Let’s look back to the Top 40 country songs in 2020, according to Billboard’s year-end Hot Country Songs Chart.
With music festivals, concerts, and live performances on pause, the country music scene felt absolutely different this year. Still, the genre remained to be a constant comfort and productive outlet through the restless year. Thanks to the men and women of country music who keep on pushing through, making us excited and empowered despite this dark and isolating year.
So, if you want to comb through the endless list of new country songs this year has given us in order to find great songs you’ve been missing, we’ve got you covered. Check it out below.
1. “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett
The country superstar is capping off 2020 with a remarkable career milestone.
Gabby Barrett‘s 4X Platinum debut single, “I Hope,” snagged the title of the longest-leading No. 1 by a solo female artist in the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs charts history after reigning the top spot for twenty weeks.
“Wow, I’m blown away,” Barrett said. “This year has been absolutely crazy for all of us, so to have this kind of year career-wise feels surreal. I’m so grateful for every step that my team, my fans, and most importantly, my family have taken to bring us here. Thank you to all of you, and to country radio, for making this possible!”
The news comes after “I Hope” was certified as the most-streamed country song of the year. It was absolutely no longer a surprise when Barrett turned out to be the only country artist to be part of Rolling Stone’s 10 Biggest Breakthrough Artists of 2020.
2. “The Bones” by Maren Morris
Maren Morris became a bona fide crossover star this year with her smash hit “The Bones,” which has been cruising up the country radio charts – making Morris the first female artist to have a multi-week No. 1 since 2012.
In addition to that, Morris also earned the awards for Single of the Year and Song of the Year for “The Bones,” including Female Vocalist of the Year during the 54th Annual CMA Awards.
3. “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
Dan + Shay enlisted Justin Bieber for their crossover hit “10,000 Hours,” a romantic love song that reached No. 1 on the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay chart, and only took about ten days to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Moreover, the new song debuts at No. 3 on the Billboard Streaming Songs chart, scoring the highest-charting non-holiday track in the chart’s history.
Dan + Shay, composed of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, wrote the song with Bieber along with three other songwriters as a tribute to their wives. “All of us were kind of in that place where this song really resonates with all of us,” Mooney said. “And the whole thing just kind of came together and was obviously meant to be.”
4. “Chasin’ You” by Morgan Wallen
With every single, the Tennessee native never stops proving that he’s going to be a country mainstay and soon-to-be a superstar. And thanks to his song “Chasin’ You,” Wallen has scored his third consecutive No. 1. The song has finally secured the top spot on both Billboard and Mediabase’s country radio airplay charts.
Co-written by Wallen, “Chasin’ You” reflects on an old flame that he just can’t get out of his mind. Even though he’s lying-in bed “holding someone new,” the singer is still chasing her “like a shot of whiskey.”
“We’re all chasin’ something, it seems,” Wallen said. “With this song, we were chasin’ a No. 1 — looks like we were blessed enough to catch it.”
5. “Nobody But You” by Blake Shelton Duet With Gwen Stefani
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s romantic duet of “Nobody But You” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making it Shelton’s 27th No. 1 hit on the country chart while the first-ever for Stefani more than twenty-five years as a star on the pop charts.
Shelton revealed that the moment he heard this song, he wanted to record it immediately. The country superstar finds it to be the “perfect song which every lyrics has meaning in my life.”
“Gwen was crying when we even just talked about singing it together at all,” Shelton said. “It just seemed to fit perfectly with our story, and, musically, I think it walks the line of what I can do and what she can do. Everything just kind of aligned and came together, and it’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments.”
6. “One Man Band” by Old Dominion
Old Dominion may have been on fire ever since their breakout in 2015, but the country music band seems just like they’re getting warmed up.
The group actually celebrated another chart-topper this year with “One Man Band,” extending their streak to an impressive eight No.1s in a row at country radio. On top of that, the song also brought nearly 200 million streams, making it the band’s biggest success so far.
During the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards, “One Man Band” has also nabbed the trophy for Song of the Year.
7. “Got What I Got” by Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean scored another No. 1 single as “Got What I Got” ascended to No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart.
