14887fan's Top 20 Carrie Underwood Songs (Nov '05 - May '14)

[14887fan]

14887fan's Top 20 Carrie Underwood Songs
• November 2005 - May 2014 •

20 perfect songs from an artist with
18 #1 singles amidst
10 days of counting down to a winner.
8 years in the business,
4 studio albums, and
2 songs posted a day, all by
1 artist that is far superior to ur fave.

Carrie Marie Underwood, I salute you. The countdown begins tomorrow.*

*If I remember to do it.

[Deleted]

Yes! Can't wait.

All hail Queen C

[.indulgecountry]

This is gonna be epic. Can't wait!

[surfy]

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! QUEEN CARRIE!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

Oooh, I wonder what those two non-#1's are...

[14887fan]

Disclaimer: I meant the "18 #1s part" as her simply having 18 #1s. The ratio of album cuts to singles is 11 to 9.

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

May 19, 2014 21:18:49 GMT -5 14887fan said:

Disclaimer: I meant the "18 #1s part" as her simply having 18 #1s. The ratio of album cuts to singles is 11 to 9.

Oh, well that makes sense. Your chart, your rules. :)

[Zeebz]

I'm looking forward to this!

[14887fan]

#20. "I Just Can't Live A Lie"

Some Hearts, 2005
Listen here
Purchase here

Oh, I know I could say we're through
And tell myself I'm over you,
But even if I made a vow,
'I promise not to miss you now
And try to hide the truth inside'
I'd fail cause I,
I just can't live a lie.

• This is one of her finest piano-driven ballads to date, and she definitely has quite a few of them in her catalog. One thing that I've always, always loved about this song is how it basically takes every bit of the thought process of a faltered relationship and puts it into such a simple and relatable lyric. It may seem criminal to some to bring this up in a Carrie Underwood-driven thread, but this is one of the closest songs she's ever recorded that could rank in the top tier of even Taylor Swift's incredibly-penned love songs. The writing is incredibly real and everyone that's been in this situation can likely say that they've had these exact thoughts at some point during the regathering process. It's one of the finest pop mid-tempos she's put on record from, arguably, her finest record to date. Each and every time I revisit the Some Hearts set, this one always clicks in a different way. •

#19. "Quitter"
Play On, 2009
Listen here
Purchase here

Throughout my history,
I've only been with jerks 
Who couldn't take it,
But you see the picket fence,
The swing on the front porch
With us two on it.
When I believe that nothing lasts forever,
You stay with me keeping us together,
And make me feel
Like I never, ever want to give you up.
'Til now, I've always been a quitter.

• This song could've been the song of the summer of 2010 had they released this instead of "Undo It" as the third single after "Temporary Home". Granted, "Undo It" definitely did its job as an uptempo single -- it went #1, it went Platinum, and it even garnered a few awards nominations. However, "Quitter" has that feel-good, summery tone that makes you want to get into a jeep with the top down and drive along the southwest Pacific Ocean coast. It could've given a lot of extra life to the Play On, era, but I won't go too far into that topic as there'll be some other songs on this countdown that I could (and will) say the same exact thing for. There's a difference between having bubbly lyrics and having a bubbly song, and "Quitter" combines the best of both worlds. Additionally, Carrie kills this song live -- here's her performing it at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California to a sold-out crowd of 17,000 in October 2010. 

[Deleted]

"I Just Can't Live A Lie" is so fucking underrated. Such a gem.

[surfy]

Quitter has always been one of my favorites, and from the way people talked about it I thought it was a single until I looked it up But it deserved to be

[Zeebz]

Great selections so far! :)

[14887fan]

Skipped a day yesterday, so four songs get revealed today! Exciting times!

#18. "That's Where It Is"

Some Hearts, 2005

Listen here
Purchase here

In a midnight talk,
In a morning kiss;
When I'm in your arms,
That's where it is.
When we're tangled up,
And can't resist;
When we feel that rush,
That's where it is.

• Oh, look -- another piano-driven ballad from Some Hearts! This song is pop perfection. Yes, pop perfection. I sincerely, desperately wish that she'd just release some of her songs to Pop. It's not going to make her seem unfaithful to the Country genre. Imagine the sizable career she would have had she released gems like this to Pop when she had the chance to with her contract with Arista New York? Such a shame, so many missed opportunities, and so much speculation to what more could've been with her career. Nonetheless, this is a vastly underrated song. It's also almost always forgotten -- I wouldn't be surprised if Carrie herself doesn't even remember it, in all honesty. This song was paid dust during the monstrous Some Hearts era, so if even the tiniest bit of exposure of the song can come to the forefront, even if that exposure comes on Pulse Music Board (of all places), then so be it.  •

#17. "See You Again"
Blown Away, 2012

Listen here
Purchase here

I will see you again
This is not where it ends.
I will carry you with me
'Til I see you again.

