Songs that Define Artists

[Kentucky25]

What's the one song that you think stands as the best representation of an artist?  Meaning, the best song to point someone to who's never heard of them and would only give the artist one shot.  The song would need to cover the artist's entire catalog of songs.
I'll start off with a few...

Keith Whitley - "Don't Close Your Eyes" It defines all of Keith Whitley as an artist: simple, tragic, and timeless.
Jason Aldean - "Amarillo Sky" I feel it incorporates Aldean's penchant for Midwest America music and the rock influences he brings.
Tracy Lawrence - "Time Marches On" I struggled with this one between a couple others, but I think it best showcases TL's voice and the production a majority of his music had.

[Deleted]

Lady A- Love Don't Live Here
Rascal Flatts- I'm Movin' On
Carrie Underwood- Two Black Cadillacs
Reba- Fancy
Kenny Chesney- You And Tequila
Tim McGraw- If You're Reading This
Martina McBride- Broken Wing
Toby Keith- Should've Been A Cowboy
LeAnn Rimes- How Do I Live
Brad Paisley- He Didn't Have To Be
Miranda Lambert- The House That Built Me
Dixie Chicks- Top Of The World
Alan Jackson- Gone Country

[sabre14]

Apr 22, 2014 17:15:58 GMT -5 @carrieflattsfan said:

Rascal Flatts- I'm Movin' On

To me there's no way this song defines Rascal Flatts. For someone who has never heard them, you might play this song to trick someone into liking them. As long as you have them avoid the "Me And My Gang", "Love You Out Loud", "Bob That Head", "Unstoppable", "What Hurts The Most", and "Banjo's" of the world.

For a group that has been criticized for having their songs overproduced, I don't feel that having the most underproduced song in their catalog is the best representation of them.

IMO of course. :)

[.indulgecountry]

Sara Evans - Born to Fly
Dolly Parton - Jolene
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Jo Dee Messina - Bye, Bye
Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces

[rbundy1987]

Martina McBride- "Independence Day"
Carrie Underwood- "Jesus, Take The Wheel"
Tim McGraw- "Live Like You Were Dying"
Shania Twain- "Man, I Feel Like A Woman!
Garth Brooks- "The Dance"
Brooks & Dunn- "Boot Scootin' Boogie"
Miranda Lambert- "The House That Built Me"
The Band Perry- "If I Die Young"
Billy Currington- "People Are Crazy"
George Strait- "I Cross My Heart"
Florida Georgia Line- "Cruise" :) hahaha
Clay Walker- "Then What"
Kevin Sharp- "Nobody Knows"
Ronnie Milsap- "Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)"
Lee Ann Womack- "I Hope You Dance"
LeAnn Rimes- "Blue"
Faith Hill- "Breathe"
Kenny Rogers- "The Gambler"
Dolly Parton- "Jolene"
Toby Keith- "How Do You Like Me Now?"
Lee Greenwood- "God Bless The U.S.A."
Sammy Kershaw- "She Don't Know She's Beautiful"

[Deleted]

Apr 22, 2014 17:26:19 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Apr 22, 2014 17:15:58 GMT -5 @carrieflattsfan said:

Rascal Flatts- I'm Movin' On

To me there's no way this song defines Rascal Flatts. For someone who has never heard them, you might play this song to trick someone into liking them. As long as you have them avoid the "Me And My Gang", "Love You Out Loud", "Bob That Head", "Unstoppable", "What Hurts The Most", and "Banjo's" of the world.

For a group that has been criticized for having their songs overproduced, I don't feel that having the most underproduced song in their catalog is the best representation of them.

IMO of course. :)

I agree and disagree with your point here.

While, yes, Rascal Flatts have released some awful singles, I don't think they are (or should be) represented by them.


Having followed RF for a long time, I think there's a lot of sincerity and emotion when you get down to their best material.

IMO, songs like My Wish, Changed, Come Wake Me Up, etc are great examples of what they actually excel at.

[sabre14]

Apr 23, 2014 12:21:01 GMT -5 @carrieflattsfan said:

Apr 22, 2014 17:26:19 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

To me there's no way this song defines Rascal Flatts. For someone who has never heard them, you might play this song to trick someone into liking them. As long as you have them avoid the "Me And My Gang", "Love You Out Loud", "Bob That Head", "Unstoppable", "What Hurts The Most", and "Banjo's" of the world.

