- 7 weeks ago
Get ready to tap your boots and feel all the feels with some of the most memorable hits sung by female country artists from the 2000s onward! From heartfelt ballads to empowering anthems, these songs define modern country music’s soul and spirit. Whether it’s love, heartbreak, or resilience, these tunes deliver stories that resonate deeply and keep the country tradition alive and thriving.
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00:00I dug my key into the side of his pretty little soup cup, four-wheel drive.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for the most iconic hits in the country music genre, sung by women.
00:14For this list, we're only looking at songs released after the year 2000.
00:18I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round.
00:24Number 20. Somewhere Over Laredo, Lainey Wilson.
00:28This one is for hearts that long for home.
00:31Somewhere Over Laredo, which interpolates the unforgettable tune of Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz,
00:37topped the UK country airplay chart when it was released.
00:47The familiar melody and the heartfelt ode to the titular Texan city make the song overwhelmingly nostalgic.
00:53In an interview, Lainey Wilson explained that Laredo is not just a place to her,
00:57but also a feeling.
01:05Her warm, husky vocals give a larger-than-life energy to the song,
01:10conveying exactly what that means.
01:12It goes without saying that the people of Laredo are more than proud of Lainey for this timeless hit.
01:16Somewhere Over Laredo, dreaming about this rodeo night.
01:25Number 19. The Way You Love Me, Faith Hill.
01:28A generous helping of pop sensibility with a dash of dance music on a country bass.
01:32What's not to love about this tune?
01:35I wish you could see the way you kiss.
01:39Songwriter Keith Fallisay, who worked on The Way You Love Me with Michael Delaney,
01:44once shared that after writing it, he thought it was either one of his best works or his worst.
01:49The song reached Faith Hill, who brought the lyrics to life with her vibrant performance,
01:53and it quickly became a soaring success.
01:55It topped Billboard's U.S. Hot Country Songs and U.S. Top Country Single Sales Charts,
02:05as well as the Canada Country Tracks list.
02:08Clearly, Fallisay was onto something.
02:09Be the way you love me.
02:13Whoa, whoa, whoa, the way you love me.
02:17Number 18. Sailor Song, Gigi Perez.
02:20If you spent any amount of time on TikTok recently,
02:24you've probably noticed that this song is everywhere, and for good reason, too.
02:28Sailor Song is a gentle, sapphic acoustic ballad,
02:31where Gigi Perez sings of her lover, likening her to her savior.
02:42Though this got some backlash from conservative Christians,
02:45the songstress refused to change her lyrics.
02:48This amplified the song's virality,
02:50as listeners all over the world fell in love with its candor.
03:01The indie folk influence is magical enough,
03:04but Gigi's vocals make the track even dreamier.
03:15Number 17. Redneck Woman, Gretchen Wilson.
03:18This fun country track was Gretchen Wilson's debut single,
03:27and boy, what an impression she made.
03:29The catchy chorus and spot-on lyrics were relatable to every country gal,
03:33and it took her straight to number one on the Billboard country chart.
03:36So here's to all my sisters out there keeping it country.
03:41Co-written with John Rich of Big & Rich,
03:44the song announced to the world that Wilson was indeed here for the party.
03:48I'm just a product of my rays,
03:50and I say, hey y'all, I need heart.
03:53The track also proved to be a pop crossover hit,
03:56and even earned Wilson a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal,
03:59while the song's star-studded cast instantly put Gretchen on the map.
04:03We dare you to try not to tap your foot to this tune.
04:13Number 16. My Church, Maren Morris.
04:17This song has all the hallmarks of a country classic.
04:20Maren Morris paints a vivid picture of driving down open roads
04:23with the windows down and the volume up.
04:25For her, this experience is nothing short of spiritual,
04:28so much so that she calls it her church.
04:30Feels like the holy ghost running through ya
04:33When I play the highway FM
04:37Considering the millions of views the music video for this song has on YouTube,
04:41clearly she is not alone in feeling that way.
04:44Can I get a hallelujah?
04:48Can I get an amen?
