Ten of the Best Steve Earle Songs Everyone Must Listen to!

Steve Earle is one of the most well-known country music musicians of all time. There is no mistake about that since there are several chart-topping Steve Earle Songs for folks to enjoy.

Although Steve Earle began his career performing country music, he has now expanded into many more genres, making him a magnet for listeners who wish to sample a variety of musical tastes.

He won three Grammy awards during his career, making him one of the musicians that will go into the history books. He is not only a singer but also an actor and an author.

Steve Earle is a man of many talents. And perhaps it is why people are so enamored with him, making his songs as successful as they can be.

So, if you want to know which of his songs are the greatest, scroll down, and you might find a song that you would like to add to your own personal playlist.

1. The Mountain 

The song, released in 1999, is a bluegrass career side trip for Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band. Despite the fact that the band’s and Steve Earle’s perspectives collide, for whatever reason, it did not affect the song’s success. It even received a Grammy nomination.

2. Copperhead Road

Steve Earle composed and performed this song. It was released in 1988 and served as the first single and title track for his third studio album, “Copperhead Road.” The song sold around 1.1 million digital copies and reached number 10 on the US Billboard mainstream rock songs chart. Its crossover appeal on rock radio should have been the start of Earle’s career, but his drug issues put a five-year halt to his career, destroying all possible success the song and album had produced.

3. Goodbye

After undergoing rehab and his release in 1994, “Goodbye” was his first song written as sober. The song was released in 1995 as part of his album Train a Comin’. Earle introduces the song in concert as a “ninth step in the key of C,” alluding to the step in which a recovered addict strives to make direct reparations to those they have wronged. Because the song was so meaningful to many, another country artist, “Emmylou Harris,” produced her own version of it for her 1995 wrecking ball album, which was also a massive hit. 

4. The Galway Girl

Steve Earle wrote this acoustic gem, which was recorded by Irish artist Sharon Shannon. “The Galway Girl” was one of the tracks on his album Transcendental Blues, released in 2000. According to reports, the song was inspired by Joyce Redmond, whom Steve Earle met in Galway, Ireland. It’s merely a song about a boy captivated by the beauty of a girl.

5. Someday

The song was first released in 1986. It peaked at number 28 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks list. And 31st on the Canadian RPM country songs chart.

6. Black Lung

‘Black Lung,’ which was released in 2020, is a fittingly gloomy voyage into the life of coal miners. Steve Earle wrote the song on his own. And believe it or not, each phrase causes you to exhale owing to the powerful sensation it evokes.

7. Sometimes, She Forgets

The song was released in 1995 as part of his album Train a Comin’. Although Steve Earle recorded and penned the song, it was not his version that reached the top of the charts. Another country musician, Travis Tritt, had the highest charting version of the song, which he also released in 1995. Travis’ rendition reached number seven in the United States and number six in Canada.

8. Hillbilly Highway

One of Earle’s 1986 debut highlights brilliantly reflects his ability to tell a personal narrative and make it easy to digest by everyone. It recalls the story of his father, who had to leave home to find his way in life, and how it influenced his own future. The song peaked at number 37 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Earle and another country singer, Jimbeau Hinson, wrote the song.

9. Snake Oil

The song was produced by Steve Earle and Tony Brown and was released in 1988. The song was track number two of his Copperhead road album, which included 25 other tracks.

10. Guitar Town

Gerry Wenner directed the music video for the song, which was presented to the public in 1986. The song was composed by Steve Earle himself on his album, also named “Guitar Town.” It made it to the charts, peaking at number seven on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks list and the Canadian charts. The song is one of the highest-peaking tracks Steve Earle has ever released in his career.

Steve Earle is, without a doubt, among the greatest the industry has ever seen. Throughout his career, he has written incredible songs that many country music fans have come to respect and enjoy throughout the years. 

That’s why here are more Steve Earle songs you might want to check out. 

• Jerusalem
• Ashes to Ashes
• The Revolution Starts Now
• What’s a Simple Man to Do?
• Meet Me in the Alleyway
• Days Aren’t Long Enough
• The Week of Living Dangerously
• My Old Friend the Blues
• Sweet Little ’66
• Taneytown
• Dixieland
• Poison Lovers
• The Other Side of Town
• Goodbye’s All We’ve Got Left
• N.Y.C. feat. Super suckers

You can definitely check out the above song suggestions if you’re stuck for tunes to listen to today. We assure you, you won’t be sorry if you choose any of Steve Earle songs from the list above.