Some aspiring singers benefit from being in a big city, with more opportunities to perform and develop a following. And then some artists release a song that is so massive, it turns them into certified superstars, in spite of their small town upbringing. We picked four artists in country music, who became major stars overnight, thanks to the success of one song.
Videos by Wide Open Country
1. "Up Down" by Morgan Wallen
Morgan Wallen is from the tiny town of Sneedville, Tennessee, with a population of just 1344 in 2024. Wallen referenced his roots in his very first single, "The Way I Talk," which barely cracked the Top 40. But his next song, "Up Down," not only became a No. 1 hit, but a multi-platinum single for him.
Wallen released "Up Down" in 2017, including his good friends, Florida Georgia Line, on the track. The song was written by HARDY, CJ Solar and Brad Clawson. They got to perform the song together at CMA Fest in 2018, a pivotal moment for Wallen.
"There was probably about 55,000 to 70,000 people," Wallen tells Songwriter Universe. "You don't really know when you go into a situation like that ... you don't know what to expect. I'm still pretty fresh and new and not everyone is aware of me yet. But, man, we went out there and sang it and the whole crowd was singing with us. It was one of the coolest moments of my life so far. There was an awesome energy that was injected into that stadium, and we had a blast."
2. "Things A Man Oughta Know" by Lainey Wilson
Lainey Wilson is from Baskin, Louisiana, a town of around 200 people. From her early days, Wilson dreamed of being a country music superstar, which is why she moved to Nashville in 2011. She worked really hard for years, even living in a camper for a while, before her breakout hit with "Things A Man Oughta Know," out in 2020.
The song, which won Wilson an ACM Award for Song of the Year, changed everything for Wilson, seemingly overnight.
"I was on Dickerson Pike in Nashville when I got this overwhelming feeling—I get a lot of those—that I was supposed to record it," Wilon tells People. "I'm so thankful that I listened to that, because that was the song that introduced me to a lot of people. That song truly is who I am and the way that I was raised."
3. "All My Friends Say" by Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan grew up on a peanut farm in Leesburg, Georgia, population 3,574 in 2024. He could have easily stayed in the family business, but felt the pull to country music, even from an early age. He originally planned to move to Nashville earlier than he did, but stayed in Georgia after the unexpected death of his older brother, Chris.
When Bryan finally moved to Music City, he had a hit right away. His debut single, "All My Friends Say," landed in the Top 5. Even better, Bryan wrote the song, with Jeff Stevens and Lonnie Wilson.
"I don't consider anything I've done since I've been in Nashville work," Bryan says after the success of his first single.. 'Spreading fertilizer and hauling peanut wagons, that's work! The neatest thing is being out on the road seeing how the fans react to my music. When I perform 'All My Friends Say,' the roof comes off the place and it's a flattering thing."
4. "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney didn't have success right away. In fact, when Chesney moved to Nashville from his native Luttrell, Tennessee, with a population of just over 1,000, it took him a while to have a hit. But once he did, with "Me and You" in 1996, nothing was ever the same for him.
Still, Chesney has never forgotten his small-town roots, even if his life is much different from anyone could have predicted. Chesney reflected on his unlikely career path, when announcing his upcoming induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
"It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I was a kid in East Tennessee," Chesney admitted, recalling going to see Alabama with his mother and stepfather, in a field about ten miles from his house. "I couldn't believe that they were going to play right down the road from my house. I went to that show, and something happened to me that night.
"There was a fire lit," he continued. "Something happened in my soul that set me on this path. If you'd have told that kid that night, on a hot summer night in East Tennessee that this was going to happen, I would have told you that you were crazy."
