Top-tier songwriters like Ashley Gorley, Josh Thompson, and Shane McAnally have penned some of country music’s biggest hits. While many artists collaborate with experts like these, some stars are also talented songwriters in their own right. When they’re not performing or recording, award-winning artists like Lainey Wilson, Ernest, and Chris Stapleton, are writing some of their best songs for other performers. After reading this list, you might find yourself listening to these tunes differently, imagining how the original artist would have sounded on the track.
Here are a few hits that are all thanks to some of country music’s biggest names:
Drink A Beer – Luke Bryan
Written by: Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton is a master songwriter in the industry, with his talent shining through in every one of his releases. But his skills extend beyond his own music–he’s also behind several hits performed by other artists, one of the most notable being Luke Bryan’s emotional hit “Drink A Beer,” which Stapleton co-wrote with Jim Beavers. Bryan has mentioned that the song deeply resonated with him, especially after the loss of his two siblings.
Stapleton has also written a number of other hits including, Josh Turner’s “Your Man,” Thomas Rhett’s “Crash and Burn,” and Kenny Chesney’s “Never Wanted Nothing More” to name a few.
We Are Tonight – Billy Currington
Written by: Sam Hunt
Billy Currington’s, “We Are Tonight,” was not only an iconic hit in 2013 but also the title track of his album released the same year. The song was a soaring success for Currington, but it might come as a surprise that Sam Hunt was the original co-writer. Hunt’s own career skyrocketed a year later, in 2014, with the release of his debut studio album, Montevallo.
For a taste of what his version of the song would have sounded like, Hunt released his own take on it as part of his acoustic mixtape EP, Between the Pines. The album also features other covers of songs he’s written for artists including Kenny Chesney’s “Come Over” and Keith Urban’s “Cop Car.”
Take Her Home – Kenny Chesney
Written by: Michael Hardy
Michael Hardy more popularly known as the industry standout, HARDY, is known for his bold experimentation with heavy metal influences that have pushed the boundaries of the country-rock subgenre. He’s also no stranger to the writer’s world and has masterminded many popular mainstream hits for other artists including Kenny Chesney’s heartfelt tune, “Take Her Home,” with Hunter Phelps and Zach Abend. HARDY offered the charming love story song to Chesney over text message and he immediately noticed its potential to resonate with an audience. It’s also reminiscent of his title track from the album, A ROCK, which tells a similar introspective theme.
On top of that he’s got writing credits on Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” Jelly Roll’s “Church,“ Nate Smith’s “Better Boy,” and Cody Johnson’s “How Do You Sleep at Night.” He’s also gained significant attention for his collaborations with the “holy trinity” of country music—HARDY, ERNEST, and Morgan Wallen. Together, these three have collaborated on a multitude of hit songs for one another including none other than, “More Than My Hometown.“
Things We Quit – Kane Brown and Brad Paisley
Written by: Morgan Wallen
Speaking of Hardy, he recently teamed up with Morgan Wallen for the new track, “Things We Quit,” which just dropped on Kane Brown’s recently released album, The High Road. The song also features Brad Paisley, and all five—Wallen, Hardy, Paisley, Josh Osborne, and Jesse Frasure—share writing credits. Personally, I think this collaboration was one of the best songs off the album so hopefully, we’ll hear more tunes like this from Wallen on his upcoming album, I’m The Problem.
Wallen has also written a bunch of other songs that have made their way into the hands of notable artists including Jason Aldean’s “Keeping it Small Town,” Keith Urban’s “Brown Eyes Baby,” Kid Rock’s “Still Somethin,” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Like You Never Had It.”
Meantime – Flatland Cavalry
Written by: Lainey Wilson
Before being the bell-bottom rockstar we know today, Lainey Wilson began her career as a songwriter in Nashville. Her songwriting skills have followed her throughout her career, contributing to both her own hits and songs written for a few other artists. She wrote Flatland Cavalry’s and Hailey Whitter’s “Meantime,” with the band’s lead singer, Cleto Cordero, on a Zoom call amidst the pandemic. The song has a classic country sound and uplifting message that’s very on theme with Wilson’s Western style.
Another one of Wilson’s clever tunes is “Sheriff You Want To,” recorded by Luke Combs. After a few listens, it’s pretty clear that this playful track has Lainey Wilson’s signature style all over it. I’d love nothing more than her own personal cover of the song.
Mama’s Broken Heart – Miranda Lambert
Written by: Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves is no stranger to writing a classic man-hating country banger–which is why it makes perfect sense that she co-wrote one of Miranda Lambert’s biggest hits, “Mama’s Broken Heart.” Musgraves and Lambert used to write together often when they both lived in Texas, and their past friendship came in handy when it came time for Lambert to record the song. Miranda was so obsessed with the song’s fiery lyrics that, at her own wedding, she begged Musgraves to let her cut it. After a few days of consideration, Musgraves agreed—on the condition that she got to sing the harmonies.
Musgraves also released her own version of the song, with a jaunty fiddle and handclaps that give it a playful, upbeat twist. It also showcases her raw, unpolished country vocals during the transitional period between Same Trailer Different Park and Pageant Material.
Big Green Tractor – Jason Aldean
Written by: David Lee Murphy
“Big Green Tractor” is undeniably one of the defining tracks of the mid-2000s, and even non-country fans probably know every word to the Jason Aldean hit. While it remains one of Aldean’s biggest songs, it was actually written by David Lee Murphy.
The 90’s “Dust on the Bottle” singer said the idea for the song came to him while out driving his own tractor. Who better to co-write it with than Jim Collins, the same mastermind who wrote Kenny Chesney’s, “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Murphy has occasionally performed his own version of “Big Green Tractor” at shows as well.
Chainsaw – The Band Perry
Written by: Matthew Ramsey
This one might surprise you, but one of The Band Perry’s wild head-banging revenge songs was actually written by Old Dominion’s, Matthew Ramsey. The song came out a year before Old Dominion released their first EP.
The 2014 single, “Chainsaw” was a collaborative effort between Ramsey, Josh Osborne, and Shane McAnally. Before The Band Perry recorded it, Ramsey and his band put out their own version as part of a series called Old Dominion Originals. Their take on the country-rock anthem has a raw, garage-concert vibe that sounds uniquely different from the more familiar version.
Bonuses:
Here are a few other honorable mentions from a much different era of country music. “Kentucky Gambler,” famously sung by Merle Haggard, was actually written by Kenny Rogers. Dolly Parton, the other half of Rogers’ iconic duo, also made her mark as a songwriter, penning many hits for other artists. One of the most notable being Whitney Houston’s, “I Will Always Love You,” which became a chart-topping sensation. Die-hard country fans are already aware that Parton originally released the song in 1973 and never intended for it to be remade. Fortunately for her, she earned over ten million dollars in royalties from Houston’s version in the 1990s. On the flip side, “I’m in No Condition” from Parton’s first album was written by Hank Williams Jr.. Lastly, in light of the recent Bob Dylan mania in the media, it’s worth noting that Dylan wrote one of Garth Brooks’ songs, “Make You Feel My Love.”