Top-selling country albums are usually built around a few key singles that will do wonders on country radio. But that doesn’t mean these albums are only good for a couple of songs. The three massively successful albums below feature songs that weren’t chosen as singles but had massive hit potential. I’m not sure why these tracks didn’t get chosen as featured songs, but they are hits in my heart.
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“Happy and Sad” (Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour)
Kacey Musgraves shared five singles from Golden Hour, and yet “Happy and Sad” never made the cut. This is an egregious oversight, in my opinion. This song had all the makings of a radio No. 1 and was relatable for almost any listener. This song should’ve been a single, but ultimately wasn’t picked as a highlight from the record.
The songs that did get picked are great choices. All five singles did wonders for Musgraves’ career, so I can’t hate on the fact that she snubbed “Happy and Sad” too much.
“Blue Collar Boys” (Luke Combs – What You See Is What You Get)
Like Musgraves, Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get had a handful of singles. One that slipped under the radar was “Blue Collar Boys.” This song has all the conventions of a top-selling country song. Though Combs brings a unique energy to every one of his songs, this track has its cliches—cliches that typically would earn a song the top spot on the charts.
I can’t imagine why an endlessly relatable song about working hard and living well didn’t get chosen as a single from a country album. Combs had significant success with this project, so his single choices were apt. But “Blue Collar Boys” could’ve done some numbers if he did things differently.
“Live To Love Another Day” (Keith Urban – Be Here)
Keith Urban’s “Live To Love Another Day” is a fun-loving look at whirlwind relationships. It’s hit material with its anthemic chorus and flashy guitar work, but it wasn’t chosen as a single on Be Here.
It’s not one of Urban’s most well-known songs, but it has a similar appeal to some of his biggest hits. The great thing about an Urban album is that there is more to love than just the singles. All of his projects are riddled with hidden gems like “Live To Love Another Day”.
(Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
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