It’s pretty amazing how Brantley Gilbert songs merged the themes and attitude of outlaw country with some heartland sounds – and of course, a subject matter that ranges from letting loose on the weekend to a man searching for a better life to his faith in God.
But before the Georgia native scored a No. 1 hit in 2011, Gilbert actually first established his status as a professional country songwriter – writing songs for other artists, including Jason Aldean hits: “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kinda Party.” These tracks were more than enough for Gilbert to kick off his career, pushing him into the greater leagues.
Today, Gilbert has built himself as a star in his own right, placing himself in a position just south of the bro-country – which led the early part of the 2010s. He chose to play a brand-new style of traditional country that made him the star he is today.
Check out below some of our favorite songs by Brantley Gilbert.
1. “Three Feet Of Water”
Feeling grateful for God’s mercy in washing away all a man’s sins the moment he got baptized, Gilbert used the song to express his appreciation. He was beyond thankful for how a simple act of going into three feet of water is enough to purify him from all the dark thoughts, words, and actions that he has done all over his life.
2. “More Than Miles”
Though the song was only featured on the deluxe version of his sophomore album, “More Than Miles” became a Top 10 hit for Gilbert – peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Country Airplay – and has been certified gold.
The country singer revealed that he wrote this song with John Eddie after finding himself torn between spending time in Nashville to pursue a career in music and going back home to the woman he loves.
3. “One Hell of An Amen”
When one of Gilbert’s dearest friends, who worked as an Army Ranger, lost a best friend in Kirkuk, Iraq – and even watched the tragic moment go down – the country singer took the initiative to put his feelings into a song and created “One Hell of An Amen.”
4. “The Ones That Like Me”
Gilbert described this song as “just, straight-ahead, me in a nutshell” – a testament to staying who you are, both in the good times and the bad.
5. “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”
Gilbert sings about love gone wrong in “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.” It is accompanied by a music video that gives an intimate glimpse of the country singer’s live shows and life on the road. It’s his second-straight chart-topper from 2011.
6. “Small Town Throwdown”
Gilbert joined forces with his labelmates, fellow country stars Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett for this country-rocker. It comes with a music video where the trio performs their song for the energetic crowd full of women.
7. “Bottoms Up”
The country rocker finds himself addressing his lover and proposing to party with her by telling her, “tonight it’s bottoms up.” It was Gilbert’s first new song for three years, and it reached No. 1 on the Billboard’s Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs chart.
For You
8. “Country Must Be Country Wide”
Definitely one of Brantley Gilbert’s greatest hits, the country singer pays tribute to the country music fanbase in this 2009 country hit single. Gilbert wrote the song with his fellow Georgia natives when they realized how “there are rednecks everywhere.”
9. “Bad Boy”
“Bad Boy” serves as Gilbert’s reminder to himself “that no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to be the person you wanna be.” The country singer fought alcohol and opiate addiction for several years before starting a career in music.
10. “I’m Gone”
When Gilbert and country music singer-actress Jana Kramer broke off their engagement in 2014, after almost a year together, he channeled a lot of his feelings on this track.
11. “Hard Days”
The inspirational ballad is based on the sentiment that if bad times did not happen, the great times wouldn’t feel so pleasant. It was included in the album’s deluxe edition and was released in 2020 at a time when many were undergoing hardship because of the global pandemic.
12. “What Happens in a Small Town”
Gilbert finds himself struggling to get past the memory of a past love in “What Happens in a Small Town” as his hometown’s familiar landmarks serve as reminders of their time together.
13. “Just As I Am”
Battling with alcohol for a long time, Gilbert finally decided to put a stop to his drinking before 2011 ended. And this song is about all his struggles and hard work in overcoming the demon drink – which he said is “definitely about the most intense and most deadly struggle I had in my entire life.”
14. “My Faith In You”
Gilbert called this track his “main spiritual song” about his faith and the people close to him, especially those who stood behind him when he broke off his engagement with Kramer while struggling to maintain his two years of sobriety.
15. “The Weekend”
Can you believe Gilbert wrote “The Weekend” over the phone with Nashville songwriter Andrew DeRoberts, and they didn’t even have the chance to meet face to face? Still, the result is a Platinum-certified hit.
More Brantley Gilbert Songs You Might Want To Stream Right Now
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