Jon Pardi Rankdowns: Heartache Medication (FINISHED!)

[taylor]

Kicking things off is "Paycheck," which neither Darkest Hour nor gonecountry pegged as the last place finisher, although Darkest Hour was correct in that this would be destined for the bottom 5 throughout the entire submission process.

This song is a big mess. I don't even have the energy to commentate on it, lol. 

[taylor]

*Lyrics redacted due to atrocity*

11. All Time High

Track 8
Written by Jon Pardi, Bart Butler & Brice Long
Length: 3:53


Total: 192
Average: 9.6
Std. Dev.: 2.39

ClevelandRox - 4
castleoblivion26 - 5
tim - 6
gardyfan - 8
mikerivera - 8
fearlessarrow - 8
Darkest Hour - 9
HeyHeyHey - 9
taylor - 10
.indulgecountry - 10
lady𝓐fan - 10
🌺CountryLineDancer - 11
wavey. - 11
bboat11 - 11
gonecountry - 12
Kanenrá:ke - 12
kw9461 - 12
jtd Thee Stallion - 12
312999 - 12
LBTrocks - 12

[taylor]

"All Time High" is such an atrocious song, lol. What on earth are these lyrics?! "You turn my knob right to eleven." I'm sorry but that line was far too suggestive for my dirty-ass mind 

[taylor]

I dance on to the song

A melody pulling at my heartstrings

By the love gone wrong

And I've been doing everything I can

Trying to move on.

10. Lucky Tonight

Track 11
Written by Jon Pardi & Jim McCormick
Length: 3:28


Total: 189
Average: 9.45
Std. Dev.: 1.91 (2nd Lowest)

312999 - 5
ClevelandRox - 6
lady𝓐fan - 6
Darkest Hour - 8
wavey. - 8
🌺CountryLineDancer - 9
castleoblivion26 - 9
kw9461 - 9
tim - 10
HeyHeyHey - 10
jtd Thee Stallion - 10
bboat11 - 10
gonecountry - 11
gardyfan - 11
Kanenrá:ke - 11
.indulgecountry - 11
mikerivera - 11
LBTrocks - 11
fearlessarrow - 11
taylor - 12

[taylor]

*sigh* It's so sad that such a great melody was wasted on such terrible lyrics. Maybe you'll get lucky, Jon, but you also probably won't

[.indulgecountry]

This was 100% the correct bottom 3 for this album. None of these were particularly good. Glad to see we're off to a good start!

[LBTrocks]

I didn’t hate “Paycheck” quite as much as y’all but I never want to hear it again either lol.

The other two are awful

[gonecountry]

All I can say is people get going for Paycheck in concert.

[mikerivera]

Yeah this album was very top heavy. The worst songs are pretty bad. But the good songs will make up for it once we get there

[Darkest Hour]

Not surprised regarding the bottom three.

Paycheck showcased the worst aspect of Jon Pardi's vocal which is singing like he's talking. The "yeah"s and "no"s sound extremely flat and irritating.

Aside from the obligatory bad heaven/eleven rhyme there, it sounds like he is struggling to go for the high notes in All Time High.

Lucky Tonight is forgettable. Doesn't help by its placement in the album.

[taylor]

Howdy, y'all! I'm sorry to have disappeared off the face of the Pulse earth, leaving this rankdown hanging for the past week! I was really busy with work, and honestly just wanted to take a bit of a break from Pulse in general. Also, I'm currently reading a new book that I've been waiting two years for, so that's got most of my energy, attention, and focus right now lol. But I'm going to keep us chugging along with this rankdown! Gather around if you're here!

Here's a recap to refresh your memory:

10. Lucky Tonight (189)
11. All Time High (192)
12. Paycheck (197)

Songs remaining:
Out of Style
Cowboy Hat
Head Over Boots
Night Shift
Can't Turn You Down
Dirt on My Boots
She Ain't In It
Heartache on the Dance Floor
California Sunrise

SPOILER: Click to show

{Pardi Animals}
ClevelandRox Darkest Hour gonecountry gardyfan tim 🌺CountryLineDancer Kanenrá:ke HeyHeyHey .indulgecountry castleoblivion26 kw9461 mikerivera jtd Thee Stallion 312999 lady𝓐fan LBTrocks fearlessarrow wavey. bboat11

[taylor]

When I first got to Nashville town

They called me in and sat me down

And told me all about the ins and outs of writing songs

Said "write about the things you know about

"If there's anything that you don't know about

"Just stick around and you'll find out before too long"

So I pulled out my guitar and I put my pen to paper

Started working on the groove

They could move to all night long

Yeah, I poured out my heart soul

Strummed a chord, next thing you know

I looked down and I had this song.

