It’s about that time of the year.
With Valentine’s Day in just two days (and on a Saturday nonetheless), I’d hope you have all your plans for you and that special someone in your life set in stone by now. On the off chance you procrastinated and couldn’t snag a reservation at your favorite restaurant or you’re simply planning a night in, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Though country music typically gets stereotyped into being nothing about heartbreak (along with the whole “beer, trucks, dogs and mama” cliché), there’s no denying that we’ve seen some absolutely stunning, era-defining ballads over the decades. Hell, arguably the most iconic love song of all time, “I Will Always Love You,” was penned by none other than Dolly Parton herself.
Given how long the genre has been around, it was tough narrowing this list down to simply 50 songs. With that being said, I tried to cover all the bases. Whether it’s classic, baby-makin’ tracks like Conway Twitty’s “Slow Hand” and Randy Travis’ “Whisper Your Name,” iconic ballads from legends such as George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart” and Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All” or modern masterpieces from the likes of Tyler Childers, Turnpike Troubadours, Chris Stapleton and more, I’m sure there’ll be something for nearly any type of country music fan to love (no pun intended) here.
To make the list as diverse as possible, I limited it to only one song per artist and pulled from early hits from the likes of Patsy Cline to severely underrated tracks from newcomers, Zach Top, The Red Clay Strays and more. In total, the 50 songs present here cover a plethora of different eras, styles and subgenres over the past seven decades of country music.
Without further ado, here are 50 country songs that are essential for any Valentine’s Day playlist.
“Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You” – Brooks & Dunn
“All The Way” – Shane Smith & the Saints
“Back to Me” – Colter Wall
“Cover Me Up” – Jason Isbell
“Diamonds & Gasoline” – Turnpike Troubadours
“Everlasting Lover” – 49 Winchester
“Feels So Right” – Alabama
“Gettin’ You Home” – Chris Young
“Hey Pretty Girl” – Kip Moore
“I Cross My Heart” – George Strait
“I Do (Cherish You)” – Mark Wills
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)” – Brothers Osborne
“I Fall To Pieces” – Patsy Cline
“I Swear” – John Michael Montgomery
“I Will Always Love You” – Dolly Parton
“In Dreams” – Sierra Ferrell
“In Spite of Ourselves” – John Prine & Iris DeMent
“In Your Love” – Tyler Childers
“It’s Your Love” – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
“Just Got Started Lovin’ You” – James Otto
“Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'” – Charley Pride
“Like the Rain” – Clint Black
“Look At Me” – Alan Jackson
“Lovin’ You On My Mind” – Chris Stapleton
“Makin’ Me Look Good Again” – Drake White
“Must Be Doin’ Something Right” – Billy Currington
“My Favorite Memory” – Merle Haggard
“Nothin’ On You” – Cody Johnson
“One I Want” – Flatland Cavalry
“Pushin’ Time” – Miranda Lambert
“The Kind of Love We Make” – Luke Combs
“Then” – Brad Paisley
“There’s the Sun” – Zach Top
“Slow Hand” – Conway Twitty
“Some of Your Love” – Whiskey Myers
“Sun to Me” – Zach Bryan
“Sunflower” – Treaty Oak Revival
“Storms Never Last” – Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter
“Strawberry Wine” – Deana Carter
“Whatever It Is” – Zac Brown Band
“When You Say Nothing At All” – Keith Whitley
“Whisper My Name” – Randy Travis
“Willing and Able” – Charles Wesley Godwin
“Wondering Why” – The Red Clay Strays
“Worst Way” – Riley Green
“You Had Me From Hello” – Kenny Chesney
“You Make It Look So Easy” – Eric Church
“Your Man” – Josh Turner
“You’re Still the One” – Shania Twain
“You’re the Nearest Thing to Heaven” – Johnny Cash
