Carly Pearce Shares Her Pick for Greatest Song of All Time—and It’s Not What You Think (Exclusive)

Growing up immersed in country music, Carly Pearce took cues from female artists like Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Trisha Yearwood. She even famously moved to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, at age 16 to take a job at Dollywood. During a recent appearance on American Songwriter’s Off the Record podcast, the “Every Little Thing” singer discussed her favorite country songs of all time. Throughout her sit-down, one answer remained constant.

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In a rapid-fire session that saw Carly Pearce choosing between Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” and other country songs, the three-time CMA Award winner, 35, consistently chose Lambert’s 2010 weeper.

Although she struggled with a few decisions, Pearce remained loyal to the No. 1 hit.

“I think ‘The House That Built Me’ is one of the greatest songs of all time,” the Grammy-winning artist declared.

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Hot seat question: favorite song of all time 👀 Carly Pearce’s answer? The House That Built Me. #carlypearce #housethatbuiltme #mirandalambert #fyp #countrymusic

♬ The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert

Frankly, it’s hard to argue with that. The fastest-rising single of Lambert’s career, “The House That Built Me” had cracked the Top 20 by its eighth week. It eventually reached No. 1 on the Hot Country songs chart, where it remained for four straight weeks. At the 2011 Grammy Awards, Lambert took home the award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

[RELATED: Carly Pearce Reveals Why She Nearly Quit Music, Shares How She “Stretched” Herself for Forthcoming LP (Off the Record, Episode 9)]

Carly Pearce Sees Miranda Lambert as Both Competition And Inspiration

Ahead of the 2022 CMA Awards, Carly Pearce opened up about the friendly competition between herself, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert. (All three were up for the Female Vocalist award, which Pearce took home the previous year. However, they ultimately lost out to Lainey Wilson.)

“I do think we’re all competitive with each other,” Pearce said. “We like each other and really do love each other’s music, but I think anyone would be lying to you if they said we weren’t competitive.”

Despite that, the “Next Girl” singer said that she still looks at both women’s careers as a blueprint for her own.

“[If] I could have a career half as impactful as the two of them, that would be amazing,” she said. “I hope that they see it as, ‘Wow, we have the next generation coming up and I’m proud of who’s standing there beside me.’”

Featured image by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for ABA