship is sympathetically detailed, with two decent people putting off the inevitable break-up. – KC
#115
“Heartbreak Town”
Dixie Chicks
2003
Peak: #23
“Heartbreak Town” could easily be a companion to Pam Tillis’ “Band in the Window.” While “Band in the Window” sounds more like a celebration, “Heartbreak Town” goes deeper and exposes the disappointment and heartbreak found in a town with so much talent that only a select number of people get to rise to the top. – Leeann Ward
#114
“Cry”
Faith Hill
2002
Peak: #12
It may not be as haunting as the Angie Aparo original, but Hill’s willingness to make her power ballads challenging and complex keeps her leagues beyond the pretenders. – KC
#113
“Life Ain’t Always Beautiful”
Gary Allan
2006
Peak: #4
Allan turns these simple lyrics into a chilling inner dialogue that’s both painfully dark and genuinely hopeful. – TS
#112
“That Train Don’t Run”
Pinmonkey
2006
Peak: Did not chart
The rootsy country-rock outfit named for some gag or other in The Simpsons revived this 1997 Matraca Berg single with awesome gusto, tearing into it with electric guitar, bright harmonies and dobro all ablaze. A must-hear. – DM
#111
“Blame the Vain”
Dwight Yoakam
2005
Peak: #58
While not produced by Pete Anderson, “Blame the Vain” harkens back to Yoakam’s signature rhythmic Bakersfield sound. Fruitlessly blaming everyone else for his failed relationship and, while he’s at it, all that’s wrong with the world, Yoakam finally concludes that he may have some ownership in things as well: “Oh and don’t you know that blame/Is always never enough/It just keeps you in the game/Till you’ve only got yourself left to bluff.” – LW
#110
“Every Friday Afternoon”
Craig Morgan
2003
Peak: #25
In one of the saddest singles of the decade, Morgan’s naturally plaintive voice perfectly captures the devastation of a father who is faced with the dilemma of his ex-wife moving far away from him with his little boy. Up until that point, he had him every weekend, but he now realizes that “there’s no way [he] can be there every Friday afternoon.” – LW
#109
“Best I Ever Had”
Gary Allan
2005
Peak: #7
A decent soft rock song is transformed into a guilt-ridden meditation on death, solely by the vocalist who has chosen it as his vehicle to express his grief. – KC
#108
“Beer in Mexico”
Kenny Chesney
2007
Peak: #1
Part Buffett, part Mellencamp. Part frat boy drinking anthem, part sincere self-reflection. And it’s about hanging out down by the equator. Such a perfect encapsulation of Kenny Chesney’s musical identity from this decade that you could skip over the most of the rest of his work and still get the basic idea. One of his few self-written hits, too. – DM
#107
“What Hurts the Most”
Rascal Flatts
2006
Peak: #1
Angst-ridden power pop country done right. – KC
#106
“It Just Comes Natural”
George Strait
2006
Peak: #1
This is simply a delightful celebration of love that “just comes natural”…or naturally. – LW
#105
“Up!”
Shania Twain
2003
Peak: #12
Twain’s incessantly peppy poppy positivity fully concentrated. – KC
#104
“Lost in This Moment”
Big & Rich
2007
Peak: #1
There’s nothing extraordinarily unique about the lyrics in this wedding ballad – besides the fact that it’s the otherwise bad-ass Big & Rich singing them – but somehow they feel incredibly commanding against the duo’s power vocals. It’s just a beautiful song with beautiful harmonies, and I’m not ashamed to admit that lines like, “Bow our heads while the preacher talks to Jesus: ‘please bless this brand new life’” get me every time. – TS
#103
“Just Got Started Lovin’ You”
James Otto
2008
Peak: #1
Otto’s suave performance and a purely addictive bass line makes for an irresistible piece of smoldering ear candy. – LW
#102
“Would You Go With Me”
Josh Turner
2006
Peak: #1
There’s something endearing about the way Turner covers the theme of free-spirited love in this song – the whimsical lyrics contrast sweetly with his deep, sensible vocals. – TS
#101
“Keep Your Distance”
Patty Loveless
2005
Peak: Did not chart
The best line of 2005 not played on country radio: “I played and I got stung. Now I’m biting back my tongue, and sweeping out the footprints where I strayed.” I love Loveless the most when she taps into that Ronstadt growl. – KC
- – -
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 1: #201-#181
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 2: #180-#161
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 3: #160-#141
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 4: #140-#121
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 5: #120-#101
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 6: #100-#81
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 7: #80-#61
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 8: #60-#41
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 9: #40-#21
- The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Conclusion: #20-#1