Modern country music as we know it started to kick off in the 2000s. While the 20th century included classic artists like Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks and Charley Pride, the 21st century began to usher in new performers and songwriters—names we know well today, which we will dive into here below.
Indeed, art is always evolving and country music in the 2000s was no different. Just as rock has gone through several iterations—from Buddy Holly to Bruce Springsteen—so too has country music. And here below, we will dive into a trio of modern country hits. Indeed, these are three eternal country songs from the 2000s that have stood the test of time.
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“Tim McGraw” by Taylor Swift from Taylor Swift (2006)
The debut single from Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut LP, this acoustic-driven song is an ode to country star Tim McGraw in that Swift cites the artist when telling her ex-boyfriend to always think of her when he hears a McGraw track in the future. In this way, Swift writes a classic tune about love and heartbreak while also participating in a legacy of country music. It’s a brilliant way to introduce herself and kick off a career that has taken Swift as far as any. On the tune, Swift sings sweetly,
He sa
id the way my blue eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said, “That’s a lie”
Just a boy in a Chevy truck
That had a tendency of gettin’ stuck
On backroads at night
And I was right there beside him all summer long
And then the time we woke up to find that summer gone
But when you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me
“Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood from Some Hearts (2005)
This song, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, is a song about revenge. Or, rather, pre-venge. For the former American Idol winner, this song was a huge hit. On it, Carrie Underwood sings of imagining her man flirting and trying to get lucky with another woman. So, before he can break her heart, she takes action and vandalizes his truck. And whether or not the guy actually does cheat on her, these actions, the singer hopes, will make him think twice before he ever would. On the entertaining (though, psychotic) track, Underwood sings,
Right now, he’s probably slow dancing
With a bleached-blond tramp
And she’s probably getting frisky
Right now, he’s probably buying her some fruity little drink
‘Cause she can’t shoot a whiskey
Right now, he’s probably up behind her with a pool stick
Showing her how to shoot a combo
And he don’t know
I dug my key into the side
Of his pretty little souped up four-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
Slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time, he’ll think before he cheats
“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett from Greatest Hits Volume II (2003)
This song, which hit No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, is all about taking it easy during the drinking hour. And who better for country star Alan Jackson to employ to sing on it with him than the king of beach bums, Jimmy Buffett. So, that’s just what Jackson did. Released as the lead single from Jackson’s 2003 LP Greatest Hits Volume II, this song, which says that it’s drinking time since somewhere it’s 5 o’clock, has a dance-worthy ease to it that makes it a perfect tune for summer celebrations. On it, Jackson and Buffett sing on the catchy chorus,
Pour me somethin’ tall an’ strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It’s only half-past twelve but I don’t care
…It’s five o’clock somewhere
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