Chris Stapleton celebrates his 44th birthday today (4/15) and we take a look at forty songs that the major Grammy Award winner has written and or recorded throughout his career.
Chris Stapleton – 40 Top Songs
40. âTryinâ To Untangle My Mindâ – âFrom A Room: Vol. 2â (2017)
ShareArenât we all? Here, Stapleton sings about -- we presume -- his wilder, younger days. âWell I drank a lot of whiskey in my time/And I've held a lot of women that were fine/And I made a little money, I blew every dime/Tryin' to untangle my mind.â As a presumably wealthy, family man these days, it seems heâs mostly untangled.
39. âCrash And Burnâ – Thomas Rhett – âTangled Upâ (2015)
ShareCo-written by Stapleton and Jesse Frasure. Frasure said that the song came out of sessions where they were trying to write Motown-like songs, with artists like Bruno Mars in mind. Apparently, Rhett was kind of nervous about singing the song after hearing Stapleton sing it on the demo. But the song, like so many of Stapletonâs, translates really well to different singers and different formats.
38. âSay Somethingâ – Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – âMan Of The Woodsâ (2018)
ShareWeâd be remiss not to include a Timberlake collaboration here; after all, it was Stapleton and Timberlakeâs performance of âTennessee Whiskeyâ and âDrink You Awayâ at the 2015 CMAs that launched Stapleton to national stardom. And their collaboration on Timberlakeâs 2018 country-leaning album was a high point for both artists.
37. âAmandaâ – Chris Stapleton and Morgane Stapleton – âGentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williamsâ (2017)
ShareThis live recording is just Chris singing and playing his acoustic and Morgane, Chrisâs wife and bandmate, singing along, paying tribute to Don Williams. Although Stapletonâs shows with his band are legendary, it would be interesting to see Chris and Morgane tour as a duo one day.
36. âFront Porch Thingâ – Little Big Town – âTornadoâ (2013)
SharePhillip Sweet sings lead on here, leading Little Big Town through an upbeat party stomper. Stapletonâs always-prominent blues influence comes out in the lyrics: âWork's been slow, money's been tight/But that's alright, honey, that's alright/Sometimes you won't, but sometimes you will/And when she do what she do, it's a doggone thrill.â
35. âArkansasâ – âStarting Overâ (2020)
ShareA rocker that was co-written by Chris Stapleton and Mike Campbell, the guitarist from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, itâs a nice union of two great six-stringers. Stapleton has cited not only Petty, but also Campbell, as a huge influence.
34. âGonna Come Back As A Country Songâ – Alan Jackson – âThirty Miles Westâ (2012)
ShareCo-written by Stapleton and Terry McBride, it shows Stapletonâs sense of humor: âLet me just say for the sake of conversation /If it's hard to think as reincarnation /But don't you go crying for me when I'm gone /Told them I'm gonna come back as a country song.â
33. âHey Girlâ – The Jompson Brothers – âThe Jompson Brothersâ (2010)
ShareThose who were surprised to hear Chris Stapleton playing a straight up hard rock song, âBlowâ (with Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, of all people) clearly werenât familiar with his short-lived rock band, the Jompson Brothers, who put out one self-titled album in 2010, after he left the bluegrass group the Steeldrivers. âHey Girlâ is a pretty timeless breakup jam with pretty simple lyrics: âHey, Girl! I want you to know/I'm gonna miss you so much if you go/And, Hey, Girl! I tell you no lie/Something deep inside of me's going to die.â So, they werenât Stapletonâs best lyrics, but theyâre definitely fun to rock out to.
32. âTell Me When Itâs Overâ – Sheryl Crow featuring Chris Stapleton – âThreadsâ (2019)
ShareStapleton and Crow previously wrote âHomesickâ for Crowâs 2013 country album, âFeels Like Home,â but this song, which they also co-wrote, was their first duet on a studio album. âTell Me When Itâs Overâ is like an edgier â70s R&B hit. Had Stapleton and Crowâs 2020 tour gone on as scheduled, it would have been cool to see the duo singing this one.
31. âIf The Devil Donât Want Meâ – Ashley Monroe – âThe Bladeâ (2015)
ShareCo-written by Stapleton, Monroe and Jessi Alexander, itâs a classic country waltz, and one of the saddest ones youâll ever hear. The narrator has been dumped, and although she knows that her ex- (âthe Devilâ) was terrible, she wants him back. âI'm at rock bottom with a smoke and a sin/When the party is over, then I'm lonely again.â
30. âBlowâ – Ed Sheeran featuring Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars – âNo. 6 Collaborations Projectâ (2019)
ShareRock music doesnât crank out guitar heroes like it used to, and hard rock bands donât produce many classic party jams anymore, either. Enter Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars with this gem, showing how much fun it is to rock out. Co-written by Sheeran and Stapleton, among others, and produced by Mars, it makes you wish that this trio did a few more jams together.
