The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 1: #201-#181

This was the decade that brought back the single.  Not that it ever fully went away, as radio still played the promotional ones and video outlets the filmed ones. But actual commercial singles had gone the way of the dodo, until the digital revolution suddenly made them practical again.  Why buy the whole album when you can just get the song that you want?

The devastation this has brought to record company bottom lines was probably unavoidable anyway, given the realities of post-Napster society. But technology has its perks. Now you can buy the songs on this list with a click of the mouse!

And what a list it is: 201 singles that run the gamut, from genuine hits that topped the charts to songs spun only by renegade DJs working the night shift. Here’s how we compiled it: four Country Universe writers ranked their personal favorite 100 singles, with an inverted point system applied (#1 on a list meant 100 points, while #100 on the list meant 1 point.) The songs were then ranked by number of total points, greatest to least. Ties were broken by the number of lists the song appeared on, then by highest individual ranking.

There was more consensus than usual for CU, and we all agreed on one thing: this list was a heck of a lot of fun to compile. We hope you enjoy it, too!

The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 1: #201-#181

#201
“I Run To You”
Lady Antebellum
2009
Peak: #1

There’s a palpable intensity to this song that grips me every time I listen to it. Love isn’t always characterized by peacefulness, and the song’s pulsing production perfectly conveys the urgency, desperation and passion that often accompanies it. – Tara Seetharam

#200
“The Last Thing on My Mind”
Patty Loveless
2001
Peak: #20

Given her allegiance to country music’s history and personal association with both Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, you might think this was a cover of that duo’s first top ten hit. Instead, it’s a very modern-sounding song with a modern-day woman who never thinks about the guy she’s left behind until right before she goes to sleep, when “something in my broken heart rewinds” as she lies in an “empty bed as big as Arkansas.”  – Kevin Coyne

#199
“She’s Everything”
Brad Paisley
2006
Peak: #1

It’s the sweetest tribute to all the parts that make the whole of Paisley’s love for his wife. Some are small (“she’s ‘I want a piece of chocolate’”), and some are large (“she’s the hand that I’m holding when I’m on my knees and praying”) – but each is as endearing as the next. – TS

#198
“Drinkin’ Me Lonely”
Chris Young
2006
Peak: #42

“Drinkin’ Me Lonely” is a great drinking song with killer falsetto that helps to contribute to the narrator’s dreary mood. – Leeann Ward

#197
“Fifteen”
Taylor Swift
2009
Peak: #7 (still charting)

Swift speaks directly to the fragile emotional core underlying her own boy-centric outlook. It’s her most explicitly youth-oriented song yet, yet it’s also her most mature. – Dan Milliken

#196
“On the Rocks”
The Wrights
2005
Peak: Did not chart

The Wrights are a more sassy husband-wife duo than the beloved Joey + Rory, but they are charming nonetheless. The catchy and bluesy “On the Rocks” is a biting assessment of a relationship gone bad, but there seems to be a hint of love underneath the exchanged derision. – LW

#195
“A Feelin’ Like That”
Gary Allan
2006
Peak: #12

A rocking blast of adrenaline, as Allan realizes that no thrill in the world – be it skydiving, running with bulls, speeding at night with closed eyes – is intense enough to displace the memory of his past love. He’s supercharged with righteous lust for that memory, and leaves you thinking there’s nothing he won’t do to make it real again. – DM

#194
“I’m Just Talkin’  About Tonight”
Toby Keith
2001
Peak: #1

Keith does his best to negotiate a rendezvous with charming bravado and hilarious results. – KC

#193
“Nothin’ to Lose”
Josh Gracin
2005
Peak: #1

This tongue-in-cheek, mile-a-minute toe-tapper is cleverly written and infectiously performed – reminiscent of the bouncy country songs from the 90’s that I’ve so missed. – TS

#192
“Out of the Rain”
The Duhks
2006
Peak: Did not chart

About that moment of clarity when you realize that the only way to progress is to get yourself out of the destructive situation you’re in. The song doesn’t advocate avoiding problems entirely, but acknowledges that some are impossible to solve as long as you remain in the emotional thick of them.  – DM

#191
“He Gets That From Me”
Reba McEntire
2004
Peak: #7

The heartbreak queen at her heartbreaking best, mourning a lost husband while celebrating his presence living on in their child. – KC

#190
“Tennessee”
Marcel
2003
Peak: Did not chart

He’s an acquired taste, as few like their country balladeers to be so relentlessly earnest. But this one gets me every time. – KC

#189
“So Small”
Carrie Underwood
2007
Peak: #1

Underwood’s most underrated single and my personal favorite, “So Small” is an earnest ode to what matters most in life, wrapped in a beautiful, swelling melody. The gospel undertones add an element of soul to the song, and suggest a deeper ‘love’ than the lyrics spell out. – TS

#188
“Perfect”
Sara Evans
2003
Peak: #2

Funny how a song about how you don’t have to be perfect is close enough to perfect itself.  – KC

#187
“What a Beautiful Day”
Chris Cagle
2003
Peak: #4

This upbeat chronicle of the life of a relationship is both clever and entertaining. The underlying piano riff is addictive as well. – LW

#186
“Forgive”
Rebecca Lynn Howard
2002
Peak: #12

I understand the appeal of subtlety, but sometimes you just need to belt it out. This is one of those times. – KC

#185
“Ol’ Red”
Blake Shelton
2002
Peak: #14

Ol’ Red” is one of those cool story songs, complete with a plot twist, that country music is known for. – LW

#184
“Me and Emily”
Rachel Proctor
2004
Peak: #18

One of country music’s great one-hit wonders, although even this one barely broke the Top 20. Proctor’s tale of a mother and daughter fleeing an abusive home brims with warmth and maternal love, even as it acknowledges the tense uncertainty of the duo’s future. – DM

#183
“Shine”
Dolly Parton
2001
Peak: Did not chart

Parton teams up with Nickel Creek to turn Collective Soul’s classic rock song into a timeless acoustic gospel number. She’s rarely sounded so inspired. – DM

#182
“Mine All Mine”
SHeDaisy
2002
Peak: #28

Bittersweet regret and tight family harmonies have always been a killer combination in country music. They work so well here that even the phrase “my bad” doesn’t seem out of place. – KC

#181
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Miranda Lambert
2006
Peak: #50

You don’t want to mess with this self-professed crazy ex-girlfriend. She’ll take you down! – LW

– – –

• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 1: #201-#181
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 2: #180-#161
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 3: #160-#141
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 4: #140-#121
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• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 6: #100-#81