9. Out of Style

Track 1
Written by Lynn Hutton, Jeff Hyde & Neil Mason
Length: 5:05


Total: 178
Average: 8.9
Std. Dev.: 2.62

Kanenrá:ke - 4
wavey. - 4
LBTrocks - 5
Darkest Hour - 6
HeyHeyHey - 7
.indulgecountry - 7
gonecountry - 8
kw9461 - 8
taylor - 9
mikerivera - 9
lady𝓐fan - 9
gardyfan - 10
ClevelandRox - 11
castleoblivion26 - 11
jtd Thee Stallion - 11
312999 - 11
tim - 12
🌺CountryLineDancer - 12
fearlessarrow - 12
bboat11 - 12

[taylor]

"Out of Style," just like the bottom 3, is just not good to me. The song drags along for so long, and Jon's vocal sounds incredibly monotonous.

[taylor]

You're like a highway to a rebel, that's ready to run. 

A no trespass sign on a barbwire jump that I can't resist,

It's just the way it is. 

Your a don't touch red button, I wanna push. 

A bad for me, that feels so good, 

And we both know, I can't say no. 

Cause a phone call turns into a what's up, what's up. 

Turns into a baby can you pick me up, 

Hey I'm downtown, and I don't wanna go home. 

After two left turns it's you and me alone, 

Turns into tangled up on my couch with you, 

Slipping your kisses right across my mouth. 

That turns into a later on,

Later on, lights turn down. 

Cause I can't turn you down.

8. Can't Turn You Down

Track 5
Written by Randy Montana, Corey Crowder & Jeremy Stover
Length: 3:24


Total: 139
Average: 6.95
Std. Dev.: 2.33

.indulgecountry - 2
taylor - 3
kw9461 - 4
bboat11 - 5
🌺CountryLineDancer - 6
312999 - 6
fearlessarrow - 6
Darkest Hour - 7
Kanenrá:ke - 7
mikerivera - 7
jtd Thee Stallion - 7
LBTrocks - 7
wavey. - 7
ClevelandRox - 8
castleoblivion26 - 8
lady𝓐fan - 8
gonecountry - 9
tim - 9
HeyHeyHey - 11
gardyfan - 12

[taylor]

"Can't Turn You Down" is FANTASTIC!!! I can't believe y'all paid it this much dust!! Jon Pardi, imo, isn't the greatest vocalist, so I guess I can see complaints about there not being enough emotion in his vocals or whatever, but this song is still great and I love the delivery of that chorus. This should've been a single imo.

[taylor]

You could hear the wind howling across the ocean

And the taste of the wine and the buzzed feel in my head

And the only wifi was burning right beside me

And we had us a night I'll never forget

She was a 1960's Beach Boys song

And we're living that dream all night long

In that California sunrise

In that California sunrise

She took me to heaven and so much more

Like nothing I've ever seen before

In that California sunrise.

7. California Sunrise

Track 12
Written by Jon Pardi, Bart Butler & Larry McCoy
Length: 4:14


Total: 121
Average: 6.05
Std. Dev.: 2.75 (3rd Highest)

mikerivera - 1
Darkest Hour - 2
312999 - 2
taylor - 4
jtd Thee Stallion - 4
gardyfan - 5
tim - 5
Kanenrá:ke - 5
.indulgecountry - 5
kw9461 - 5
castleoblivion26 - 6
ClevelandRox - 7
🌺CountryLineDancer - 7
lady𝓐fan - 7
HeyHeyHey - 8
bboat11 - 8
LBTrocks - 9
fearlessarrow - 9
gonecountry - 10
wavey. - 12

[taylor]

"California Sunrise" is such a bop! I really like the producers' choice in melody on this one. I feel like this could've also done moderately well on country radio.

Condolences to mikerivera, who becomes the first participant to lose their #1 song!!

[gonecountry]

Other than All Time High, I really enjoy everything. I don't skip on no Pardi tunes. I just roll my eyes for All Time High.

[mikerivera]

Wait, y’all dropped California Sunrise this low? I swear, even the country listeners on Pulse can have so little taste

[bboat11]

Feb 23, 2022 17:23:25 GMT -5 taylor said:

Also, I'm currently reading a new book that I've been waiting two years for, so that's got most of my energy, attention, and focus right now lol.

Gurl whatchu reading??!

[taylor]

Feb 23, 2022 20:49:07 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Feb 23, 2022 17:23:25 GMT -5 taylor said:

Also, I'm currently reading a new book that I've been waiting two years for, so that's got most of my energy, attention, and focus right now lol.

Gurl whatchu reading??!

House of Sky and Breath, book 2 of the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas!!!

[Darkest Hour]

Out Of Style is more like a Jeff Hyde song. Not bad because the instrument solos are okay, but agree that Jon Pardi sang too low here.

Can't Turn You Down definitely feels a good singles choice. I guess Randy Montana is a solid hit-maker.

Album title track leaving now is a travesty. These fiddles are so livid for a mainstream country album song.

