In the music industry, there is arguably no more divisive split than between Americana fans and mainstream country music fans. However, that doesn’t mean that an Americana fan can’t enjoy a mainstream country single ever now and then. So, here are three mainstream country singles from the 2000s that every Americana fan can dig.
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“Need You Now” by Lady A
What is there not to like about Lady A‘s 2009 single, “Need You Know”? One could argue that it’s not true country music, but it doesn’t really seem like it’s trying to be. Rather, it is seemingly just trying to be a fundamentally good song with a country twang. It’s difficult to surmise the musical motivation of this song, but when it came out, it was a hit, and given the numbers, it was seemingly a hit amongst all kinds of country music fans.
Following its release. Lady A’s single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Furthermore, it impressively reached the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the song that prevented it from going to No. 1 was “Tik Tok” by Kesha.
“As Good As I Once Was” by Toby Keith
Even if you dislike the music of Morgan Wallen and Kelsea Ballerini, you can’t dislike the music of Toby Keith. The man himself was an incredibly likable figure, and despite the fact that he didn’t toil in the same musical landscape as Willie Nelson or Waylon Jennings, he still was authentic and entertaining. One of the many songs that demonstrates Keith’s country authenticity is his 2005 single, “As Good As I Once Was”.
To this day, “As Good As I Once Was” is a staple song in the modern country music canon, and when it was released, its legacy was established fairly quickly. Unsurprisingly, the single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Also, while it didn’t reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, it did peak at No. 22 on the chart, which is quite the feat when you realize that the major pop players of the year included Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and The Black Eyed Peas.
“It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett very well might be the most mutually loved musician of all time. Even if you don’t know his music, you can’t help but find the vibe and joy he radiates to be enduring and intoxicating. Also, in country music, Alan Jackson upholds a similar vibe. That being said, when these two released “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” in 2003, the country music masses let down their genre guards and seemingly accepted this tune with open arms, and continue to do so to this day.
As you probably expected, this single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 65 on the year-end chart. Even if you prefer sad, introspective ballads over lighthearted party anthems, you can’t help but love this song, because, well, who doesn’t like Jimmy Buffett?
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