The Best Singles of 2015, Part Two: #20-#1

The Best of 2015
Albums – Part One: #20-#11 | Part Two #10-#1
Singles – Part One: #40-#21 | Part Two: #20-#1
The Master List | Individual Rankings

Our singles list concludes with strong entries from new artists, established superstars, and alternative country stalwarts.

#20
“On to Something Good”
Ashley Monroe

Written by Barry Dean, Luke Laird, and Ashley Monroe

At face value, “On to Something Good” seems oddly ordinary for an artist of Monroe’s caliber, with its cheery adages and light, ‘80s country vibe. But that hardly matters: There’s truth in those familiar lyrics, spirit and hope in Monroe’s delivery, and momentum in the ever-joyful melody – optimism at its sweetest. – Tara Seetharam

 

#19
“Smoke Break”
Carrie Underwood

Written by Chris DeStefano, Hillary Lindsey, and Carrie Underwood

Underwood clearly understands that, whether you’ve ever touched alcohol or tobacco or not, the need for a release from everyday stress and from the pressure of expectation is universally relatable. “Smoke Break” places Underwood’s signature sensitivity in a new, grittier sonic landscape, expanding her musical repertoire while still reminding her fans of why they became fans in the first place. – Ben Foster

 

#18
“Mr. Misunderstood”
Eric Church

Written by Casey Beathard and Eric Church

The title track from Church’s recent surprise album is a rousing musical origin story that feels autobiographical and mythic. The song’s masterstroke is the way Church frames it as a conversation with the “weird kid in your high-top shoes…Sittin’ in the back of the class…I was just like you.”

What could’ve been an ego trip turns into a gesture of mentorship. This is also Church the showman at his best – gamely playing with the song’s tempo and indulging in his customary arena-ready flourishes. “Mr. Misunderstood” is a bold, genuinely fun way to deliver a message of self-empowerment. – Larry Rogowin

 

#17
“Like a Wrecking Ball”
Eric Church

Written by Casey Beathard and Eric Church

Country artists tend to be too clever by half when they go the romantic seduction route. Not Church. “Like a Wrecking Ball” is the most palpable country song about intimacy since “You’ve Never Been This Far Before.” – Kevin John Coyne

 

#16
“Lonely” (featuring Marlon Williams)
Tami Neilson

Written by Jay Neilson, Ron Neilson, and Tami Neilson

The year’s most exquisite throwback, “Lonely” places New Zealand’s Tami Neilson in the company of the country genre’s greatest vocalists. Comparisons to Connie Smith and Patsy Cline don’t come easy, but Neilson’s extraordinary control, tone, and power all merit such praise. The song is haunted and melancholy, allowing Neilson to pay tribute to her late father, and Marlon Williams’ lilting tenor creates a spectral call-and-response with Neilson’s mournful narrator. Best of all are the single’s final eight bars, which are an example of simply flawless vocal technique. – Jonathan Keefe

 

#15
“Little Toy Guns”
Carrie Underwood

Written by Chris DeStefano, Hillary Lindsey, and Carrie Underwood

An epic tour de force about the destructive power of emotional abuse, with the powerhouse vocal and grandiose production that the lyrics deserve. One of Underwood’s finest moments in a career chock full of them. – Kevin John Coyne

 

#14

“Shut Up and Fish”
Maddie & Tae

Written by Taylor Dye, Maddie Marlow, Pete Sallis, and Aaron Scherz

Maddie & Tae tell of a different backwoods romance: Girl takes boy to the lake, girl shoos off boy’s pesky advances in the name of fishing. It’s empowering and charming all at once, a combination the duo does better than any other act right now. – Tara Seetharam

 

#13
“Burning House”
Cam

Written by Jeff Bhasker, Cam, Tyler Johnson

Call it a triumph of counter-programming—one that was, admittedly, given a boost from the problematic On The Verge promotion— that Cam’s “Burning House” emerged as a bona fide hit. A spare, acoustic ballad on which a woman sings about a fully-drawn, mature relationship: It’s hard to imagine a single more out-of-sync with the reigning sounds and perspectives at country radio in 2015. But the simplicity of “Burning House” gives the single a timeless quality. With its ambiguous narrative that trades in loss and lovely vocal harmonies, “Burning House” gives Cam a signature record with just her second single, and it’s a hit that is certain to endure. – Jonathan Keefe

 

#12
“The Life You Chose”
Jason Isbell

Written by Jason Isbell

Against a quiet shuffle, Isbell ponders the place where fate and choice intersect. Nostalgia has rarely been explored so intelligently. – Tara Seetharam

 

#11
“Down Here”
Turnpike Troubadours

Written by Jonny Burke, Evan Felker and Kyle Wieters

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about “Down Here” by Turnpike Troubadours is that it sounds like a long-lost single from the mid-90s, splitting the difference between the traditional-leaning mainstream hits by Shenandoah and Diamond Rio and the more rough-hewn alt-country of Son Volt and The Jayhawks. The style is a flawless take on modern honky-tonk, but the melody and wordplay (“Well you shot the moon and you wound upset/Ain’t I taught you how to hedge a bet?” is one hell of an I Told You So) create hooks upon hooks upon hooks, making “Down Here” one of the year’s catchiest and most clever singles. “You’re all right / You’ll be fine / You can have a nickel out of my last dime” is a hook that doesn’t pull its punch. – Jonathan Keefe

 

#10
“Something More Than Free”
Jason Isbell

Written by Jason Isbell

There has never been a shortage of songs about the plight of the American worker, and there never will be. The title track from Isbell’s fifth solo album is one of the best in recent years. “Something” has all the characteristics of a great Isbell story song – immediately compelling melodies, vivid imagery and that distinctive, honest, endearing voice. “Something” is uncanny in the way it captures the passage of time – how a life with limited options can grind down a body and soul.