For a group that has been criticized for having their songs overproduced, I don't feel that having the most underproduced song in their catalog is the best representation of them.

IMO of course. :)

I agree and disagree with your point here.

While, yes, Rascal Flatts have released some awful singles, I don't think they are (or should be) represented by them.


Having followed RF for a long time, I think there's a lot of sincerity and emotion when you get down to their best material.

IMO, songs like My Wish, Changed, Come Wake Me Up, etc are great examples of what they actually excel at.

My point is that it would be misleading to pick this particular song to play for someone who has never heard their music. I must admit I'm not the biggest Rascal Flatts fan and their singles have been incredibly hit or miss for me. For every "My Wish" there's a "Me And My Gang", and for every "These Days", there's a "Unstoppable" or "Bob That Head". 

This thread isn't about their best material (which is of course subjective), but the song that defines who they are as an artist. I wouldn't pick one of their weaker singles to showcase just because I'm not a huge fan of their music, in fact I would pick something like "My Wish", "What Hurts The Most" or "Here Comes Goodbye", but IMO "I'm Moving On" is at the bottom of the totem pole for songs that define them, only because it's so much different than most of their career singles.

[rbundy1987]

Rascal Flatts- "Bless The Broken Road", HANDS DOWN

[Deleted]

Cool thread! Let's see..

*George Strait - "Ocean Front Property", "Amarillo By Morning", "Troubadour"
*Gary Allan - "Nothing On But The Radio"
*Josh Turner - "Would You Go With Me" & "Why Don't We Just Dance"
*Billy Currington - "Walk A Little Straighter", "I Got A Feelin'", "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right", & "Good Directions" (hard to decide among these four...I hear all of them on the radio quite often)
*Keith Urban - "Somebody Like You", "Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me", "You'll Think Of Me", & "Days Go By"
*Lady Antebellum - "I Run To You" & "Need You Now"
*Luke Bryan - "All My Friends Say", "Do I", & "Drunk On You"
*Dierks Bentley - "What Was I Thinkin'" & "Settle For A Slowdown"
*Darius Rucker - "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" & "Wagon Wheel"
*Little Big Town - "Boondocks" & "Pontoon"
*Alan Jackson - "Chattahoochee", "Drive", & "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"
*Eric Church - "Love Your Love The Most" & "Springsteen"
*Carrie Underwood - "Jesus, Take The Wheel", "Before He Cheats", & "Blown Away"
*Brad Paisley - "Whiskey Lullaby" & "Mud On The Tires"
*Kenny Chesney - "The Good Stuff", "I Go Back", & "Don't Blink"
*Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder & Lead", "The House That Built Me", "Over You", & "Mama's Broken Heart"
*Jake Owen - "Barefoot Blue Jean Night"
*Chris Young - "Gettin' You Home" & "The Man I Want To Be"
*Sara Evans - "Born To Fly" & "Suds In The Bucket"
*Blake Shelton - "Austin", "Ol' Red", "Some Beach", & "Honey Bee"
*Taylor Swift - "Our Song", "Love Story", & "You Belong With Me"
*Tim McGraw - "Don't Take The Girl", "I Like It, I Love It", "Just To See You Smile", & "Live Like You Were Dying"
*Rascal Flatts - "These Days", "Mayberry", "Bless The Broken Road", & "What Hurts The Most"
*Jason Aldean - "Hicktown", "Big Green Tractor", & "Dirt Road Anthem"
*Joe Nichols - "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off", "Gimmie That Girl", & "Sunny And 75"
*Rodney Atkins - "If You're Going Through Hell", "Watching You", "Farmer's Daughter", & "Take A Back Road"
*Toby Keith - "Should've Been A Cowboy", "How Do You Like Me Now?!", "I Wanna Talk About Me", "I Love This Bar", & "As Good As I Once Was"
*Zac Brown Band - "Chicken Fried", "Toes", "Colder Weather", & "Knee Deep"
*Craig Morgan - "That's What I Love About Sunday" & "International Harvester"
*Montgomery Gentry - "My Town", "Hell Yeah", "Gone", & "Something To Be Proud Of"

Just off the top of my head.. :)