Country Must Be Country Wide – Brantley Gilbert 2011
This song was been on my previous two year-long countdown lists, 50 Favorites From 40 Plus Years (#49) from 2023, and 50 Most Important Country Songs 1980 – Today (#46) from 2024. This song launched his career on the charts and is one of the most influential country songs in the past 15 years. It helped usher in a far more edgy sound that still exists today. It also established Gilbert as a real fan favorite. He has a very loyal fan base that has been with him well before his debut on country radio. This was a solid #1 selling over 2 million and has become a modern day country music anthem. The fact that it’s made all three of my year-long countdown lists shows this song is multi-faceted and is a real player in this newer century. This song made it possible for many of today’s artists to be as free as they wish, and give us a rockier sound than we’ve had before. For some this is a bit too much, but for others, it’s right on the money.
