After our Worst-Of lists yesterday, let's take a look at what dominated our year musically with our Best-Of list! Here's to another year of great music in 2018!

#18
​Luke Combs, "When It Rains It Pours"

One listen to the second single from Sony Music Nashville artist Luke Combs and you’re immediately transported back to early 2000’s country radio; its sound and subject reminds me of country radio from 15 years ago, especially Blake Shelton’s “Playboys Of The Southwestern World,” which hit the top 30 in 2003…only Luke’s was a huge #1 single in 2017.

“When It Rains It Pours” is a descriptive story about a narrator that hits a massive streak of good luck after his girl leaves him. The song’s series of events reads more the stuff of fantasy but songs that can transport the listener to another world, are a winner in my book. Country music has its share of making the most out of a breakup. Combs’ hit single proves a funny song can also crack our best -f lists. - CB
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#16
​John Mayer, "In The Blood"

​John Mayer gave us one of the biggest surprises of the year, delivering a top-flight country single to radio. While not a success commercially, "In the Blood" is an exceptional display of depth, emotion, and authenticity, depicting familial bonds in relation to personal profile. Backed by a largely acoustic production and a stellar vocal, Mayer absolutely knocked this one out of the park. - Markus Meyer

#15
Brett Young, "In Case You Didn't Know"

We all know the saying, “where words fail, music speaks,” but there aren’t many songs as good at letting a person let their significant other know how they really feel, than Brett Young’s mega-hit “In Case You Didn’t Know.”
“Baby I know that you've been wondering, mmm, so here goes nothing, in case you didn't know, baby I'm crazy bout you, and I would be lying if I said, that I could live this life without you, even though I don't tell you all the time, you had my heart a long, long time ago, in case you didn't know”.

The song’s production and instrumentation don’t overdo it, which is appropriate for this track. I know it says exactly how I feel about my girlfriend and I’m sure millions of others felt the same. His debut album isn’t perfection, but this song’s message is. - CB
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#14
Trace Adkins, "Watered Down"

If you were to look in a dictionary and look up "hit and miss", I'm pretty sure you'd see a picture of Trace Adkins. While he has released a lot of questionable singles in his time, songs like "Watered Down" also show that Trace has recorded some of the best the genre has to offer. The production is crisp and warm, inviting you in with the tasteful instrumentation. Moreover, it’s refreshing to hear someone looking forward to the days ahead rather than try and capture their youth. That's not even the only time we'll see that on this list! Regardless, Trace was on point with this track, and it deserves to be praised. - ZK

#13
​Midland, "Make A Little"

Midland make’s our list again with the sophomore single from their debut album, On The Rocks.
This catchy tune reminds those who remember, the days of 80’s and 90’s Country radio; perhaps something Dwight Yoakam would record back in his prime.
“Make a Little” doesn’t come close to reinventing the wheel from a lyrical standpoint but it’s subtle charm in those lyrics and throwback sound, which doesn’t rely on drum loops or a throbbing backbeat, makes the listener realize there is a place on mainstream country radio for actual country music. Get up and two-step! - CB
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#12
Carly Pearce, "Every Little Thing"

​​Carly Pearce broke onto the scene this year with what is an exceptional single in "Every Little Thing". Atmospheric and raw, the record thrives in exuding emotion. Pearce demonstrates strong vocal and evocative talent, making for a thoroughly enjoyable record from an act to keep an eye on. - MM

#10
​Brad Paisley, "Last Time For Everything"

What sucks about this year's list is that a lot of these songs signal the beginning of the end for some artists, and unfortunately when it comes to his chart success, Brad Paisley is in that club. Simply put, this deserved far better than its paltry top twenty peak. The song is also one of his best singles in quite some time. It tackles the feeling of life never slowing down from a unique perspective with a great hook, and considering Brad’s own career, a lot of the references made here (such as the Prince one) feel earned. Radio might not appreciate you anymore, Brad. However, if you keep putting out quality stuff such as this, I'm sure the fans will reward you. - ZK

#9
Montgomery Gentry, "Better Me"

​​Enhanced by the tragedy surrounding Troy Gentry earlier in 2017, "Better Me" is absolutely one of the duo's strongest efforts in some time. A lesson is self-reflection and improvement, "Better Me" is a record that exudes hope. Backed by a restrained country-rock production, it's well worth your time to give this one a listen. - MM

#8
Lee Brice, "Boy"

Lee Brice could have easily played his comeback as safe. After all, his last two singles didn't connect nearly as much as past hits. However, Lee Brice returned in a big way this summer when he released "Boy". Sure, the theme is simple and has been done numerous times in Country music. However, it’s not so much reassuring his boy through false promises that everything’s going to be magically alright everyday. It’s about reassuring him that there are natural phases of life that he’ll experience as well as be able to watch when he has his own boy. The song even gives enough of a clue to insinuate that the learning process doesn’t end at parenting. Welcome back, Lee. It's good to have you. - ZK

