That time of year again.
It’s December, and that means two things: an overload of Christmas music anytime you leave the house, and “best of” year end lists. Rolling Stone recently put out their 100 Best Albums of 2023, and on Friday they followed it up with their 100 Best Songs of 2023.
The Top Albums list showed the country scene some love, but the Top Songs list took it a step further. The ranking highlighted six country songs, with five of those being in the top 50. The country entries for the list were:
73. “White Horse”- Chris Stapleton
42. “County Road”- Margo Price
33. “Cast Iron Skillet”- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
30. “Fast Car”- Luke Combs
22. “Sleep on My Side”- Megan Moroney
4. “I Remember Everything”- Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves
Stapleton is a mainstay for these types of publications, so his inclusion here should come as no surprise. Speaking on “White Horse,” Rolling Stone said:
Co-produced with his wife, Morgane Stapleton, and Dave Cobb, and co-written alongside Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson, “White Horse” served as a rocking reminder that Stapleton is one of the greatest voices we’ve got.
Margo Price is an underground name that has quietly been putting together an impressive catalog for nearly a decade. The magazine had this to say about her 2023 album cut “County Road:”
The centerpiece of Margo Price’s Strays is a devastating six-minute ode to the past. While it’s technically about her late friend who died of colon cancer, lines like “Hey kid, where ya goin’ with those brand new wheels you got?” could also apply to a younger Price — a musician who struggled for so many years before she finally got her due.
Much like Stapleton, Jason Isbell has long been a favorite of Rolling Stone’s. He, along with his band the 400 Unit, came in at number 25 on the Top Albums of 2023 list earlier this week with their record Weathervanes. One of the most streamed songs from the album is “Cast Iron Skillet,” which they praised, saying:
On this song, Jason Isbell turns memories of a pair of neighborhood tragedies from his North Alabama youth into a parable about the dark pitfalls and embedded close-mindedness of small-town folk wisdom.
Luke Combs‘ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” has spent the last several months racking up awards, and it receives more recognition here. Speaking on the song, Rolling Stone said:
Luke Combs, of course, helped revive “Fast Car,” recording an exquisite (and faithful) version for his album Gettin’ Old. But the country star knew the credit all goes to Chapman: When Combs won Single of the Year at this year’s CMAs, he started by thanking her by name for “writing one of the best songs of all time.” Fans just now being introduced to the song tend to agree.
Moroney has made a case for the newcomer of the year in country music. Rolling Stone recognized her debut album Lucky at number 43 in their Top Albums of the year list, and her scathing breakup track “Sleep On My Side” places even higher here.
“Sleep on My Side” is a classic country lament, but Megan Moroney delivers this dark tale of someone who’s had enough of their no-good cheating partner (who doesn’t even like John Prine) with an almost cheery “over it all” disaffection that somehow makes the sad song even sadder.
The only country song in the top ten, “I Remember Everything” is quickly becoming a staple in Bryan‘s growing discography. Currently up for two Grammys, the song has toed the line between mainstream appeal and critical darling as well as any country track this year. Rolling Stone couldn’t help but heap the praise on, saying:
The highlight of Zach Bryan’s breakthrough self-titled record was this understated gut-punch duet with Kacey Musgraves. The details do most of the talking on this remembrance of summer romances past: a pawned ring, an ‘88 Ford, sandy hair. But it’s Bryan’s and Musgraves’ complementary vocals, the former providing the melodrama and the latter singing with her guarded reservation, that best tell this story of two lovers who remember a far-gone summer fling all too well.
Check out the full list here:
And check out the recognized songs here: