Rascal Flatts could do the anthems, but where the trio really shined was their ballads. The group had no shortage of stunning, down-tempo tracks scattered throughout their albums. Their perfect harmonies lent themselves well to more emotional songs.
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We rounded up the best of Rascal Flatts’ most moving material. Try not to tear up when you revisit the five songs below.
1. “What Hurts the Most”
In many of Rascal Flatts’ most moving songs, it’s Gary LeVox’s voice that drums up all that emotion. In “What Hurts the Most” he nearly touches heaven with his vocals as he sings about things left unsaid: What hurts the most / Was being so close / And having so much to say / And watching you walk away. Few vocalists could infuse that much intensity into their performance.
2. “Skin”
Few bands have attempted to take on the trials of childhood cancer. Rascal Flatts took that leap in 2005 and delivered a stunning ballad, “Skin.” The song follows a girl named Sarabeth as she learns she has cancer and starts to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy: She sits holding her mom / Cause it would be a mistake / For someone to take / A girl with no hair to the prom. It’s an emotional topic to begin with, but it’s the happy ending that truly brings on the waterworks.
3. “Changed”
I got off track, I made mistakes…There I was, now here I am changed, LeVox sings in “Changed.” The trio has never shied away from injecting their faith into their music. “Changed” is possibly their most faith-forward. LeVox is clearly invested in his religion given the way he hits the soaring high notes in this track.
4. “My Wish”
The trio secured the father-daughter wedding dance song of the decade with “My Wish.” The lyrics are the words every loving parent wants to say to their kids: My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to / Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small. LeVox, a father himself, sings this song with the purest of emotions.
5. “Bless the Broken Road”
No surprise to anyone, “Bless the Broken Road” is the last stop on our list. This 2004 ballad is the end all be all in Rascal Flatt’s discography. It sits right underneath “Life is a Highway” in a list of their signature tunes. The trio has never sounded as tight as they do here and the sentiment in the lyrics is enough to bring a cynic to tears. Who doesn’t want to believe that every pitfall in their life is all part of the plan?
(Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