#7
Chris Stapleton, "Broken Halos"

Chris Stapleton takes a lyric of depth and emotion, and makes it truly exceptional with his powerhouse vocal. Wrapping a song about remembering those that have passed with a passionate vocal and an acoustic production, "Broken Halos" is an absolutely outstanding record. - MM​

#6
​Luke Bryan, "Fast"

​​What Luke Bryan gave us with "Fast" is one of his finest moments. It's a reflective record that tells us to live life to the fullest, because it can fly by. Bryan puts in a top-notch vocal performance, and is enhanced by a melancholic, restrained production. This is the stuff Bryan should be producing with his platform as an A-list mainstream act. - MM

#5
Miranda Lambert, "Tin Man"

​"Tin Man" finds Miranda Lambert at her absolute best. Vulnerable, intelligent, and impassioned, it's a record that encompasses country music's best traits. As good as her rocking up-tempos can be, Lambert is an artist that's at her best when subdued, and nowhere is that better showcased than here on one of the year's finest moments. - MM

#4
Alan Jackson, "The Older I Get"

As artists grow older, we don't expect as much out of them. After all, they already gave us their best during their prime. More often than not though, artists will sometimes release quality singles that match up with their best long after the spotlight is gone. Alan Jackson hasn't had a number one hit in nearly a decade (wow does that hurt to say), but as he sings about in "The Older I Get", he's not bitter about his days ahead. He's looking forward to them in a way that puts a different spin on the whole "growing older" theme in country music. Alan Jackson is the artist we don't deserve, and yet our lives are instantly made better by his music. - ZK

#2
​Thomas Rhett, "Marry Me"

​Despite a reputation as a run-of-the-mill bro, Rhett demonstrated true growth with his 2017 album Life Changes, and with "Marry Me", we have the finest track off said album. A devastating song with a clever twist, revealing that the narrator failed to act on his love for the woman in question. With a crisp pop-country production backing it up, and evocative performance from Rhett, we get what was my favorite single of the year, and the best of his career to-date. - MM

You know that thing where an artist will release the one great song from their otherwise horrific album? Brad Paisley pretty much did the opposite by releasing "Heaven South". I guess you can't blame him. After all, while Love and War is one of my favorite albums of the year, one of the best songs off of it, "Last Time For Everything" barely scraped the top twenty. Now, is Brad Paisley likely at the end of his radio career? Unfortunately I'd have to go with "yes", but if that is the case, then why bother with the absolutely worst song off of Love and War?

Considering that Brad Paisley spoke about the treatment of soldiers on his last album and even had a song called "The Devil Is Alive And Well", you'd think that "Heaven South" is a parody of something the first time you hear it. It's not horrendous by any measure, but it's one of those songs where you hear it and just think, "what the hell, Brad?"

Let's start off with the positives. The song itself sounds like something that would have been a song on any of Brad's 2000's albums from a sonic standpoint. There's some nice banjo supporting the song along with some quieter mandolin and pedal steel against the electric guitar, and for a song that's going for a down home country feel...well they at least got this right...

There's no way to dance around that writing though, because like I said, it feels like a parody. It's a checklist, lazy list of the attributes of a small town. It's so perfect. It's got fried chicken, sweet tea, beer and ice, and of course we have to slip in a reference to a "country angel". It's not creepy by any means, but the entire picture painted has you thinking it's like friggin' Disneyland...or Disney World...whichever one is the happiest place on Earth, because whichever one it is, it comes second to this place. Heck, I'm pretty sure they resurrected Andy, Barney, and Aunt Bee for the music video. My point is, it's your incredibly average tale of how great small town life without any of the witty personality to back it up. Even Brad himself kind of sounds like he's phoning it in to be honest. 

The sad part is that you know why this thing even exists - to maintain Brad's radio relevance. Hey, I get it, but I still can't see this hammering out a big return for Brad. Hell, if he really wants to make an impact, why not just release the Johnny Cash penned "Gold All Over The Ground" or literally any of the other tracks remaining? As it is, this is a disappointing single choice for Brad, especially coming off of the excellent "Last Time For Everything". For his sake, I hope it does well, but you won't see me defending the quality of the song. 

Grade: D+
​Listen: "Heaven South"

Author: Zackary Kephart

So I’m not alone in saying that Brad Paisley has felt a little “lost” recently, right? By lost, I’m speaking artistically and commercially. It’s no secret that Brad isn’t quite at the top of his game like he was a decade ago (or even just four or five years ago really), and that’s a damn shame.