29. âThem Stemsâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 1â (2017)
ShareA mid-tempo rocker about running out of a certain recreational substance. Perhaps youâve been there!
28. âDeath Rowâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 1â (2017)
ShareA straight-up slow-burn blues song about being on, well, death row. The lyrics are as dark as Johnny Cash at his most desolate: âWhen it's time for my last request/Tell my mama that I did my best/Tell my baby that I love her so.â
27. âThe Reckless Side Of Meâ – The Steeldrivers – âRecklessâ (2010)
ShareThe opening track from the Steeldriversâ second album, and their final album with Stapleton. His lyrics, as is so often the case, are poetic yet easily relatable: âThere's two angels sittinâ on my shoulders/All they ever do is disagree/One sits on the side of rhyme and reason/The other on the reckless side of me.â
26. âWas It 26â – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareStapleton is such a good songwriter, itâs surprising that he often covers other peopleâs songs. But as a singer, heâs a great interpreter: exhibit A :his cover of the Charlie Daniels Bandâs âWas It 26.â In it, the narrator tries to recall what happened while he was 25⌠or was it 26.
25. âDaddy Doesnât Pray Anymoreâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareA somber acoustic song featuring the mournful harmonica of Mickey Raphael (from Willie Nelsonâs band). The narrator in the song watches as his father loses his belief in God; the son, however, never seems to lose faith.
24. âNobody To Blameâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareStapletonâs first top 10 country single as an artist is an epic breakup jam. His ex- tore their wedding photograph in half, she puts his guns in hock, poured his whiskey down the drain, burned his guitars, broke his fishing rods, threw his clothes in the yard and then changed the locks. She even drove his hot rod into a pond. Youâd think that would make most guys angry. But as Stapleton sings, âI got nobody to blame but me.â
23. âDrinkinâ Dark Whiskeyâ – The Steeldrivers – âThe Steeldriversâ (2008)
ShareâDrinking dark whiskey/Telling white lies/One leads to another/On a Saturday night.â You know how it goes! Stapleton helpfully notes, âWhen the bottleâs talking/Be careful what he might say/It talks in the dark/Like it never would in the day.â Youâve been warned!
22. âThereâs More Where That Came Fromâ – Lee Ann Womack – âThereâs More Where That Came Fromâ (2005)
ShareA classic country cheating waltz. The narrator laments over the fact that sheâs cheated. As she lays and/or lies in bed and begs the Lord to get cheating off of her mind, âHe'll call to say that he sure had fun/Just so I know/There's more where that came from.â
21. âYouâve Got To Hide Your Love Awayâ – Chris Stapleton, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson – âImagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concertâ (2019)
ShareStapleton covers a Beatles classic, backed by two country legends at a 2015 tribute concert. At that point, the older rock audience wasnât necessarily familiar with Stapleton, but many were asking âWho *was* that guy?â Stapleton also performed âDonât Let Me Downâ with Sheryl Crow and Killers frontman Brandon Flowers.
20. âNobodyâs Foolâ – Miranda Lambert – âFour The Recordâ (2011)
ShareMost post breakup songs are from the perspective of the dumped, and Stapleton has certainly written some of those. But on âNobodyâs Fool,â the narrator watches an ex- walk into the bar: âDay I left is my only regret/And now it's become his biggest thrill.â When her friends ask about him, Lambert sings, âI'll just say, âHe's nobodyâ/And me, well, I'm nobody's fool.â But she doesnât sound so sure about it.
19. âLast Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morningâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 1â (2017)
ShareYou gotta hand it to Stapleton, he doesn't blink when it comes to recording country classics. This song is an iconic Willie Nelson hit, and Stapleton even uses Willieâs harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, on this song! But like other great song interpreters, from Wille to Aretha Franklin to Ray Charles, when Stapleton sings a song, itâs *his* song.
18. âOutlaw State Of Mindâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareOver 40 years ago, the great Waylon Jennings asked, âDonât You Think This Outlaw Bitâs Done Got Out Of Hand?â He wasnât wrong, to ask. But Stapleton isnât wrong, either, when he points out that being an outlaw is just a state of mind.
17. âMight As Well Get Stonedâ – âTravellerâ (2016)
ShareâSince my whiskeyâs gone, I might as well get stoned,â Stapleton sings on this jam. The guy got kicked out of his house by his ex-, and then he watches the news, where he sees the hell that soldiers, and their families at home, go through. We are not advocating getting stoned, but weâre not judging him for it either.
16. âDrink A Beerâ – Luke Bryan – âCrash My Partyâ (2013)
ShareItâs one of Stapletonâs most devastating songs: itâs about the unexpected loss of someone close: it could be a family member, a friend or a lover. Bryan, who had lost both of his siblings, delivers the song absolutely perfectly.
