There are no better songs to party to than country music. From tailgates to all-out ragers, it’s no surprise country music has soundtracked some great bashes over the years.
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Keep reading for three tunes that could help liven up any party.
“Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band
“You know I like my chicken fried / A cold beer on a Friday night / A pair of jeans that fit just right / And the radio up.” Those lyrics will instantly put anyone in a party mood. Zac Brown Band released “Chicken Fried” in 2005, delivering a party song like none other into the world.
The swayable beat and relatable lyrics helped the song, which was written by Zac Brown and Wyatt Durrette, top the country charts. The song came to fruition when Brown got to talking to Durrette, a bartender at a venue where he frequently played.
“[Durrette] had a piece called ‘Chicken Fried’ that he had written a long time ago. He sang it to me, and I thought it could be a really good song,” Brown told The Boot. “We made a list of things that mattered to us and then things that are characteristic of the South. We put every one of those things on that list in the song.”
“Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line
You could not turn on the radio in 2012 without hearing Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” ring out. More than a decade later, and it’s still an ideal party tune.
Duo members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard co-wrote the song about a summertime car ride with Joey Moi, Chase Rice, and Jesse Rice. It topped the country chart and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
As for how the insanely catchy track came to be, Kelley told The Washington Post that there was no explanation for the creation, quipping, “Honestly, you gotta thank the songwriting gods.”
“Red Solo Cup” by Toby Keith
The party anthem to end all party anthems, Toby Keith‘s “Red Solo Cup” is a must-add to your next playlist. Brett Warren, Brad Warren, Brett Beavers, and Jim Beavers penned the 2011 tune, in which Keith sings about “the best receptacle” for a party drink.
With an easy nature and Keith’s talk-style voice throughout, it’s impossible not to sing and nod along to the track. Audiences agreed. It was a Top 10 hit on the country chart and peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“It is so stupid that it’s good,” Keith told The Boot of “Red Solo Cup” in 2011. “We could play it in here, then play five other songs, give it an hour, walk out, and you’d hear the receptionist going ‘Red solo cup!‘ It’s like a nursery rhyme.”
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