When it comes to late 90’s/early 2000’s country, is there anybody out there that had more heaters than Gary Allan?
I was listening to his latest single “Waste of a Whiskey Drink” the other day and I decided to go back through some of Gary’s older stuff. And this man has song after song of hits. Some stuff that I had completely forgotten about, and some that are still on my playlists today.
I mean, look back through his singles and every one of them still holds up today. I think it’s safe to say that Gary Allan is easily one of the most underrated artists of the last 25 years.
There were songs like his very first single, “Her Man,” that I hadn’t heard in years but took me right back to that classic country sound that I love.
Then there’s the emotionally charged “Smoke Rings in the Dark” about leaving behind a one-sided love affair and comparing it to…well, smoke rings in the dark.
If I had to choose a favorite Gary Allan song, it would be this one.
“Right Where I Need to Be” is one of those timeless songs that you know as soon as that guitar intro hits – and it’s still a staple in Nashville bars 20 years after it was released.
When I listened to “Man to Man,” I just tried to imagine some of today’s big country artists pulling off such an abrasive song about confronting their girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and actually making it believable.
It’s hard to be this tough wearing skinny jeans.
And then of course there’s “Tough Little Boys.” Now, I’m not a dad yet, but even thinking about having kids of my own and listening to this song is enough to break me down.
The list goes on and on and on.
Songs like “Watching Airplanes,” “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful” and “Every Storm Runs Out of Rain.” Hell, he even had a hit with a cover of “Best I Ever Had” by Vertical Horizon. (Remember them? Yeah, me either).
Oh, and speaking of covers – remember his boot-stomping cover of the Chris Stapleton-penned “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” that was originally recorded by The Steeldrivers?
Gary released 29 singles between 1996 and 2013, and every single one of them made it onto the Billboard Hot Country charts. The man just didn’t miss.
Sadly, Gary didn’t release much music after 2013, until “Waste of a Whiskey Drink” earlier this year (which is, no surprise, also a certified heater).
Hit after hit after hit.
