Zach Bryan With Heaven On Top Album Cover<\/span><\/p> “With Heaven On Top”<\/strong><\/p>\n The title-track closes Bryan’s new album with a note of optimism. Strings and steel guitar connect the first chorus and second verse in a way that’s rare in country music but that’s not why fans are talking about it.<\/p>\n “Spend a night in jail after pissin’ off a cop \/ Go through hell with Heaven on top,”<\/em> Bryan sings. He’s seemingly referencing his 2023 arrest<\/a> in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n “Skin”<\/strong><\/p>\n If there is a “Brianna Chickenfry” song on With Heaven On Top<\/em>, it’s “Skin.” “I’m taking a blade to my old tatoos \/ I’m draining the blood between me and you,”<\/em> Bryan sings.<\/p>\n That’s seemingly a reference to the ex-lovers’ matching “How Lucky Are We” tattoos<\/a>. LaPaglia says she’s keeping hers. Bryan appears to be going in a different direction.<\/p>\n “Slicked Back”<\/strong><\/p>\n Bryan’s new album has drawn Bruce Springsteen<\/a> comparisons and “Slicked Back” is one of the reasons why. It’s a quiet rocker that rolls along with relatable precision.<\/p>\n “Used to know some folks who put it all online \/ But you paint landscapes in the evening time,”<\/em> he sings, seemingly making the pivot between his old lover and new. “When I get to Hell or H\u0435aven, can I bring my girl \/ ‘Cause she likes romance, good sex, music, and ruling the world.”<\/em><\/p>\n “Bad News”<\/strong><\/p>\n A thousand different people may have one thousand different opinions of “Bad News.” Bryan mentions ICE<\/a> during the first verse and offers a sort of political commentary afterward that’s hard to pin to a party.<\/p>\n Read More<\/strong><\/em>: What Happened To Zach Bryan’s Mom + 10 More Things You Need To Know<\/a><\/p>\n There’s a certain shaking of the fist that the older generation may recognize, even through Bryan’s rapscallion voice. It’s not the best song on this album but it’s hardly an anti-ICE anthem.<\/p>\n “Plastic Cigarette”<\/strong><\/p>\n Most people believe Bryan refers to his relationship with LaPaglia again during the third verse of “Plastic Cigarettes.” It’s\u00a0obscure and to focus on it is to miss some pretty poetry during the first verse and chorus.<\/p>\n “Cannonball”<\/strong><\/p>\n The best Zach Bryan songs find him singing to someone just out reach. It could be an old friend, an ex-lover or his late mother. When a verse starts with “you,” you know you’re in a good spot on the album.<\/p>\n Strings add a swell to this ballad, creating a seemingly tangible landscape as vivid as any he’s drawn for us before. “Cannonball” may be the best song on the album, or it could be …<\/p>\n “Anyways”<\/strong><\/p>\n “Anyways” could be No. 1. It’s the song from With Heaven On Top <\/em>you\u00a0clamor to hear live. “And she said, ‘If you quit now \/ You’ll let those greedy bastards win somehow,'”<\/em> he sings to start the chorus.<\/p>\n Bryan isn’t known for motivational moments but this\u00a0comes with the kind of grit and snarl you’ll run through a wall for.<\/p>\n “Aeroplane”<\/strong><\/p>\n “Aeroplane” is the last song on our list of songs fans won’t stop talking about.\u00a0It’s a love song aimed at his new wife Samantha, and it’s pretty touching.<\/p>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The best country songs of the last 25 years were felt and heard. Commercial impact was a factor, but emotional impact is what separates these songs from others released in the 2000s.<\/p>\n Technically the century began in 2001, but we reached back to 2000 to summarize this list of top songs. Alan Jackson is the only artist with two songs, but you’ll find 11 Entertainer of the Year winners scattered across a playlist the required several stunning exclusions.<\/p>\n Curious as to why your favorite song missed the cut? Well, there are only 25 spots for the best of 25,000 country song releases. Hard decisions needed to be made!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nZach Bryan Facts: 10 Things Country Fans Need to Know<\/h2>\n
The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years (2000-2024)<\/h2>\n