When a song resonates so well with fans, it is often assumed that it has become a No. 1 single. But surprisingly, a lot of songs that are popular with fans didn’t actually make it to the top of the charts. These four country songs were all out in 2024, and should have become No. 1 hits, but inexplicably did not.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Friday Night Heartbreaker” by Jon Pardi
Hit songwriters Jessie Jo Dillon, Ryan Hurd, Josh Miller, Daniel Ross, and Chris Tompkins wrote “Friday Night Heartbreaker” for Jon Pardi. The song is the debut single from his Honkytonk Hollywood album.
No. 1 single or not, Pardi still is rightfully proud of “Friday Night Heartbreaker”.
“It’s a spooky kind of vibe to it, and it’s just a hot-girl anthem, I feel like,” Pardi tells American Songwriter. “I just saw girls getting ready, like, ‘I’m gonna break some fool’s heart tonight.’ … It’s got an infectious melody. I love the darkness and the minor chords. The swift and fast melody at some points, but I thought it was a hit. It sounds like a hit. And it’s very contemporary.”
“Hang Tight Honey” by Lainey Wilson
“Hang Tight Honey” is a bit of a departure for Lainey Wilson, which might be why it didn’t go all the way to No. 1. Written by Wilson, along with Jason Nix, Paul Sikes, and Driver Williams, the song is the first single from Wilson’s Whirlwind record.
After releasing songs like “Things A Man Oughta Know”, “Watermelon Moonshine”, and more, “Hang Tight Honey” is a romantic song, inspired by her future husband, Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
The uptempo song says, “Hang tight honey, I’m a white line running down a dream on a long-lost highway / Me and this band playing one-night stands for some fans getting straight up sideways / But baby, I miss your blue-collar kiss / Just one more day to get through / Hang tight honey, got a pocket full of money / And I’m headed straight home to you.”
For Wilson, it’s about as romantic as she will likely ever get.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be that love songwriter that’s super mushy gushy at all,” Wilson tells Billboard. “It’s going to always probably be a love song that’s like, ‘I love you, but I can still do my thing.’”
” Damn Good Day To Leave” by Riley Green
“Damn Good Day To Leave” is the only song Riley Green released on his own in 2024. From his sophomore Ain’t My Last Rodeo record, Green wrote the song with Erik Dylan, Jonathan Singleton, and Nick Walsh.
“Damn Good Day To Leave” is a humorous twist on a breakup. The song says, “You pick a damn good day to leave me / Sittin’ here cooler full of Keystone / Nothin’ to do but fish all day long / Pocket full of three-day weekend money / Ain’t a heartbreak cloud in the forecast, honey / I hate to see you go but if you ask me You picked a damn good day to leave.”
Green didn’t hit No. 1 with this song, but he did have another hit single out in 2024, with his “You Look Like You Love Me” duet with Ella Langley.
“Somethin’ ‘Bout A Woman” by Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett released not one but two versions of “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Woman” in 2024. He released his own version, plus one with Teddy Swims. The song, which Rhett wrote with Julian Bunetta, Andrew Haas, and John Ryan, is on Rhett’s About A Woman album.
All of the songs on the record, including “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Woman”, were inspired by Rhett’s wife, Lauren Akins. But Rhett reveals that the title actually came about through one of Rhett’s employees.
“My bus driver’s name is Rhett, the singer tells Grammy.com. “He’s 82 years old, and he drove buses for Mötley Crüe and Dolly Parton. I looked at Rhett, and I said, ‘What should we write about?’ And he just looked at me, and he said, ‘I don’t know. I guess something about a woman.’ And this song fell out in 30 minutes.”
Photo by Chris Saucedo/WireImage
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.