• I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS: THIS SONG IS AMAZING. I don't think I could adore a song more than I absolutely, 100% adore "See You Again". Obviously that doesn't mean that it's my favorite song of hers, as it does come in at #17 on my chart, but it holds a very special and high place in my life for numerous personal reasons. I think this song is glorious. I love the piano base to the instrumentation of the song (are you all seeing a pianistic trend yet?) and it's probably one of the most beautiful vocals she's ever cut on a record to date. This song doesn't provide that booming WOW factor that a lot of Carrie's songs provide (see: the two previous singles released prior to this one), but it was a much-needed break in her singles streak in terms of musical content. It's a beautiful song with a lot of clichés that make me happy, and those clichés can be taken in 1,001 different ways, whether it be death, a welcoming home, a send-off, a graduation of some sorts, etc. "See You Again" is lyrically versatile, melodically imaginative, and vocally stellar. •

#16. "So Small"
Carnival Ride, 2007

Listen here
Purchase here

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand,
And what you've been out there searching for forever is in your hands.
When you figure out love is all that matters after all,
It sure makes everything else seem so small.

• This song is the definition of "uplifting." I know that a lot of people find this song (and "See You Again") to be a cheesefest, but so what? It was a nice change of pace for her. This was the lead single to Carnival Ride, which was the successor to Some Hearts. Carrie and her camp had to make sure that they released the right song at the right time with the right sound, feel, and message to get the best reception, and they did it. Prior to "So Small", Carrie was still riding an incredibly high wave from her "Before He Cheats" multi-format glory days, as well as the follow-up Country hit, "Wasted". It was important to get the stars aligned perfectly or else the "sophomore slump" effect would've come into full force. I think this song embodied what Carrie was, is, and always will be capable of: writing a relatable song that can stretch her career to new lengths and heights. This became her very first #1 cowrite and it also spent 3 weeks atop the Country music chart -- one of her last singles to ever spend multiple weeks atop the chart (only "Just A Dream" and "Blown Away" have spent more than one week at #1 since, but that's thanks to Country music and how s**tty of a state it's in nowadays). •

#15. "Don't Forget to Remember Me"
Some Hearts, 2005

Listen here
Purchase here

Eighteen years had come and gone;

For mama they flew by, but for me, they drug on and on.

We were loading up that Chevy both trying not to cry,

But mama kept on talking, putting off "goodbye."

• "Don't Forget to Remember Me" is beautifully gutting -- especially for a parent. For those that don't know, this song tells the story of a daughter leaving her home for college after eighteen years. The lyrics describe the exact moment that so many of us have to/have had to endure: the sometimes dreaded, sometimes excitable, but always emotional "goodbye" to the ones that raised you for your entire life leading up to that very moment. A lot of people gave Carrie a lot of flak for not putting much emotion into anything she did (up until the end of the Play On era and the entire Blown Away era, where she's shined brighter and more emotional than she ever has before), but this song packed a lot of punch. Most people don't seem to remember (no pun intended) that this was actually her second career single, excluding her American Idol coronation song, "Inside Your Heaven". It hit #1 (as one of her 18 career #1 singles from a total of 19 released singles), but its release was sandwiched in between the releases of "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", so it's understandable as to why this one isn't remembered much. Still, it's an amazing song that deserves more recognition than it gets. And for the love of God, Carrie, perform it live again, damn it. •

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

"So Small" is F*CKING GLORIOUS.

[.indulgecountry]

Yesss @ Don't Forget to Remember Me. That remains my favorite Carrie Underwood song second only to JTTW. The instrumentation, vocals, and lyrics are all just perfection on that one. Furthermore, I love just how inherently country that one sounds (which is probably why it ranks so highly with me). I'm sad it's so little remembered because of it being released between two of her biggest smashes. So underrated.

[surfy]

See You Again - At first, I liked it, but it never really stood out to me! Now it's such an amazing song to listen to!

So Small - One of the best songs Carrie, or anyone else in the music industry, has ever recorded! So beautiful, and it takes such a special place in my heart. It gets me through the tough times!