The romantic country ballad took Aldean’s level of Southern suave up a notch. “Country radio has always given us the chance to bend the rules a little, and that has always meant a lot to me,” the singer said. “It’s especially cool for them to have my back right now while we can’t be out on the road getting fans’ music that way. We are missing it bad and can’t wait to get back on stage.”
“Got What I Got” was released as the second single from Aldean’s ninth studio album, 9.
8. “Die From A Broken Heart” by Maddie & Tae
Maddie & Tae’s tender, pleading ballad, “Die From a Broken Heart,” has completed its climb to No.1 on the Country Aircheck and Billboard country charts, and the duo is beyond grateful. The song is their second chart-topping single, next to their 2014 debut, “Girl In A Country Song.”
Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye took their joy to their social media accounts to share how grateful they are, especially to their fans who supported the chart-topping and platinum-selling song. “Ain’t no broken hearts up in here!” they wrote.
The song, which tells the tale of a broken-hearted woman seeking wisdom from her mother, is very personal to the duo, especially to Dye, who co-wrote the song just days after she and her longtime boyfriend broke up.
Dye admits this was “probably the hardest” song to write as she “felt everything that the song says.”
9. “I Hope You’re Happy Now” by Carly Pearce & Lee Brice
Guess it’s safe to say that Carly Pearce is “happy now” as her duet with Lee Brice becomes the second No. 1 of her career. Meanwhile, “I Hope You’re Happy Now” is Brice’s seventh chart-topper,
Interestingly, Pearce wrote the song with Luke Combs, while her previous relationship before she married her husband serves as the inspiration for the track. The Kentucky native confessed she had to muster up her courage to play the song for Brice.
“I’m such a fan of his songwriting,” Pearce revealed. “Take the voice, I mean, that’s no question. But I was nervous to play a song for somebody that I respect so much as a songwriter.”
For You
The heartbreak-collaboration was also announced as the Musical Event of the Year winner during the 2020 CMA Awards.
10. “One Of Them Girls” by Lee Brice
Lee Brice celebrates strong and courageous women on his fastest-rising single to date, “One of Them Girls.”
“This song was embraced by both fans and radio from the get-go… it has flown,” Brice said. “We felt there was something special about it on the night we wrote it and to see how it has resonated is such a blessing and humbling. We are over the moon!”
The singer previously shared that he got the song’s idea during Father’s Day in 2019 after being inspired by his family. He had to call for an “emergency songwriting session” for it to come to life.
11. “One Margarita” by Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan’s “One Margarita” topped the Billboard’s Country Airplay chart back in July, at the same time peaking at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the singer’s highest-charting entry since 2014.
The full-blown party track aims for everyone to let go of their worries and just embrace the moment. It is filled with tropical vibes and is absolutely like the “perfect summertime anthem party song.”
“During these challenging times, it’s a song that people can just dance and let go to,” Bryan said. “It’s been fun watching my fans react on socials, and it’s gonna be even more fun when I get to see them react at a live show.”
12. “Hard To Forget” by Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt literally blends classic country with his growing, pop sounds with his No. 1 hit single “Hard to Forget.”
Sam Hunt had been entertaining the possibility of sampling a country song from a different era for a while. “I tried some samples from the ’90s ’cause that’s kind of the era of country music that I grew up on, but it never seemed to quite work,” the singer said.
It wasn’t until Luke Laird took out one sample of Webb Pierce’s “There Stands the Glass” that he knew he’d found the single-worthy one. “Hard to Forget” is actually a product of countless writing sessions with various hitmakers throughout a couple of years.
13. “Kinfolks” by Sam Hunt
“Kinfolks” is another No. 1 song on the chart for Sam Hunt.
“When I think of ‘kinfolks,’ when I think of that phrase, I think of my family, but also I think about just, my people back home – even beyond my family, just buddies and people who’ve been a part of my story from the beginning,” Hunt explained.
“I’ve made a lot of new friends and met a lot of new people who are important to me as I’ve moved away from my hometown, but that core group is still that core group and always will be. It’s like that old saying, ‘you can’t make new old friends’ or whatever.”
