It’s time for the Top 40 country songs for April 2021. This month’s most played songs are headed by Chris Stapleton, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, and Luke Combs, and it seems like these are the names we’re going to hear all year long.
Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over” rises to the top spot. Billboard said the hit song had gained over 25 million radio airplay at the start of the month, while the album of the same name also won Album of the Year during the recently concluded 2021 ACM Awards.
More Top 40 Country: March 2021 | February 2021 | January 2021 | December 2020 | November 2020 | October 2020
Meanwhile, Thomas Rhett is having a good year, too – not only his “What’s Your Country Song” climbs to the fourth spot but the first half of his double album Country Again: Side A is due for release on April 30. Guess we will be seeing more of Rhett in the next few months!
New songs from Clay Walker, Priscilla Block, and Lainey Wilson also make this month’s list. Be sure to check them out below.
1. “Starting Over” by Chris Stapleton
The title track from Christ Stapleton’s much-admired new album, “Starting Over,” was co-written by Stapleton with singer-songwriter Mike Henderson. This is only the country star’s second chart-topping single as an artist after his breakthrough hit “Broken Halos” in 2018.
This latest achievement came ahead of the 56th annual Academy of Country Music Awards last April 18, where Stapleton led the nominees – earning nominations in four categories, including Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year. Stapleton took home Album of the Year as both artist and producer. He also turned in some of the top performances that night.
The nominations celebrate yet another historic year for Stapleton following the release of Starting Over, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this past November.
2. “The Good Ones” by Gabby Barrett
Gabby Barrett’s star keeps on rising as she earned her second chart-topping hit with “The Good Ones.”
The singer’s second single off her debut album – Goldmine – has finally made it to the top of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this month, nearly a year after her debut single topped the same chart in 2020. With such a winning streak, Barrett is making history for being the first female artist to reach No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart with both her debut and sophomore singles in almost five years.
The song’s chart success came right after Barret was officially named the New Female Artist of the Year during the 56th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
3. “Good Time” by Niko Moon
“Good Time” marks Niko Moon’s first hit song as an artist. And the song does not only represent his first solo project as an artist, but it’s also actually a complete representation of who he is as an artist – featuring a sound that only Moon can deliver.
According to Moon, the song – which tells the story of a group of friends just having fun – is his way of staying true to himself even though he had doubts while producing the track.
Before “Good Time,” Moon already had his taste of success for the songs he penned for other artists – including “Keep Me In Mind” by Zac Brown and “Back To Life” by Rascal Flatts. But Moon said now is the best time for him to become a full-fledged artist and connect with his fans.
4. “What’s Your Country Song” by Thomas Rhett
The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year is taking another single to No. 1, putting “What’s Your Country Song” on top of several different country charts.
Thomas Rhett co-wrote the feel-good anthem with four other songwriters, including country singer-songwriter Rhett Akins. And its lyrics are dedicated to some of the biggest names in the history of country music — and how they captured the country life.
For You
It is the lead single from Rhett’s upcoming album, Country Again: Side A. The Tennessee native described the record as his way of going back to his roots, and he is planning to pair it with Country Again: Side B through a later release.
5. “Hell of a View” by Eric Church
While in the mountains of North Carolina, Eric Church came back from a jog to hear his co-writer Monty Criswell and longtime collaborator Joanna Cotton play the first part of the song they’ve been working on. And Church was quickly smitten by it, so they finished the song and recorded it that night.
“Hell of a View” is one of the twenty-eight songs Church recorded with his band during a marathon session in the mountains of North Carolina to produce a triple album set. Church admitted that he and his crew spent sleepless nights for more than twenty-eight days to complete the project. They converted an old restaurant into a studio for the occasion.
6. “Better Together” by Luke Combs
Luke Combs is extending his record-breaking streak at country radio as he earned his tenth-consecutive No. 1 single – thanks to “Better Together.”
The song is actually a tender ode to the country singer’s then-fiancée, Nicole Hocking, whom he married in August 2020. With lyrics that go beyond the apparent cliches, it was no longer a surprise when country music lovers immediately started hailing the romantic ballad as this year’s top wedding song.
7. “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” by Elle King & Miranda Lambert
This is definitely one of the best collaborations in country music history as Elle King and Miranda Lambert tell a gender-bending story of two women meeting at the bar that led to a wild night of debauchery together until the wee hours.
Co-written by King, the singer-songwriter said that she was inspired by her real-life friendship with Lambert upon writing the song.
And the two took that friendship to the stage of the 2021 ACM Awards to get the party started. With its playful lyrics, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” proved to be the perfect track for a high-energy number to set a fun tone for the evening.
8. “Made for You” by Jake Owen
Owen described “Made for You” as a song about “love for people and moments in our lives.”
It was released as the fourth single off his studio album, Greetings from… Jake. It was accompanied by a music video where you will get a glimpse of Owen’s life with his girlfriend, Erica Hartlein, and his two daughters just being themselves around the house and on their property in Kingston Springs.
9. “Somebody Like That” by Tenille Arts
Inspired by the enduring relationships she sees in her family, Tenille Arts co-wrote “Somebody Like That” with two other women: Allison Cruz and the track’s producer, Alex Kline. The up-tempo ballad came into fruition while the trio talked about taking a break from poignant break-up songs and wanting to write something that is fun and upbeat yet has substance to it.
And they came up with a song that looks for a kind of love that lasts a lifetime. The track was released as the third single from Arts’ sophomore album Love, Heartbreak, & Everything in Between.
10. “Knowing You” by Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney said you could interpret “Knowing You” in many ways, but the track’s prevailing theme isn’t that the relationship is over, but it’s actually appreciating it for occurring in the first place.
“Too many people lose sight of the gratitude for having felt that way at all,” the singer said. “You know, to have felt it, experienced it, know that that sensation is real – and you experienced it? To be given that gift is so much. And you can live with everything knowing that.”
“Knowing You” marks the latest single off his album Here and Now – which debuted at No. 1.
- “Lil Bit” by Nelly & Florida Georgia Line
- “Forever After All” by Luke Combs
- “One Too Many” by Keith Urban & Pink
- “My Boy” by Elvie Shane
- “Undivided” by Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard
- “Lady” by Brett Young
- “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” by Little Big Town
- “Long Live” by Florida Georgia Line
- “Minimum Wage” by Blake Shelton
- “Chasing After You” by Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris
- “Settling Down” by Miranda Lambert
- “Glad You Exist” by Dan + Shay
- “Famous Friends” by Chris Young & Kane Brown
- “Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s” by Sam Hunt
- “Things a Man Oughta Know” by Lainey Wilson
- “Momma’s House” by Dustin Lynch
- “Almost Maybes” by Jordan Davis
- “Nobody” by Dylan Scott
- “We Didn’t Have Much” by Justin Moore
- “Gone” by Dierks Bentley
- “Next Girl” by Carly Pearce
- “How They Remember You” by Rascal Flatts
- “Shallow” by Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood
- “Blame It on You” by Jason Aldean
- “You Time” by Scotty McCreery
- “Cold Beer Calling My Name” by Jameson Rodgers (Feat. Luke Combs)
- “Old School’s In” by Heath Sanders
- “Just About Over You” by Priscilla Block
- “Single Saturday Night” by Cole Swindell
- “Need a Bar Sometimes” by Clay Walker
So, what do you think about our list of Top 40 country songs for April 2021?