[ant]

"So Small" and " See You Again" are probably in my Top 5 Carrie songs. Both have great personal meaning for me, and I love the music videos for both. I've always liked Carrie and even owned her "Some Hearts" album before becoming a mega-fan, but it wasn't until I saw the video for "So Small" in the employee lounge during my break at work on my first job back in 2007, that I became a true fan and began to follow her career.

[carrieidol1]

"So Small" is and has remained my favorite Carrie song. As cheesy as it is, it holds a truly special place in my heart. I love that it's on your list; a great list so far!

[Deleted]

"So Small" is still in my top ten Carrie songs. Her vocals are so beautiful, and there's something so soothing about it.

As cheesy as SYA is, wow at those vocals. And the video is so sweet

"That's Where It Is" SOMEBODY UNDERSTANDS THE UTTER PERFECTION OF THIS SONG. Seriously, it's still a favorite from SH and in her career overall.

I wasn't a fan of DFTRM when it came out, but when I went away to college, it provided comfort for me during a lot of very difficult times. Now it's incredibly special to me, and it's seriously a shame it was the forgotten gem between her two smash singles.
I'd kill for her to bring it back out on tour.

Awesome stuff so far!

[Au$tin]

I Just Can't Live a Lie
See You Again
So Small
Don't Forget to Remember Me


Good picks so far! Looking forward to your top ten.

[14887fan]

#14. "Good in Goodbye"

Blown Away, 2012
Listen here
Purchase here

As bad as it was,
As bad as it hurt,
I thank God I didn't get what I thought I deserved.
Sometimes life
Leads you down a different road.
When you're holding onto someone that you've got to let go;
Someday you'll see the reason why
Sometimes, yeah sometimes,
There's good in goodbye.

• "Good in Goodbye" is heart-wrenching in every way, shape, and form. It's so true. Everything about it, from the way the lyrics depict each emotion in a moment of reflection to the gentleness in Carrie's vocals during the verses, provides such incredible consolation. I'm always going to be a sucker for this song. I would have absolutely loved to see a music video for this song because I really feel like it could have brought an even bigger pack to its punch. Far and away, one of the highlights from the Blown Away set. Fun fact: Carrie cowrote this song with Ryan Tedder and Hillary Lindsey, whom which had an incredible eight cowrites included in the final tracklisting for Blown Away. •

#13. "The Night Before (Life Goes On)"
Some Hearts, 2005
Listen here
Purchase here

Tomorrow she'll be rollin' down I-10
Baton Rouge, LSU;
18 years in her rearview.
He's got a Friday paycheck lined up down the block
At daddy's shop;
It ain't much, but it's a job.
They've been dreading this moment all summer long:
The night before life goes on.

• The thing I love the most about this song is how different of a mid-tempo it is. I don't know -- maybe it's just me, but this is such a chilling and classic-feeling song. I think it's because of the final chorus and the backing vocals that kick in during the "He's got a Friday paycheck lined up down the block" lyric that makes me feel all 'throwback'-ish. I think I may be the only one that feels that way, but it doesn't matter because that's not the only reason that this got to #13 on my list. It's such a visual song. Everything that Carrie's singing can be pictured so vividly (and the same can be said for "Good in Goodbye"). Also, there's a 5-part "In the Moment" special on YouTube that showcases Carrie's journey between her Idol win and the release of Some Hearts, and this part at 4:38 includes footage of her recording this song in the studio. It really showcases how much she's grown as a vocalist between then and now.  •

[14887fan]

Skipped two days, so six songs get revealed! Hooray for my self-diagnosed short-term memory loss!

#12. "Before He Cheats"

Some Hearts, 2005

Listen here
Purchase here

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.

• Don't. Give. Me. That. Shit. No, contrary to what so many casual music listeners believe, "Before He Cheats" isn't Carrie's magnum opus. It's far from it, honestly. Hell, I don't even think she's achieved it quite yet, but from her catalog thus far, this isn't it, even though it is, by far, her biggest hit to date. I'm personally annoyed by this song because I've heard it everywhere, but I doubt most fanbases are still replaying the song of their fave's that has been spun to death on every radio channel out there, so I get an excused card on this one. Even though it's been played to death, though, I still can't deny how great of a song it is. Not only that, but it was so, incredibly left-of-center for her, especially when it was coming off of "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Don't Forget to Remember Me". Talk about a change of pace. •