04:50Despite being Morris' debut single,
04:53My Church peaked at number five on Billboard's U.S. Hot Country Songs chart
04:56and won her a Grammy Award.
04:58Yeah, yeah.
05:00Cause that's my church
05:03Number 15. Girl Crush, Little Big Town
05:07I got a girl crush
05:14Little Big Town's wonderfully simple, stripped-back love affair
05:18is powerful in all the right ways.
05:20The single allegedly created controversy on the radio,
05:23as some listeners complained that it was about a girl in love with another girl,
05:27while rumors flew that some stations even pulled it from their playlists.
05:30I wanna taste her lips
05:34Yeah, cause they taste like you
05:38Listen carefully to the lyrics, though.
05:40And yes, you've got it.
05:42The song is actually about a woman obsessing over the girl who has the heart of the man she loves.
05:47Karen Fairchild's haunting vocals are hugely successful in turning convention on its head
05:52and making us pay close attention to the mesmerizing tune.
05:55You can't just play it once.
05:57I got a heart rush
06:00It ain't slowin' down
06:03Number 14. I Hope, Gabby Barrett
06:08She may not have taken the American Idol trophy home,
06:11but she definitely won our hearts with this revenge anthem.
06:14In I Hope, Gabby Barrett wears her heart on her sleeve.
06:18She sings of a lover who did her wrong,
06:19and the lyrics are inspired by a teen romance of her own.
06:22I hope you won't feel as far as by the end of the drive
06:26I hope you know she's the one by the end of the night
06:29The song is fierce, empowering, and liberating,
06:32but also unapologetically petty.
06:35Anyone who has ever wished for their cheating ex to experience the same pain they inflicted
06:39would relate to this song hard.
06:41I hope she makes you feel the same way about her
06:44that I feel about you right now
06:47Naturally, I Hope enjoyed immense success,
06:49both critically and commercially,
06:51topping charts left and right.
06:59Number 13. If You Hadn't Been There, Dolly Parton
07:03The queen of country's decades-long marriage to Carl Dean
07:06is one of America's most adored love stories.
07:09Dean spent his life away from the glitz and glamour of Dollywood,
07:13but the pair's love for each other remained unwavering.
07:17Unfortunately, on March 3rd, 2025, he passed away.
07:26Soon after, Dolly wrote If You Hadn't Been There as a tribute to her late husband.
07:30Her sweet vocals are drenched in raw sentiment,
07:33and the honest lyrics tug at our heartstrings.
07:35I pray God and you
07:38Oh, for your love you care
07:42As expected of a Dolly Parton release,
07:45the track climbed to the third spot on Billboard's U.S. digital song sales chart.
07:49However, the emotional impact it had on listeners
07:52was far more significant than its commercial performance.
07:55I wouldn't be here
07:57I wouldn't be here
07:58If you hadn't been there
08:01Number 12. Penthouse Healed Version
08:04Kelsey Ballerini
08:05The original version of this song,
08:07which is about a couple going their separate ways,
08:10is heartbreaking.
08:11However, this one is what you jam out to when you've moved on.
08:14We played the park five nights
08:17But we were never there on the weekends, baby
08:21In 2022, Kelsey Ballerini split from country singer Morgan Evans,
08:25to whom she was married since 2017.
08:28Penthouse came out after their divorce was finalized
08:30as part of the singer's EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.
08:33It is speculated that the song is about her separation from Evans.
08:44So, when the Healed Version came out,
08:46with Ballerini changing some lyrics to express how far she'd come,
08:49fans cheered their hearts out.
08:51Clearly, this cathartic musical celebration resonated with many.
08:55Cause we were playing home in a penthouse, baby
09:00Number 11. Stay, Sugar Land
09:03And I've been laying here praying, praying she won't call
09:08It's just another call from home
09:12Make sure you've got some tissues nearby
09:14as Sugar Land's award-winning signature song
09:16is guaranteed to break your heart.
09:19In a wonderfully stripped-back performance,
09:21Jennifer Nettles really wears her heart on her sleeve.
