God’s Country – Blake Shelton – 2018
How great of a song is this? This also was on my 50 Favorites From 40 Years (#31) list in 2023. Not only is this a great song and video, it’s also turning out to be a very important song. This was co-written by Hardy, who has since become one of the real stars of our format, and one of our more prolific song writers. This was loved by fans in and out of country, and was recorded by the absolute right person. This is gutty, raw and emotional and needed a mature seasoned voice to bring it to life. This revitalized Shelton’s career as this was a big break from the trend he had been in, and it made him a ton of new fans of his music. This was the polar opposite at that moment, and with his TV roots, this video was very dramatic and was a good part of this songs overall success. I love it when the video 100% captures the essence of the song, and this one does that, and for me even goes above it. This is one sensational song that accomplished many things at the same time and that too is rare. It’s an anthem, and its content is hard to argue with. 4 times Platinum a big #1 and should, and will be played on the radio for years to come. It’s a song Hardy, Blake and Country needed.