14. “One Beer” by HARDY Featuring Lauren Alaina & Devin Dawson
All it takes is “One Beer” for Hardy to launch his artist career.
Hardy finally has his first No. 1 as an artist this year. Featuring fellow country musicians Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, the song tops both the Billboard US Country Airplay as well as Country Aircheck/Mediabase country chart.
But Hardy is no stranger when it comes to the top of the charts. The hit songwriter has so far penned eight chart-topping singles – this includes Morgan Wallen’s “More Than My Hometown.”
15. “Bluebird” by Miranda Lambert
“Bluebird” is a song we all need as Miranda Lambert takes into a positive attitude toward life’s challenging times. But according to the songstress, the song is also the story of her own personal journey to hope.
“When we got in the room to write it, it felt really magical, because, I don’t know — something about a bluebird is hopeful, even though blue times,” Lambert said. “When I sing this song, I feel a little flutter. I feel every single word of what it means.”
16. “Does To Me” by Luke Combs Featuring Eric Church
“Does to Me” is Luke Combs’ ode to the outsiders, so it’s only fitting that he called Eric Church to sing it with him, being one of country music’s most revered outsiders.
This song is especially personal to Combs, as it celebrates the idea of being proud of one’s accomplishments that others may deem trivial.
“The whole sentiment on the song was there’s nothing wrong with being proud of things that people think are insignificant. Up until I started doing this, I hadn’t done anything really in my life that I think anybody would think is really cool or great,” Combs explained.
17. “More Than My Hometown” by Morgan Wallen
As early as now, Morgan Wallen is showing the world that anything he releases will certainly be a certified hit. Take for instance his latest song “More Than My Hometown,” which secured the No. 1 spot on the country charts.
Remarkably, the song is just one among the thirty tracks included on his sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album.
18. “Even Though I’m Leaving” by Luke Combs
Luke Combs may not have personal parenthood experience to draw from, he still managed to channel his inner dad as he sings about the heartfelt conversation between a father and son and the details of the pain a child feels after losing a parent.
Despite not being the emotional kind, the country superstar admits that he frequently got choked up while he wrote the song with the help of his friends, Wyatt Durrette and Ray Fulcher.
19. “Lovin’ On You” by Luke Combs
Luke Combs is without a doubt a bonafide superstar who scored his ninth consecutive No. 1 single with “Lovin’ On You,” making him the only artist to achieve such success.
Co-written by Combs, the song is a 90s-influenced country-rocker where Combs finds himself listing some of his favorite things. But he declares on the chorus that none of them give him the same rush as the love of his life.
20. “More Hearts Than Mine” by Ingrid Andress
Ingrid Andress proves she’s one of country music’s fastest-rising newcomers, as she claimed her first-ever No. 1 on country radio with her debut single, “More Hearts Than Mine.”
The Platinum-certified song reached the No. 1 spot of the Mediabase Country Aircheck while No. 3 on the Billboard US Country Airplay. “Thank you, country radio, for your support and for embracing me and this song so readily. This is extra special because it’s a song about my family, who I love so much and who have been my #1 fans from the beginning.” Andress said.
The song was released as the lead-off single to her debut album Lady Like.
- “Cool Again” by Kane Brown
- “Homesick” by Kane Brown
- “I Love My Country” by Florida Georgia Line
- “Be A Light” by Thomas Rhett Featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban
- “After A Few” by Travis Denning
- “Beer Can’t Fix” by Thomas Rhett Featuring Jon Pardi
- “What She Wants Tonight” by Luke Bryan
- “God Whispered Your Name” by Keith Urban
- “Some Girls” by Jameson Rodgers
- “Pretty Heart” by Parker McCollum
- “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” by Jordan Davis
- “Heartache Medication” by Jon Pardi
- “Here And Now” by Kenny Chesney
- “Catch” by Brett Young
- “One Night Standards” by Ashley McBryde
- “Love You Like I Used To” by Russell Dickerson
- “Why We Drink” by Justin Moore
- “One Big Country Song” by LOCASH
- “I Called Mama” by Tim McGraw
- “What If I Never Get Over You” by Lady Antebellum
So, did your favorite song make it to the Top 40 Country Songs in 2020?