15. Blue Side Of The Mountain – The Steeldrivers – âThe Steeldriversâ (2008)
ShareSurely, there arenât too many bluegrass classics written since 2000, but this would certainly be one of them. This song, which kicked off the Steeldriversâ debut LP, feels like it could have been written and recorded five or six decades earlier.
14. âI Want Loveâ – âRestoration: The Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupinâ (2018)
ShareProbably Eltonâs best song of this millennium, the lyrics reflect Taupinâs sorrow after going through a third divorce. Happily, Stapleton hasnât been through that, but he still delivers the song perfectly.
13. âStarting Overâ – âStarting Overâ (2020)
ShareAn honest look at a relationship, likely based on Chris and Morgane Stapleton. He admits, âThis might not be an easy time/There's rivers to cross and hills to climb/Some days we might fall apart/And some nights might feel cold and dark.â But through all of the difficulties of a long term relationship, âWherever we are is where I wanna be.â
12. âI Was Wrongâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 1â (2017)
ShareAnother song that sounds like it could have been an R&B hit in the â70s, with another singer (and quieter guitar).
11. âThe Devil Named Musicâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareAs good of a âroad songâ as Bob Segerâs âTurn The Page,â but coming from an older perspective. âSometimes I'm drunk/And sometimes I'm stoned/And yes, I get tired of being alone/I miss my son/And I miss my wife/But the devil named music is taking my life.â Surely every touring musician and crew member in any genre of music can identify.
10. âWhiskey And Youâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareThis solo acoustic lament starts out with Stapleton in full-on heartbreak mode: âThere's a bottle on the dresser by your ring/And it's empty so right now I don't feel a thing/I'll be hurting when I wake up on the floor.â Of course, he notes that he can pick up more whiskey whenever he wants. âBut your forgiveness/ Well, that's something I can't buy.â
9. âMidnight Train To Memphisâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 2â (2017)
ShareOriginally a bluegrass jam from his days in the Steeldrivers, Stapleton revisited the song as a hard-driving rocker for his 2017 album, âFrom A Room: Volume 2.â The narrator here is sentenced to 40 days in jail, and notes that the 39th day is the hardest.
8. âIf It Hadnât Been For Loveâ – The Steeldrivers – âThe Steeldriversâ (2008)
ShareWhile many Stapleton songs end up on albums by other country singers, this one was later covered by Adele. Apparently, her bus driver turned her on to the song and she recorded it as a bonus track for her '21' album.
7. âWhen The Stars Come Outâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareStapleton co-wrote this one with Dan Wilson of alternative rock band Semisonic (you might know their big hit, âClosing Timeâ). Itâs a moving tale of a couple leaving their small town for the city lights. Theyâre ârunning on hope and a tank of gas,â and we never really find out if they find what they were looking for. But you get the impression that, at least theyâ got close: â I got a feeling tonight might be the night/Yeah, tonight might be the night.â
6. âMillionaireâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 2â (2017)
ShareThe opening track from âFrom A Room: Volume 2,â itâs a cover of a song written by country singer/songwriter Kevin Welch which was recorded by soul legend Solomon Burke in 2006 (itâs worth seeking that version out too, BTW). Stapleton more than does the song justice, and it sounds like something he might have written.
5. âTennessee Whiskeyâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareAgain, Stapleton isnât shy about taking on country classics: this one, co-written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, was first recorded by David Allan Coe and later by George Jones. But as always, Stapleton made it his own and one day when his âgreatest hitsâ album is compiled, this is sure to make the tracklisting.
4. âSecond One To Knowâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 1â (2017)
ShareAs weâve established, Stapleton has written some of the best country songs of all time. But with songs like this, you realize that if he was around in the â70s or â80s, he could have had a great side gig writing for rock bands like ZZ Top or Lynyrd Skynyrd.
3. âTravellerâ – âTravellerâ (2015)
ShareThe title track and lead song from his solo debut, Stapleton wrote this one by himself. Some people just donât fit in, and they canât settle down. But just when you think that the song is about being alone, he flips the script a bit: âSomebody else will have to feel this wrong/ Somebody else will have to sing this song/Somebody else will have to sing along.â There are *other* travellers like you out there, too! And when Stapleton tours again, youâll sing along with a few thousand of them.
2. âBroken Halosâ – âFrom A Room: Volume 1â (2017)
ShareWas âTravellerâ a flash in the pan? âBroken Halos,â the lead track and first single from the follow-up, quickly shushed anyone who doubted that Stapleton had more classics in him. Like âDrink A Beer,â this song sadly recalls a friend who left this earth too early.
1. âFire Awayâ – âTravelerâ (2015)
ShareA love song, but the kind you can only write when youâve been in a relationship for a while; itâs when youâre at a point in your relationship where itâs strong enough to endure disagreements and fights. Some of Stapletonâs songs see him looking at his mistakes and realizing that he deserves his fate; heâs earned his loneliness, it serves him right. But here, heâs in a relationship that will last; theyâre in it for the long haul. This song acknowledges that that road can be bumpy.