[gonecountry]

Feb 24, 2022 1:34:20 GMT -5 Darkest Hour said:

Can't Turn You Down definitely feels a good singles choice. I guess Randy Montana is a solid hit-maker.

When the album was released, I played the heck out of Can't Turn You Down. Didn't realize it was written by Randy Montana. Always enjoyed Randy's first album including 1,000 Faces (criminally underrated, IMO) and Last Horse was another favorite.




Okay, back to Jon Pardi!

[taylor]

Lol, I did not intend on another prolonged wait for more reveals! If you're here though, gather around as I go ahead and wrap this rankdown up!

Here's a recap:
7. California Sunrise (121)
8. Can't Turn You Down (139)
9. Out of Style (178)
10. Lucky Tonight (189)
11. All Time High (192)
12. Paycheck (197)

The Top 6!
Cowboy Hat
Head Over Boots
Night Shift
Dirt on My Boots
She Ain't In It
Heartache on the Dance Floor

SPOILER: Click to show

{Pardi Animals}
ClevelandRox Darkest Hour gonecountry gardyfan tim 🌺CountryLineDancer Kanenrá:ke HeyHeyHey .indulgecountry castleoblivion26 kw9461 mikerivera jtd Thee Stallion 312999 lady𝓐fan LBTrocks fearlessarrow wavey. bboat11

[taylor]

6. Cowboy Hat

Track 2
Written by Jon Pardi, Brett Beavers & Bart Butler
Length: 3:18


Total: 117
Average: 5.85
Std. Dev.: 2.74

🌺CountryLineDancer - 1
Kanenrá:ke - 2
.indulgecountry - 3
mikerivera - 3
fearlessarrow - 3
lady𝓐fan - 4
bboat11 - 4
gonecountry - 5
gardyfan - 6
HeyHeyHey - 6
kw9461 - 6
LBTrocks - 6
wavey. - 6
castleoblivion26 - 7
tim - 8
taylor - 8
jtd Thee Stallion - 8
312999 - 9
Darkest Hour - 10
ClevelandRox - 12

[taylor]

Well..."Cowboy Hat" has a pretty damn good country production, I'll give it that! In fact, that's what most of my enjoyment of the song comes from. Condolences to 🌺CountryLineDancer on the loss of his #1!

[🌺CountryLineDancer]

I love Cowboy Hat. Was hoping it would make it to the top 5 and beating some singles, but still glad that it ended up finishing as the best-performing album track. 

[taylor]

That makes the Top 5...ALL SINGLES!!! GASP!!!! 

Head Over Boots
Night Shift
Dirt on My Boots
She Ain't In It
Heartache on the Dance Floor

[taylor]

5. Night Shift

Track 4
Written by Tofer Brown, Phillip LaRue & Billy Montana
Length: 2:52


Total: 115
Average: 5.75
Std. Dev.: 2.86 (2nd Highest)

jtd Thee Stallion - 1
ClevelandRox - 2
taylor - 2
lady𝓐fan - 2
wavey. - 3
gardyfan - 4
🌺CountryLineDancer - 4
Darkest Hour - 5
HeyHeyHey - 5
mikerivera - 6
bboat11 - 6
gonecountry - 7
tim - 7
kw9461 - 7
fearlessarrow - 7
.indulgecountry - 8
312999 - 8
Kanenrá:ke - 9
LBTrocks - 10
castleoblivion26 - 12

[taylor]

Mar 2, 2022 18:07:09 GMT -5 🌺CountryLineDancer said:

I love Cowboy Hat. Was hoping it would make it to the top 5 and beating some singles, but still glad that it ended up finishing as the best-performing album track. 

It ended up coming quite close! Just three more points would've sent it over the edge and knocked "Night Shift" out of the Top 5! Alas, that's not the case, as "Night Shift" is the first single out. It's got such a nice melody and production to it, doing what the album's vision set out to do: it feels like a song that was brought out from a time capsule buried in the 90s, while simultaneously having a modern, 2016 feel to it.

Lol, let me put the reveal at the top of the page:

Mar 2, 2022 18:17:16 GMT -5 taylor said:

5. Night Shift

Track 4
Written by Tofer Brown, Phillip LaRue & Billy Montana
Length: 2:52


Total: 115
Average: 5.75
Std. Dev.: 2.86 (2nd Highest)

jtd Thee Stallion - 1
ClevelandRox - 2
taylor - 2
lady𝓐fan - 2
wavey. - 3
gardyfan - 4
🌺CountryLineDancer - 4
Darkest Hour - 5
HeyHeyHey - 5
mikerivera - 6
bboat11 - 6
gonecountry - 7
tim - 7
kw9461 - 7
fearlessarrow - 7
.indulgecountry - 8
312999 - 8
Kanenrá:ke - 9
LBTrocks - 10
castleoblivion26 - 12