09:24She can't love you like me
09:28Why don't you stay
09:31Most people assume she speaks as the wife of a cheating husband.
09:35But listen carefully, she's actually the other woman.
09:38And I don't like being used
09:41And I'm tired of waiting
09:43And if you find yourself thinking
09:46what a great job she's doing of pretending to cry,
09:49it's because there's no pretending here.
09:51After breaking down during filming,
09:54Nettles decided to leave her tears in the video.
09:56The gamble paid off.
09:57It also became one of the most popular country videos of the decade.
10:01Baby, why don't you stay
10:04Number 10. Austin, Dasha
10:11This catchy hit found a global audience beyond the country music fandom,
10:15thanks to TikTok.
10:16In Austin, Dasha sings of an unfaithful partner.
10:19And she doesn't mince her words when she calls him out for being a bit of a loser.
10:31It's perfect for line dancing,
10:33which is partly why it went viral.
10:36But more importantly,
10:37Dasha's commanding vocals are brimming with conviction.
10:40The defiant resilience in the lyrics could chase any breakup blues away in an instant.
10:44Was the whiskey flowing, were you in a fight?
10:49Did the nurse come get you, it's your alibi?
10:53No wonder people from across the world found strength in this track.
10:56In addition to its remarkable success in the States,
10:59Austin topped charts in the UK and Estonia,
11:02establishing Dasha as a force to be reckoned with.
11:05For 40 years, you'll still be here.
11:07Don't quash up in a sleep.
11:10Number 9.
11:11If I Die Young, the band Perry.
11:13If I die young, bury me inside, lay me down on a bed of roses.
11:20We just couldn't miss out on this beautiful country song,
11:23written by Kimberly Perry and performed by the band Perry.
11:26Kimberly and her brothers, Reed and Neil.
11:29The single was released from their self-titled debut album,
11:32and it swiftly became a multi-platinum success.
11:34I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom
11:38I'm as green as a ring
11:40Oh, my little cold finger I...
11:42The haunting lyrics are complemented by soft backing music,
11:46including the fiddle, accordion, and banjo,
11:48while the song's video references the appropriately tragic tale
11:51of the Lady of Shalott about a woman under a curse.
11:54Maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singing
11:58Funny when you're dead, how people start listening
12:02It's definitely a track best enjoyed with a glass of wine,
12:06and possibly a box of tissues.
12:08So put on your best boys
12:11And I'll wear my purse
12:16Number 8.
12:17Not ready to make nice.
12:18The Chicks
12:19Forget
12:20Sounds good
12:24Forget
12:26Playing with paint has never looked so dramatic.
12:29The Chicks' most popular track in the U.S.
12:32has a surprisingly dark backstory.
12:34During their 2003 world tour,
12:37just before the U.S. invaded Iraq,
12:39vocalist Natalie Maines made a comment on stage
12:41which impacted their lives forever.
12:43I'm not ready to make nice.
12:46I'm not ready to back down.
12:49Telling the crowd, quote,
12:50We don't want this war,
12:52and that she was ashamed that then-President George W. Bush
12:54was from her home state of Texas,
12:56the Chicks watched as their simple statement of peace
12:59spiraled out of control.
13:00U.S. fans began boycotting their music
13:02before demanding they, quote,
13:04shut up and sing,
13:05and going as far as to make death threats.
13:07Saying that I better
13:08share and sing
13:10or my life will be over
13:11Not ready to make nice
13:16was their gutsy response to the situation,
13:18and its success was huge.
13:20That is how I can bring myself
13:23into the world
13:24of anything I should
13:26Number 7.
13:29The Architect
13:30Casey Musgraves
13:32The celebrated country superstar
13:33has never been one to shy away
13:35from socially conscious songwriting.
13:37In The Architect,
13:38she gets existential,
13:40questioning God
13:41in the face of human tragedy.
13:42Sometimes I look in the mirror
13:45Wish I could make a request
13:49It looks for any semblance
13:51of meaning and order in chaos,
13:53pondering the power of fate.
