Top 40 country songs for August 2020 has been the haven for country newcomers like Gabby Barrett, who’s currently reigning in the top spot. Her song “I Hope” is currently the most streamed and most purchased one in country music. There’s also Morgan Wallen, who impressively has his two songs on the top ten.
The big names who’ve dominated country music over the last decade score big this month too. In fact, Miranda Lambert has once again got a No. 1 hit after eight long years. Meanwhile, artists like Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, and Blake Shelton debut on the chart with new songs, while Jon Pardi and Luke Combs’s songs make giant leaps.
Still, the list is being dominated by songs conceived and recorded before 2020 began. Check out below which songs made it to the list.
1. “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett
Gabby Barrett makes Billboard history with “I Hope,” after the song sailed all the way to the tenth spot of the Hot Country Songs, marking the first top 10 debuts on this chart accomplished by a female solo act since 2017.
After finishing third on the 16th season of ABC’s American Idol back in 2018, Barrett released “I Hope” independently as a single. But then the song only started garnering massive attention after making her first Idol return performance a year later.
It led to Barrett signing a deal with Warner Nashville, which officially released the song that comes with a surprise twist of fate in the chorus when she wishes her former lover well with another woman – “and then I hope she cheats like you did on me.”
“The fact is that sometimes we hope for the worst when it comes to our exes. We would never voice that, but it wreaks [havoc] inside,” Barrett said. “This song now says the things that maybe you or I never said.”
2. “Bluebird” by Miranda Lambert
“Bluebird” is the country superstar’s first No. 1 solo hit since early 2012.
The cheerful song about looking toward the light even during the darkest times provides comfort amidst the pandemic happening all over the world right now. It’s the second single from her critically-acclaimed album Wildcard.
“We never could have known that right now the message of hope in this song is exactly what we need to hear, me included,” Lambert said. “So I’m very thankful. I think the timing of it was definitely a part of its success.”
3. “Got What I Got” by Jason Aldean
“Got What I Got” is a throwback to the vinyl era. Aldean, who grew up listening to his father’s vinyl LPs, wanted to incorporate some of those retro influences onto this tune.
The song also contains Aldean’s favorite lyric among the songs included in his studio album, 9. Although he is not the principal songwriter for the track, he “felt like that song described everything in my life right now to a ‘T,’” the singer said. “When you hear those songs, it just has a different way of grabbing you, and I fell in love with it immediately.”
Aldean has also recently released a music video for the song, giving us a glimpse of his life at home. His wife, Brittany, as well as their children – Navy and Memphis – and the singer’s children with his first wife, took center stage in the short clip.
4. “Hard to Forget” by Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt has scored another No. 1 hit with “Hard to Forget.” The song with an infectious melody was written by a busload of names – including Luke Laird. It reached the top of both the Billboard and Mediabase country radio charts, and Hunt has since greatly spoken about the hit.
“I had been trying to sample a song for a long time – but I had been picking songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and I just couldn’t make it work,” Hunt admitted and went on narrating the moment Laird introduced him to one of Webb Pierce’s songs which made all the difference.
“He plays it, and immediately I was like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to scrap what we’re doing. We’ve got to work on this track,'” the singer further explained. “We’ve talked about finding a way to sample an old country song before. To me, this hit me as the perfect song to sample, and I had not thought to go all the way back to the ‘50s to find a song like this Webb Pierce song.”
For You
“Hard to Forget” is included in Hunt’s Platinum-certified second album, Southside.
5. “Die From a Broken Heart” by Maddie & Tae
“Die From a Broken Heart” has been described as a standout from the country duo’s recently-released album The Way It Feels.
The song is also very personal to Maddie & Tae, especially Taylor Dye, who co-wrote the song just days after a breakup.
6. “One Margarita” by Luke Bryan
The party track, which encourages listeners to let go of their worries and just embrace the moment, helped Luke Bryan earn another No. 1 hit.
“’One Margarita’ is like the perfect summertime anthem party song, get on your boat, have a great time,” Bryan explained. “The first time I heard it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s like the catchiest, most fun party song I’ve heard in a long time. So, we knew we had something special with the song.’”
7. “Chasin’ You” by Morgan Wallen
Co-written by Morgan Wallen, the country superstar finds himself reflecting and pondering about his previous relationship. He revealed that although he’s with someone new, he can’t get his former flame out of his mind.
“When writing the song, I never imagined that it would be a No. 1 or that I’d be singing it in front of thousands of people,” Wallen said. “It’s crazy to think about what all has transpired in my life since that day. But that day spurred a song, relationships, and a confidence that has helped me tremendously this far in my career.”
8. “One of Them Girls” by Lee Brice
Lee Brice is raising his glass to all the courageous, independent women out there in his song, “One of Them Girls.”
“I just love that the title could easily come across with a negative connotation at first,” Brice explained. “But, it’s so very much about that girl that all of us—deep down, at the end of the day, at the end of our lives—really hope to have loving us.”
It came to life on Father’s Day in 2019 when Brice called for an “emergency songwriting session” at two o’clock in the morning after feeling inspired by the presence of his wife and children.
9. “Done” by Chris Janson
The romantic song has finally reached the summit after an eight-month climb on the Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Co-written by Chris Janson, “Done” captures his love story with his wife, Kelly Lynn.
“The moment I first saw my wife Kelly, I knew that was it. I was done,” Janson said. “This song is about knowing right then and there that I’d work for the rest of my life to make her happy. It’s just the truth. That’s why it’s so special.”
“Done” is already the second chart-topping single from Janson’s third studio album, Real Friends.
10. “More Than My Hometown” by Morgan Wallen
“The whole town’s rooting for us like the home team,” Morgan Wallen sings in the first verse, and it certainly seems like that is the case. This song that tells the heartbreaking love story of a small-town couple forced to separate by big-city ambitions is fast-rising on the Country charts.
The song’s bittersweet storyline has also come to life in the cinematic music video released for the song. With Wallen serving as narrator, the couple’s history flashes in-between scenes as the female lead leaves the town to chase her big-city dreams and is struggling to carry on.
- “Lovin’ On You” by Luke Combs
- “Why We Drink” by Justin Moore
- “Happy Anywhere” by Blake Shelton (Feat. Gwen Stefani)
- “Be a Light” by Thomas Rhett and Friends
- “God Whispered Your Name” by Keith Urban
- “Stick That In Your Country Song” by Eric Church
- “One Big Country Song” by LoCash
- “Cool Again” by Kane Brown
- “I Called Mama” by Tim McGraw
- “One Night Standards” by Ashley McBryde
- “Pretty Heart” by Parker McCollum
- “I Love My Country” by Florida Georgia Line
- “No I In Beer” by Brad Paisley
- “One Beer” by Hardy (Feat. Lauren Alaina, Devin Dawson)
- “Some Girls” by Jameson Rodgers
- “Ain’t Always the Cowboy” by Jon Pardi
- “Cheatin’ Songs” by Midland
- “Love You Like I Used To To” by Russell Dickerson
- “Lonely If You Are” by Chase Rice
- “We Were Rich” by Runaway June
- “Everywhere But On” by Matt Stell
- “Some People Do” by Old Dominion
- “Hole In the Bottle” by Kelsea Ballerini
- “Somebody Like That” by Tenille Arts
- “Happy Does” by Kenny Chesney
- “She’s Mine” by Kip Moore
- “Champagne Night” by Lady A
- “To Hell and Back” by Maren Morris
- “How They Remember You” by Rascal Flatts
- “Momma’s House” by Dustin Lynch
So, did your favorite song make it to the top 40 country songs for August 2020?
