Top 5 Brantley Gilbert Songs
Brantley Gilbert is a Georgia native who doesn't shy away from his country roots. His songs are a celebration of small towns, backroads and redneck parties -- oh, and they definitely rock.
Gilbert's debut album came out in 2010, he scored his first No. 1 song in 2011, and he's been churning out hits ever since. His fans love him whether he's singing about hard partying and being a tough guy or showing off his softer, gentler side on a love song. Both ends of the spectrum -- and what's in between -- make up this list of the Top 5 Brantley Gilbert songs.
- 5
"Small Town Throwdown"
From 'Just as I Am' (2014)Gilbert recruited not one but two country superstars to join him on this collaboration. His labelmates Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett teamed up with Gilbert for “Small Town Throwdown,” and the result was, as Taste of Country puts it, “built to be performed live.” The song peaked at No. 8 on the Country Airplay chart, but give it one listen and you'll know its true purpose: to be blasted at “a party back in the woods” with a “keg of beer and a bunch of girls."
- 4
"Kick It in the Sticks"
From 'Halfway to Heaven' (2010)“Kick It in the Sticks” didn’t chart when it first came out in 2010, but the electric guitar-fueled celebration of all things hick had serious staying power, in part because of its 2012 re-release. That version, from Halfway to Heaven, made it to the Country Airplay Top 40; even more impressive than that, “Kick It in the Sticks” has been certified platinum. We’re guessing Gilbert celebrated the way he does in the song: by hitting “the mason jar one time.”
- 3
"Country Music Must Be Country Wide"
From 'Halfway to Heaven' (2010)“Country Music Must Be Country Wide” celebrates the universal appeal of country music: “In every state, there’s a station,” Gilbert sings, “Playin’ Cash, Hank, Willie and Waylon / In foreign cars and four-wheel drives.” The singer's message of inclusiveness, which starts with the revelation that even an “ol’ boy” with “Ohio plates” could be into country because “it ain’t where, it’s how, you live,” was understandably popular, and earned Gilbert his first No. 1 song.
- 2
"You Don't Know Her Like I Do"
From 'Halfway to Heaven' (2010)When Gilbert released “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” as his second single off Halfway to Heaven, he was pretty vague about the subject of the song. While lyrics such as “I can’t forget, I’m drowning in these memories / It fills my soul with all the little things / And I can’t cope, it’s like a death inside the family” clearly discussed a pretty intense relationship, Gilbert's co-writer Jim McCormick simply told American Songwriter that he and Gilbert were “talking about a thing he was going through with a woman.”
That woman, as fans now know, was Amber Cochran, who is now his wife … which makes this love song even sweeter.
- 1
"One Hell of an Amen"
From 'Just as I Am' (2014)“One Hell of an Amen” is a celebration of life in the midst of two tragedies: the death of a soldier and of a cancer patient. The song is rooted in sorrow, but Gilbert is clearly determined to celebrate bravery as he sings, “That’s one hell of an amen / That’s the only way to go / Fightin’ the good fight / ‘Til the good Lord calls you home.” The powerful, moving song became Gilbert’s fourth No. 1 hit and remains both a rallying cry for those coping with loss or something difficult and a highlight of his live shows.