Of course, I’m not surprised either. Even though I think I’m one of the few who actually thought Wheelhouse was an excellent album, it’s also that more creative experimental route he took that led to his stagnation on the charts. Again, that’s another shame too, because even though that album had that one atrocious song that unfortunately attracted all of the attention away from the album itself, that album also really felt like Brad was pushing himself to new artistic heights. As a critic, I love seeing that.

It didn’t help that his next album, Moonshine In The Trunk was released during the whole “bro-country” phenomenon either, even if I think Brad was able to handle it pretty well. Then of course you had the final singles from that album barely scraping the top ten along with his last single with Demi Lovato barely scrapping the top fifteen!

With that being said, it’s safe to say that Brad Paisley seriously needed a career rejuvenation, and what better way to do that then to return completely to your roots? That’s what he did for his newest single, “Today”, a song that from my understanding was written nine years ago. If you want my straightforward opinion, I would say it’s his best single in awhile.

Now, the best part of this song is undoubtedly its sound, and I know what you’re thinking, “Oh look, another country critic who’s happy that someone made a traditional country song”. To an extent, sure, it’s true, but I’ve been on record as saying I like experimentation within music, and while this song doesn’t do that, it’s also just got that classic Brad sound that I (sort of) grew up on and have always enjoyed.

The opening piano along with the guitar work opens its way to a song that’s got the room it needs to breathe, coupled with heavenly pedal steel and fiddle during the choruses. Along the way you get touches of mandolin in the background, which, I have to ask, I know that steel and fiddle is slowly making its way back, but when’s the last time we heard mandolin in a mainstream country single? Nonetheless, I also quite enjoyed the crescendo leading into the bridge that shows Brad playing a fine guitar solo, and even though it might get “louder” at that point, it still blends in with the mood of the song quite nicely.

Vocally, well look, we’re not going to crown Brad Paisley as one of country’s absolute vocalists (not a knock on the guy though), but one thing I’ve always applauded more than sheer vocal power is personality. We’ll get to the theme of this song later on, but it helps that Brad is able to sing this song with a lot of emotive passion and sincerity. You can tell he’s invested in this song and that it means a lot to him. I can totally respect that.

As for the song’s theme, well look, I’m glad that we’re finally moving back to an era in mainstream country music where artists are actually saying something with their music, but at the same time, I’d argue that the song’s lyrics and themes are its weak point. The theme of enjoying today and conquering the moment certainly isn’t new at all, but to be fair, the emotional nuance once again does a fair bit to win me over. I’m not quite sure the song’s lyrics and details dig quite as deep as they could though. It’s a good, if overused message, but it certainly doesn’t match the sound and emotional passion here.

But overall, this is a solid comeback for Brad Paisley. Heck, the best way to really re-evaluate your career is to return to your roots, and with the tides of mainstream country music shifting back towards more traditional and substantive music, Brad Paisley would be a welcome fit.

Grade: B
Listen: "Today"

Author: Zackary Kephart

Ah yes. Summer time. The time where anthems and up-tempos rule the airwaves and where ballads go to die. It is time for our summer single round-up.

Eric Church - "Cold One"

This was the standout from The Outsiders for me. At first glance it comes across as just another drinking song. But it's actually a breakup song. The production is funky but not overly thick and Church sells it. Good stuff.

Grade: A

Danielle Bradbery - "Young In America"

This is pure fluff, but good fluff. Bradbery sounds good here and sounds like she is legitimately enjoying herself. Production is restrained and an infectious melody. I can get into this.

Grade: B

Thompson Square - "Testing the Water"

Why? Just why? For an album full of fun, infectious tunes why this? A song like "Here's To Being Here" has so much energy and charisma. This is dull. I don't say that about much of Thompson Square's stuff.


Grade: C

Brad Paisley - "River Bank"

Lyrically clever, takes the interesting production traits of Wheelhouse and makes it a bit more radio friendly, a performance reminiscent of Paisley's early work. I was hoping it wouldn't be a copy of "Water". It wasn't.

Grade: B+

Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan - "This Is How We Roll"

The rapping here is crap. It seriously sucks. So do the lyrics. But I find myself jamming to it. It's catchy as hell. I like it. Can we forget I ever said that now?


Grade: B

Dustin Lynch - "Where It's At"

This is very, very average. Boring lyrics, boring production, boring melody, boring vocals, boring single cover. ZZZZZZZZZ.

Grade: C-

As you probably know by now, I tend to prefer male voices. So this is a 5SSR of only singles by male artists. Two of the most succesful current stars in the genre, one on a comeback, two rising stars.