2010s country exists in such a strange space. On paper, it seems like quite the dry spell for the genre. It obviously pales in comparison to the classics of the 70s, 80s, and the peak powers of the 90s. Additionally, it's not quite the patriotic juggernaut in the post 9/11 2000s era. Moreover, the 2020s seems like it has quite the advantage because of country's revitalization. The 2010s will always have that overwhelming funk stemming from its numb-skulled bro-country era. In hindsight, it seems like an identity crisis for an industry that couldn't quite latch onto anything.
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However, negatives and the unfair comparisons aside, the 2010s had its fair share of great country music. The indie side of things really thrived in the emergence of music streaming services. Rather than feverishly try to shake down radio jockeys and record execs for a push, artists could gain their audiences through other means.
Additionally, a lot of the best artists today rise from the depths of the 2010s, leaning on the values of musical traditionalism to make their mark. It certainly made them a breath of fresh air in an incredibly dumb musical environment. So here are four of the best songs that country had to offer in the 2010s. These are genre mainstays that will exist as classics for years to come if they aren't already heralded enough as is.
Four Country Songs That Will Soon Be Canonized Classics
Midland- "Drinkin' Problem"
Country music loves drinking booze. It's a fundamental staple of the genre. The bar might as well be the mecca, the sacred temple, where every hard working man finds serenity. Midland distills this feeling perfectly, that no matter how down and out the band might be, they've always got a drink in hand to make up for it.
Chris Stapleton- "Tennessee Whiskey"
This might not seem quite fair. Anyone with a working set of ears should be able to tell that "Tennessee Whiskey" is one of the best country songs ever. You could reasonably put it against the classics from 30-50 years ago and it would hold its own. It's a record that even icons like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings probably wish they could've wrote. Stapleton's grizzled, hefty voice really takes it over the top, making it all the sweeter when he hits the high note towards the end.
Jason Isbell- "Elephant"
For all the indie country fans, Jason Isbell is like the cream of the crop. "Elephant" is truly devastating, a play on the elephant in the room with devastating context. He tackles grief and the ominous feeling of death with a sense of tact and empathy most songwriters in any genre couldn't pull off. Progressively, the woman in the song feels progressively worse and Isbell arrives at an incredibly dark conclusion. None of us are ever truly ready to die. "We just try to ignore the elephant somehow."
Eric Church- "Springsteen"
One of country music's sweetest songs of all time. The one that got away is a concept as old as time and Church is particularly clever here. He frames an old teen romance around one of the foundational artists of his time Bruce Springsteen. Every loving memory centers around a classic he would always hear, cheap sunglasses, old denim, and flip flops while the sun is beaming and "Born to Run" would play. It's the specificity that really makes this record sing, like the July nights he sings about are our own.
