# 46 – Country Must Be Country Wide – Brantley Gilbert – 2010
This was also on my Favorites List from last year in about the same position (#49). Songs will end up on THIS list for various reasons, and this one is simple. This is one of the most influential songs of the past number of years. It’s a mix of a few kinds of music and that’s always a challenge to do the right way. It’s very unusual that a new artist records a song this impactful. This number one was his debut single, and it took us to a different place musically. When many newer artists heard this song many said, “I wanna do THAT!” This was exceedingly edgy for 2010, but this sound has become a bit more commonplace since. Now whether that’s good or bad for country overall is still up for debate, as this did and does miss with some. But for Brantley Gilbert, it’s his accepted sound as he’s very popular with a whole lot of people and with WQMX listeners. This was way outside of the box in 2010. It works for him, but not as much for imitators of this that followed. I always thought this about this song and sound – when this song comes to your house to visit, it doesn’t wipe its feet off on the mat before it walks in.
This Song #49 Favorites List – 2023