13:55Notably,
13:55The Architect was written by Casey,
13:57Josh Osborne,
13:58and Shane McAnally
13:59after a terrible school shooting
14:01in Nashville claimed six lives.
14:03Then the wind at your back
14:05carries ember and ash
14:07It burns your whole house
14:09to the ground
14:10This added another layer
14:12of pathos to the song,
14:14making it even more relevant.
14:16Critics lauded the song's lyricism
14:18as well as Casey's poignant delivery.
14:20Finally,
14:21at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards,
14:23The Architect won Best Country Song.
14:25This life that we make
14:27Is it random or fake?
14:29Can I speak to the architect?
14:33Number 6.
14:34Before He Cheats
14:35Carrie Underwood
14:36Right now
14:37He's probably slow dancing
14:39With a bleach blonde tramp
14:40And she's probably getting thirsty
14:42Well, fellas,
14:44don't go messing with Carrie.
14:45This powerful tune
14:46was the best-selling country single
14:48of all time
14:48for several years
14:49after its release.
14:51I took a Louisville slugger
14:52to both headlights
14:54And last a home
14:55and all four tires
14:57She rose to fame
14:58after winning
14:59American Idol in 2005
15:01and her first album,
15:02Some Hearts,
15:03which included this single,
15:04was the best-selling
15:05female debut
15:06in country music history.
15:08Who doesn't love
15:09a bit of brutal girl power?
15:10Baby, next time I think
15:13Before He Cheats
15:16Like your country music
15:19a little more lighthearted?
15:20Carrie's other smash hit single,
15:22Jesus Take the Wheel,
15:23also featured on this album.
15:25Underwood's delicate vocals
15:26and country roots
15:27really shine in this lovely song
15:29of faith and trust.
15:30Beautiful.
15:31Jesus Take the Wheel
15:34Number 5
15:39Texas Hold'em
15:40Beyonce
15:41Queen B's country pop gem
15:43was revolutionary
15:44in more ways than one.
15:46The song earned
15:46several Grammy nominations
15:48and the album
15:49it was a part of,
15:50Cowboy Carter,
15:51won Best Country Album.
15:53Beyonce became
15:53the first ever
15:54black musician
15:55to achieve this feat.
15:56Ooh, one step to the right
15:58We headed to the dive bar
16:01We always thought was nice
16:02Texas Hold'em
16:03also topped the
16:04Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
16:06Before Mrs. Carter,
16:07no other black female artist
16:09had reached this milestone.
16:11Such unprecedented success
16:12reportedly made country music
16:14more mainstream worldwide
16:15than it had ever been before.
16:16This ain't Texas
16:18Ain't no Hold'em
16:20Hey, lay your cards
16:22down, down, down, down
16:24It also spotlighted
16:25other contemporary black artists
16:27in the country music industry.
16:29No one but Beyonce
16:30could have pulled off
16:31such a grand triumph.
16:32And I'll be damned
16:33if I cannot dance with you
16:36Baby, pour that sugar
16:38and liquor
16:39only you too
16:41Number 4
16:41The House That Built Me
16:43Miranda Lambert
16:44Do you remember
16:45when you were little
16:46and you buried your pet
16:47in the backyard?
16:48Or the room you sat in
16:49each night
16:49to do your homework?
16:51My favorite dog
16:52is buried in the yard
16:55Miranda Lambert
16:56brought these memories
16:57good and bad
16:58to life in a song
16:59which became
17:00an instant classic.
17:01Out here
17:02it's like
17:03I'm someone else
17:04I thought that
17:05maybe I could
17:06find myself
17:08Everyone can relate
17:09to that feeling
17:10of nostalgia
17:11for their childhood home
17:12and Lambert's
17:13beautiful
17:13down-to-earth vocals
17:14hit just the right tone.
17:16If I could walk around
17:17I swear I'll leave
17:19Won't take nothing
17:21but a memory
17:22In contrast
17:23another of Lambert's
17:25biggest hits
17:25is Gunpowder and Lead
17:26a powerful country rock tune
17:28about domestic violence
17:29backed with electric guitar
17:31and hard-hitting vocals.