#11. "I Told You So" (ft. Randy Travis)
Carnival Ride, 2007

Listen here
Purchase here

I told you so,
Oh, I told you so.
I told you someday you'd come crawling back to me
And asking me to take you in.
I told you so,
But you had to go.
Now I've found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again 

• Carrie's solo version is amazing (and linked in the "purchase here" URL), but the duet version with Randy Travis is so, so, so much better. It always makes me happy whenever Randy Travis talks about Carrie Underwood and her cover of this song (yes, for those that didn't know this: "I Told You So" was originally done by Randy Travis a few decades ago) because he never fails to shine some major glory and respect on how well she performs this cover. Her vocals soar to heights that are completely unparalleled by any and all of her Country music peers (and just about all of her peers in the entire music industry in general). It doesn't take much to see why this duet won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration a few years back. •

#10. "Forever Changed"
Blown Away, 2012

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Purchase here

Forever changed,
Forever changed.
Nothing ever stays the same
Forever named,
Forever changed.

• "Forever Changed" breaks my heart. The meaning behind it is so much more than one could ever imagine it to be. The song tells a story of a young woman's journey through life as she ends up developing Alzheimer's and passes away. I have said this before and I'll say it again: this is one of Carrie's best cut vocals to date, and it is easily her finest subtle vocal performance across any and all performance she's ever given, including both recorded and live showcases. This was one of the songs on Blown Away that truly showcases just how far she has come since being a 'stick' when she sang (aka, minimal emotion). Carrie refuses to ever sing this song live (never has and likely never will -- she's said in previous interviews that she could barely make it through this one in the studio) because it holds a very deep meaning to her: upon her grandmother's approaching death, she looked up at Carrie's father at one point and thought it was Carrie's grandfather. Beautiful, chilling song. •

#9. "Someday When I Stop Loving You"
Play On, 2009

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Purchase here

I'll move on, baby, just like you.
When the desert floods and the grass turns blue,
When a sailing ship don't need a moon;
It'll break my heart, but I'll get through...
Someday when I stop loving you.

• A lot of people say that this is the highlight of the Play On album. I don't think that it is the almighty savior of the album, but I most certainly do put it in my top two from the album (hint, hint: there's one more from the album that ranks within the next eight songs). It really is a very passionate and gorgeous song. Carrie's subdued vocal shines through and through in this song, which wasn't something that came up much from the Play On set. I don't have too much to say on this song since its magic can speak for itself. •

#8. "You Won't Find This"

Carnival Ride, 2007

Listen here

Purchase here

You can hold any girl that you'd like,
Fall in love when it's easy at night,
But you'll wake up wondering why she ain't ever something better.
When you're lost and you've run out of road,
Find what I already know:
In the end, close is all there is,
But you won't find this.
No, you won't find this.

• This song is the most eloquent form of saying "Fuck you, you won't find anything better than me, good luck trying." That's one reason I love it. Additionally, it's such an easy listen. Whenever I hear it, I think of a late night drive down a freeway with the windows rolled down being in deep contemplation. IDK, maybe that's just the cliché in me, but whatever. This song is criminally underrated by just about every Carrie Underwood fan out there. It's a shame it gets swept under the rug so easily. I think it could've been one hell of a fall or winter radio release for her (especially over "Last Name", even though that song did end up becoming a pretty sizable hit). •

#7. "Just A Dream"

Carnival Ride, 2007

Listen here

Purchase here

Baby, why'd you leave me?
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, and now I'll never know.
I can't even breathe.
It's like I'm looking from a distance,
Standing in the background,
And everybody's saying "He's not coming home now."
This can't be happening to me.
This is just a dream.

• Fuck that Nelly song. Just had to throw that out there. Anyways, anyone that thinks this song is over-the-top or too melodramatic can crawl in a hole yesterday. "Just A Dream" is one of Carrie's finest single releases to date. That's not debatable and I'm not willing to waste my breath on why it is; it should be pretty obvious. I also don't see why the video gets as much flak as it does. Sure, the effects aren't as top-notch as they could be, but for what Roman White did with them was more than suitable enough for what the video called for. I love that Carrie acted in the video, and I also love that the video follows the storyline of the song so well. What I don't love? The fact that it lost to Taylor Swift's "White fucking Horse" at the Grammys for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. I'm still bitter, but that was the year that her Fearless era won everything. It's still inexcusable, though. •

[surfy]

Before He Cheats - Still one of my FAVORITE songs of all time!!! So iconic and thank god I wasnt old enough to hear radio playing the crap out of this song so I can still enjoy this flawless song!!!

