Toby Keith Earns Posthumous “Most Played Bar Song” Accolade, and I Bet You Know Which One It Is

Sometimes, the most satisfying news isn’t the most surprising; it’s the story that feels like two puzzle pieces locking together perfectly—like Toby Keith earning a posthumous accolade for TouchTunes’ Most-Played Songs of 2024. The announcement came ten months after the country star’s death in February, which made Keith’s music even more popular this year as country fans everywhere listened to his discography in honor of his legacy.

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And while that legacy includes plenty of songs about drinking beer, I bet you can guess which one made TouchTunes’ top five of its Most-Played Songs. The everyman’s ode to the local watering hole: “I Love This Bar.”

Toby Keith Earns Posthumous “Most Played Bar Song” Accolade

Popular digital jukebox TouchTunes recently released a year-end roundup of 2024’s listening data, revealing what bars, restaurants, and other community gathering places were listening to for the past twelve months. Country dominated the “best of” lists, including Top 10 Played Male Artists and Most-Played Songs. Country star Toby Keith was third on the former and fourth on the latter, thanks to his 2003 hit, “I Love This Bar,” per Billboard.

“I Love This Bar” was No. 4 in TouchTune’s Top 5 songs, which also included Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” and Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s May 2024 collaboration, “I Had Some Help,” from Post Malone’s sixth studio album, F-1 Trillion. Keith’s song is the oldest track on the list by over a decade, and it’s easy to see why the song has such an enduring legacy.

Keith’s lead single off his 2003 album Shock’n Y’all is the definition of an everyman song. In fact, that’s basically the only thing Keith talks about in the song: how many different people are at his favorite local watering hole. The ode to everyone’s go-to dive bar became an instant classic, peaking at No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The country icon died on February 5, 2024, two years after announcing his battle with stomach cancer. Keith died “peacefully surrounded by family,” according to a statement released by his estate following his passing. Keith’s death sent shockwaves across the country music community and countless people to the bar to load another Toby Keith song in the TouchTunes queue.

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