17:33Is there anything
17:33this girl can't do?
17:34For sure was
17:36a reminder
17:37Gunpowder
17:38Gunpowder and Lead
17:40It's not just one of
17:53Taylor Swift's
17:53best-selling singles
17:54this multi-platinum
17:56masterpiece
17:56is actually one of
17:57the best-selling
17:58digital singles
17:59of all time.
18:00Swift's modern take
18:01on the classic
18:02Shakespearean tale
18:02of Romeo and Juliet
18:04proves that you can't
18:05beat a good old-fashioned
18:06love story.
18:06Her inspiration
18:14behind the song
18:15was a previous
18:15love interest
18:16who wasn't popular
18:17with her family
18:18and friends
18:18so she gave her story
18:19a happy ending
18:20and made it
18:21into a classic.
18:28Another close
18:29contender for our list
18:30was Taylor's
18:30breakthrough song
18:31Teardrops on My Guitar
18:33a simple and sweet
18:34acoustic track.
18:35Enjoy!
18:36The only thing
18:37that keeps me
18:38wishing I'm a wishing star
18:41Number 2
18:42Need You Now
18:43Lady A
18:43Picture-perfect
18:45memories
18:46scattered all
18:47around the floor
18:49We've all been there.
18:50It's the middle
18:51of the night
18:51you blow your nose
18:53wipe off the tears
18:54grit your teeth
18:55and press call.
18:56From the melancholy
18:57piano intro
18:58to the catchy refrain
18:59this award-winning
19:00hit is impossible
19:01to get tired of
19:02and this was proved
19:03by its phenomenal sales.
19:05After overtaking
19:13Taylor Swift's
19:14love story
19:15Need You Now
19:16became the best-selling
19:17country song
19:17of all time.
19:18If only the results
19:19of our drunken
19:20phone calls
19:21were as happy
19:21as theirs.
19:22Better grab a glass
19:23of wine
19:24and let Hillary
19:24Scott's voice
19:25just wash over you.
19:26Before we unveil
19:34our top pick
19:35here are a few
19:36honorable mentions.
19:38The Climb
19:38Miley Cyrus
19:39Concrete Angel
19:46Martina McBride
19:47Born to Fly
19:55Sarah Evans
19:56You Look Like You Love Me
20:04Ella Langley
20:05featuring Riley Greene
20:07I'm drunk
20:07and I'm ready to leave
20:09And you look like
20:12you love me
20:15What He Didn't Do
20:16Carly Pierce
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20:41Number 1
20:41I Hope You Dance
20:43Leanne Womack
20:44This country ballad
20:51is simply beautiful
20:52in every way.
20:53Leanne Womack's
20:54award-winning signature song
20:56captured millions of hearts
20:57when it was released
20:58and what's not to love?
21:00Her effortless
21:00and heartfelt vocals
21:01combined with the
21:02country pop twang
21:03of gentle backing music
21:05make a gorgeous
21:06listening experience.
21:07Loving might be a mistake
21:10but it's worth making
21:12The lyrics are about
21:14hopes for her children's future
21:15and Womack's children
21:17feature in the video
21:18with her.
21:18I hope you still
21:20feel small
21:20when you stand
21:22beside the ocean
21:23It's hard not to feel
21:25warm and fuzzy inside
21:26at all of the love
21:27in this song.
21:28Well, what can we say?
21:30We hope you dance too.
21:31Tell me who
21:33What's the love
21:34back on there
21:35You dance
21:36Which of these country songs
21:38always gets you
21:39in your feels?
21:40Tell us in the comments.
21:42And I'll let you
21:52tell you
21:53you
21:55Mark
21:55If you
21:57were
21:57trying
21:58Steve
21:58And
21:59Mary
22:00Now
22:00hang
22:01Back
22:01ещё
22:01複oted
22:02in
22:03Tú
22:04Eight
22:05And
22:07You
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