I Told You So - I love the solo version, but thats probably because I grew up listening to that one!!! Both are great, and Im thinking of singing this song or JTTW for my church talent show! Maybe both!!!

Someday When I Stop Loving You - I remember hearing this on the bus (my friend would bring it and the busdriver would play it on the speakers) and I remember LOVING this song!!! A highlight of the album (aside from the singles)

Just a Dream - I go outside and sing this all the time, my grandpa was a war veteran so I feel sort of connected to my grandparents with this song!!! Its so beautiful I cant even put it into words, seriously about to start crying right now! This song is so beautiful and Carrie delivers far beyond anything another singer could have!!!

[Deleted]

"Good In Goodbye"- One of my favorites off "Blown Away," shameful she (and fans) pay it dust. Gorgeous song and even better vocal.

The Night Before...is awesome.

"You Won't Find This" is one of Carrie's most underrated album cuts ever. It breaks my heart a little.

"Just A Dream" was so underrated by critics who constantly complain about Carrie; she finally gives them a song worthy of her talent, and they won't give her s*hit. SMH. Such a glorious song and vocal,though. This one will sand the test of time among Carrie's best tracks, I think.


BHC has burned on me considerably, but it's still great.

[.indulgecountry]

Your last batch is literally perfect. So many of these are my faves as well and I love seeing how much overlap we have with favorite Carrie tracks! #s 14 through 7 are all amazing songs. <3

"Forever Changed" is my favorite from Blown Away. Love that one so so much. The vocal is chilling and it's such a touching song. "You Won't Find This" recently became one of my favorites -- not sure why but I never fully appreciated that one at the time Carnival Ride was out. The little instrumental at the beginning is FLAWLESS and the best part of the whole song is that little mandolin (I'm guessing that's what it is) trill around the :10-:12 mark. Ugh, I just love it. The lyrics are perf as well. And then "Just a Dream" is my third fave Carrie single after her first two (JTTW and DFTRM). The music video is one of her most memorable as well, and it tends to be one of her first to come to my mind.

[Lahey's Lucky Star]

I think I can understand why "Before He Cheats" was considered by many to be her biggest hit yet: it was REVOLUTIONARY. It was because everyone would usually see the soft-sided country girl with the flowers and lying on the wheat fields and all that other stereotypical blah (aside from the typical Shania hits played on country radio here and there), but Carrie gave us a character who didn't take sh*t from ANYBODY, a true badass, and paves the road for many other newer female country artists from simply one song. Her impact is just astounding.

"I Told You So" and "Just A Dream" are equally beautiful and mystifying in that Carrie exudes so much emotion that it makes the listening experience more worthwhile: she takes you there.

And I do agree that "White Horse" is a total snoozefest.

[surfy]

I know I'm awful, but I've NEVER heard Good in Goodbye, about to listen to it now though!!!

[surfy]

I listened to it. Beautiful!

[14887fan]

#6. "I Know You Won't"
Carnival Ride, 2007

Listen here
Purchase here

You say you'll call,
But I know you.
You say you're coming home,
But I know you.
You say you'll call,
But I know you won't.
You say you'll call,
But I know you won't.

• The magic of this song speaks for itself. •

#5. "Two Black Cadillacs"
Blown Away, 2012

Listen here
Purchase here

The preacher said he was a good man,
And his brother said he was a good friend,
But the women in the two black veils didn't bother to cry.
They took turns layin' a rose down;
Threw a handful of dirt into the deep ground.
He's not the only one who had a secret to hide.
Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye.

• I love how sick and twisted Carrie got with the Blown Away era -- this song in particular. It's such a dim and drastic song with so much angst and terror built into it, which seems like it'd be a difficult thing to do when writing something that's supposed to be sent out to radio. Country murder ballads come few and far from one another from very distinct artists, and this will surely go down in history with the likes of killer songs (figuratively-accurate in more ways than one), of which include "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Reba McEntire. •

#4. "What Can I Say?" (ft. Sons of Sylvia)
Play On, 2009

Listen here
Purchase here

You should know.
Please believe me.
I picked up the phone a thousand times
And tried to dial your number,
But it's been so long.
It's never easy.
It's like trying to spin the world the other way...
So what can I say?

