My Favourites (Not Based Entirely On Looks)

Every country fan has their favourite artist (no, they aren't all Luke Bryan.  But a lot of them are).  And while I do love me some Luke, there are a lot of musicians who I am head over heels obsessed with that I think deserve a mention as well.  So here we go, my Top 5 Country Artists:

#5 Jake Owen.  This man is an absolute gem.  He's gorgeous, he's hilarious, he's insanely talented, he tailgates with fans before shows, and basically goes above and beyond in every single way imaginable to make it known that he doesn't take his good fortune for granted.  His songs are both fun and also sincere, he can sing love songs or drinkin' on a tailgate songs, and either way he kills it.  He's great on Instagram and super interactive with fans on Twitter. Also, he might have the best hair in country music.  But don't tell Keith Urban I said so.

#4 Jason Aldean.  I first heard Jason Aldean on a late afternoon in July 2009, while sitting on tailgate with a boy, in a field full of horses.  This is the complete and honest truth.  So naturally, Jason has always had a special place in my heart.  His earlier songs especially hit home for me, but he has been a very consistent artist, putting out solid songs on every album.  'On My Highway', 'Don't Give Up On Me', and 'Texas Was You' are songs that I have played so excessively that I imagine they will never, ever leave my iTunes Top 25 Most Played.  As a sidenote, I would like to give Brantley Gilbert a shout out here, because he's written several Aldean hits and also because I just straight up love me some Brantley Gilbert.

#3 Luke Bryan.  Okay, you saw it coming.  For every reason I outlined in my Luke Bryan post.  Since I first laid eyes on Luke back in 2009 I couldn't deny the allure of his smile and his tight jeans.  Great performer, great songwriter, appreciates his fans, writes songs you can sing along to.  While Luke does have some serious songs (which are just as wonderful as the lighthearted fun-loving songs he's known for), basically Luke Bryan just makes you want to grab a 6-pack and some friends, spend a night in the moonlight by a bonfire and have one hell of a time, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.

#2 Eric Church.  Where do I even begin with this one?  Eric Church is legendary, in my mind at least.  He has released four albums, and with each new record he manages to both remind fans why they love him, and give them reasons to love him even more.  In stark contrast to most country stars today, Eric Church doesn't give a damn about your tanlines or your tailgates, and he has no problem telling you that.  Eric has spoken out against reality television and against the music industry in general, calling out that 'mainstream' and manufactured sound.  More than just respecting him for standing by his values, Eric Church wrote the first song that ever made me cry, 'Those I've Loved'.  Eric flew relatively under the radar until his second No.1 song, 'Springsteen'.  Called the best song of 2011 by many critics, I still consider it one of the best country songs I've heard in years.  More 'southern rock' than typical country, Eric Church is one of a kind.  Plus he looks damn good in those aviators he's always wearing.

#1 Kip Moore.  If you read the post before this, you get it.  If you didn't - you're missing out on a love story more epic than The Notebook.  But, in summary, Kip Moore is down to Earth, beautiful, wonderful, well-travelled, oh and incredibly talented.  There's a reason he continues to get nods as one of the hottest up and coming artists in country music.  His sound isn't like anything else.  He somehow manages to combine country and rock in such a seamless way that it sounds like it should be a genre all its own.  His husky voice, his bittersweet lyrics, from romantic ballads to party songs, Kip Moore does everything right.  This is one artists that I won't debate about, because there's nothing to debate.  Kip Moore is perfection.  And thus, my number one.