But it’s not a depressing song. It’s ultimately about a man holding on to his faith and dignity, best embodied by the heart of the chorus: “Sunday morning I’m too tired to go church…But I thank God for the work.” As is the case with a number of songs on the album, the fiddle playing from Isbell’s wife, Amanda Shires, winds through “Something More Than Free,” enhancing the song’s swelling sense of inspiration and tragedy. – Larry Rogowin

 

#9
“I Remember You”
Trisha Yearwood

Written by Kelly Archer, Ben Caver, and Brad Rempel

A lone guitar and cello are the only backing needed for Yearwood’s beautifully understated ballad of loss. Her subtle, nuanced delivery warmly conveys the pain of separation coupled with hope of a future reunion. – Ben Foster

 

#8
“Little Red Wagon”
Miranda Lambert

Written by Joe Ginsburg and Audra Mae

Even more impressive than Lambert’s good taste to cover “Little Red Wagon” is her ability to make the quirky, subversive Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound track her own. With a few subtle lyric changes and a vocal performance dripping with self-awareness and wit, and it’s hard to believe that Lambert didn’t write this herself. – Kevin John Coyne

 

#7
“Traveller”
Chris Stapleton

Written by Chris Stapleton

With his robust, soulful grit, Chris Stapleton makes us feel as though we’re in the best church service ever as he sings of mortality and how we’re simply travelers through life. “Traveller”, with its memorable melody and engaging instrumentation, is a fine example of how to blend traditional country elements with a fresh , accessible sound. – Leeann Ward

 

#6
“Girl Crush”
Little Big Town

Written by Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose

Jealousy isn’t usually becoming, but it’s sublime in “Girl Crush” as Karen Fairchild imagines herself encountering the woman who took her place. The song’s imagery is provocative and the trio’s harmonies powerfully placed, but it’s Fairchild’s haunting, seductive, pulsating confessions –nearly three-dimensional in “I’ve got a hard rush” – that make this one of Little Big Town’s most memorable tracks to date. – Tara Seetharam

 

#5
“It Feels Good”
Drake White

Written by Derek George, Phillip Pence, and Drake White

The year’s best bit of pure escapism, Drake White’s “It Feels Good” is a reminder that songs that aim for little more than to “make you feel happy” and “make you move your feet” don’t have to be mindless or artless. Moreover, it reaffirms that any song that wants to “make you shake it, honey” had damn well give you a reason to do so. The song’s construction is airtight and its lyrics are at turns witty and playful, while the production incorporates traditional country instruments into a progressive, modern framework. White, for his part, works himself into a right and proper frenzy in an ingratiating, blustery performance that announces him as a major talent worth following. – Jonathan Keefe

 

#4
“Dime Store Cowgirl”
Kacey Musgraves

Written by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves

Musgraves presents a musical autobiography that comes across as personal to her and yet still accessible to listeners, soaring on a lilting melody and a shimmering arrangement. No other single released this year has made me sing along so loudly. – Ben Foster

 

#3
“Send it On Down”
Lee Ann Womack

Written by Chris Knight and David Leone

There are some performances that demand that you lean into a song and feel all of the vulnerability, loneliness and desperation found in it. Lee Ann Womack’s recording of Chris Knight’s “Send It on Down” is a wonderful example of how a song can pull you into its grip before you even realize it’s happening. With the support of Buddy Miller’s stone country background harmonies and a seductive straight up country production, Womack allows herself to elevate a great composition to a sublime experience. – Leeann Ward

 

#2
“24 Frames”
Jason Isbell

Written by Jason Isbell

Isbell promised a ‘90s-influenced sound for Something More Than Free, the follow-up to his breakthrough 2013 album Southeastern. He has delivered with “24 Frames,” the album’s first single. The song plays like it could’ve charted alongside the likes of REM and Pearl Jam, when alternative rock took over pop. While it represents a stylistic departure for Isbell, “24 Frames” also shares a kinship with the Muscle Shoals-bred singer-songwriter’s best songs.

It’s sharply melodic, easy to sing and yet disturbing – especially lyrics like, “You thought God was an architect…Now you know…He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow.” This now-famous line touches a nerve in a year dominated constantly by headlines of terrorism and mass shootings. But “24 Frames” is also an intensely personal song. Isbell is clearly working through different emotions here – emotions related to marriage, family and career. The fleeting, often dizzying, completely random nature of life can wreak havoc on these bedrocks. It can also snap them into focus. “24 Frames” is a rarity among pop songs these days. It’s an exhilarating, irresistible piece of songcraft and a fascinating enigma. – Larry Rogowin

 

#1
“The Blade”
Ashley Monroe

Written by Marc Beeson, Jamie Floyd, and Allen Shamblin

It’s a credit to Monroe that the central metaphor of “The Blade” – a dramatic one, to be sure – doesn’t devolve into hyperbole. Instead, she uses it to calmly explain to a former love how their break-up has wounded them differently. She does so with measure and maturity: Even as she describes the razor felt against her heart, she expects no apologies.

And then the refrain begins, and she bleeds. Through her reason and poise and dignity, she bleeds, because he caught it by the handle, and she caught it by the blade. Monroe has never sounded finer as an interpreter than she does when riding this swell of pain, and her blend of vulnerability and grace transforms “The Blade” into as devastating a depiction of heartache as they come. – Tara Seetharam