• Thank God Play On had this song on it or else I'd have paid the album just as much dust as all of the music award shows did. This song is BRILLIANT. "Sons of Sylvia who?" is probably a question that is immediately asked whenever this duet is brought up/mentioned anywhere (because I'm sure it's a very recurring situation), so here's the answer: they were a band that won Fox's short-lived reality-competition show "The Next Great American Band" and signed with 19 Recordings, only to release one album under the label's support, massively flop, and then fade into oblivion. Prior to competing, though, one of the members, Ashley Clark, was Carrie's fiddle player in her band from 2005-2009, thus getting his trio the connection they needed to do something with their career. They opened for Carrie throughout her entire Play On Tour, and while she saw success, they didn't. This song was performed each and every night, though, giving me plenty of videos to sift through on YouTube to sit back and enjoy this amazing song (even though it's done way better on recording than it is live...). 


#3. "Wasted"
Some Hearts, 2005

Listen here
Purchase here

I don't want to spend my life jaded,
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by wasted.
I don't want to keep on wishing, missing
The still of the morning; the color of the night.
I ain't spending no more time wasted.

• It makes me so, so happy that Carrie has yet to ever take this song out of her tour set. She kills this song live, each and every time. I know this song is a Pulse favorite (and there might be some bitching about it not being #1, even though I may be making this countdown out to be way more important than it actually is, lol) and it's a personal favorite of mine, too. The lyrics are wonderful and Carrie brings a lot of heat to the delivery. I'd love to see this song stand the test of time as one of Carrie's best songs ever, but I'm sure it'll get lost in translation somewhere down the line in her career. It came right after "Before He Cheats'" peak, so it had the disadvantage of being serviced to the public amidst the boil-down of her biggest career hit to date. •

#2. "Blown Away"
Blown Away, 2012

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Purchase here

Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away.
Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away.
'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday.
Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away.
Blown away.

• You're a fucking liar if you think this song is anything less than incredible, and if you genuinely don't find this song to be all that great and insist that it's the honest to God truth, then you're schizophrenic or some shit. This was easily one of the best single releases of any genre of the past few years, bar none. The production on it is earth-shatteringly good and Carrie's vocals are both pristine and terrorizing, which is both what she naturally provides and what this song calls for. For those that don't know, this song was the catalyst to what sparked this entire album. Carrie admitted to having no planned or imagined direction for her fourth studio album and was at a standstill in the creation process, but once she heard this song, she rushed to get it put on hold for herself and formed the rest of the entire fourteen-song set around this one song. It paid off, too, seeing as the album has become one of her most critically-acclaimed albums with some of the best and most innovative material she's recorded to date. This single defined this era and really gave her career the spark that it needed after the Play On era floundered in its single releases as much as it did. This album, and this song in particular, defined the point where Carrie became an artist, rather than just a singer. I hope this song becomes her most memorable song to date at some point down the line. It's infinitely better than "Before He Cheats" (although that song is, as aforementioned in this countdown, still great). 

#1. "Wine After Whiskey"
Blown Away, 2012

Listen here
Purchase here


It's like having wine after whiskey;
It went from "Do anything for you babe"
To "You don't even miss me."
Once you've tasted a love that strong,
You can't go back and you can't settle on
Anything less,
And that's what gets me.
It's like having wine after whiskey.

• This song is not only Carrie's best co-write (it still boggles my mind that the person who helped churn out this masterpiece was also the same person that produced "Mama's Song"...), but it's Carrie's best song to ever be put on record, in my opinion. It's absolutely, 100% incredible in every way, shape, and form. I will never, in a million and one years, ever understand why this song never saw the light of day; it deserved so much more than what it received (which was one -- yes, count them, one live performance, which has been posted above) and it's such a shame that it had to suffer the fate that it did. It easily should've been the closer for Blown Away and they surely could've afforded to ship one more single out to radio while Carrie was doing "The Sound of Music". It would've kept her on the radio a bit more during the off period between "See You Again" and the upcoming duet with Miranda Lambert, "Something Bad", and it would've extended the most amazing Carrie cut to the world. Forever unaware of what this song may have done for Carrie's critical appeal. </3 •

Ok all done now I can stop being pissed off for forgetting to post these. Yay!

[surfy]

I Know You Won't - I love her power in this song, it's technically perfect, and it does everything a song should!

Two Black Cadillacs - The best storytelling from Carrie I've ever heard! There's only one better imo (Reba) This is such a great song, and it's the most memorable to me from the Blown Away era.

Wasted - This song is so powerful both vocally and emotionally, Carrie absolutely delivers on this song!!!

Blown Away - Another flawless song!!! She never disappoints, especially with this amazing song!!!

Carrie is perfect. And that is all. *now bow to the Queen of Country bishes*