The Top 10+ Old Dominion Songs
When Old Dominion broke onto the country music scene in 2015, fans and country radio alike fell for their unique country sound and clever songwriting. Their first charting hit, “Break Up With Him,” catapulted the band into mainstream success and set up a career trajectory that has included multiple hits, headlining tours and awards, including the 2021 CMA award for Vocal Group of the Year. The group’s sound has continued to evolve with each passing album, and they released their fourth studio album, Time, Tequila & Therapy, in October 2021. While Old Dominion continues to press forward in their career, here’s a look back at 10 of their best singles so far.
- “Break Up With Him” — from Meat & Candy
Before Old Dominion was launched into mainstream fame, they had a close following of fans and had released singles such as “Dirt on a Road” and “Shut Me Up,” but it wasn’t until their 2015 single “Break Up With Him” that their career really began heating up. Originally released from their independent 2015 EP and later included on their major label debut album, “Break Up With Him” is a flirty tune in which lead singer Matthew Ramsey sings from the perspective of a man trying to persuade a woman that he is the better choice for a love interest. The song landed at No. 1 on the charts and brought the band into the mainstream country spotlight.
2. “Snapback” — from Meat & Candy
Old Dominion followed their debut hit “Break Up With Him” with “Snapback,” released from their Meat & Candy album in January 2016. Like their previous single, “Snapback” is an upbeat, feel-good song in which the band sings about a girl sporting a snapback hat. Band members and veteran songwriters Brad Tursi, Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen applied their snappy songwriting to this tune and it earned them a No. 2 hit that has since been certified 2x Platinum. It was also after the release of “Snapback” that Old Dominion won the ACM Award for New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year, their first big accolade in country music.
3. “Song For Another Time” — from Meat & Candy
For their next single and their last from Meat & Candy, Old Dominion released “Song For Another Time.” This tune departed somewhat from the style of their past two songs with its acoustic guitar instrumentation and slower tempo, but it still stayed true to the Old Dominion sound. In “Song For Another Time,” lead singer Ramsey tells the bittersweet story of a couple who know their relationship won’t last, but they simply enjoy the time they have with one another. The group cleverly tells this story through names of other songs, ranging from George Strait’s “Marina Del Rey,” to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and many more. The song landed at No. 1 and introduced a more sentimental side of the group’s songwriting.
4. “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart” — from Happy Endings
Old Dominion is known forincluding catchy hooks and humor in their music, but they also write songs featuring positive messages. One of these is “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart,” the lead single from their sophomore album, Happy Endings. In this song, the band encourages listeners to live life to the fullest and live as if broken hearts don’t exist. These uplifting lyrics are accompanied by equally uplifting production complete with energetic guitar, piano and percussion. This song became their third No. 1 hit.
5. “Written In The Sand” — from Happy Endings
Old Dominion took a more mellow route for their second single from their Happy Endings album, releasing “Written In the Sand” in September 2017. In this song, Ramsey sings from the perspective a man pondering the status of his relationship and wondering if they’re meant to be or destined to fizzle out. The tune again features the band’s skillful songwriting as the song’s lead character shows a bit of vulnerability about the state of the relationship. “Written In The Sand” continued Old Dominion’s streak of hits, landing at No. 1 and being certified 2x Platinum.
6. “Hotel Key” — from Happy Endings
Old Dominion ended their Happy Endings album era with one last hit song, “Hotel Key.” In this uptempo tune written around one simple detail, the band tells the story of a one-night stand that ended with the woman taking the hotel key so she could remember the night. The song is full of details from the night, such as “it was down some street we couldn’t even pronounce” and “we danced by the TV we never turned on.” In the hook of the song, Ramsey sings “we both know we can’t open that door no more,” to signify the fact that they’ll never get that night back, but it will always be remembered with the hotel key. “Hotel Key” became their fifth No. 1 hit.
7. “Make It Sweet” — from Old Dominion
In October 2019, Old Dominion released their self-titled third album, and they kicked it off with the lead single, “Make It Sweet.” This song serves as both an encouraging message and a love story, as Ramsey sings about living life with the one you love and making life “sweet.” The song was written by all five members of the band along with Shane McAnally and it was recorded the same day it was written. With its positive message and upbeat production, “Make It Sweet” made for the band’s sixth No. 1 single on the country charts. The year the song was released also showed award success for the band as they won Vocal Group of the Year for the first time at both the ACM Awards and CMA Awards.
8. “One Man Band” — from Old Dominion
Even when Old Dominion releases a slower song, the group still manages to keep their signature contagious beats and skilled songwriting, and they showcased that on their 2019 single, “One Man Band.” Accompanied by melodic electric guitar and light beats, Ramsey sings about not wanting to be single, or be in a “one man band,” and he reasons with a love interest to take their “show on the road,” or be together. The song landed at No. 1 and brought home even more accolades for the band, winning Group Video of the Year at the 2020 CMT Awards and Song of the Year at the 2020 ACM Awards. The band also won Vocal Group of the Year yet again at the 2020 ACM Awards and CMA Awards.
9. “Some People Do” — from Old Dominion
Old Dominion shared their most thoughtful track yet with “Some People Do,” released in March 2020. In this piano-driven song, Ramsey earnestly sings about peoples’ ability to change for the better. Ramsey exemplifies this in the chorus, singing, “Some people quit drinking too much / And some people quit lying / Some people decide to grow up / But it’s never good timing / Most wouldn’t forgive what I put you through / But I’m here tonight / Hoping some people do.” It’s clear in the song that Ramsey is singing to a love interest with whom he hopes to reconcile, but the message can applied to anyone looking to better themselves. The song’s accompanying music video showcases this in a real way, as it features a former drug addict who now works as a hairstylist for celebrities and gives free haircuts to homeless people. Although “Some People Do” just cracked the Top 30 on the charts, landing at No. 28, it remains one of the band’s most impactful songs.
10. “I Was On A Boat That Day” — from Time, Tequila & Therapy
Old Dominion kicked off their brand new album, Time, Tequila & Therapy, with a feel-good, summer-ready song called “I Was On A Boat That Day.” In this jovial tune, the band sings of a stress-free day on a boat that may or may not have been the reason for the end of the lead character’s relationship. This song is still rising on the charts, and it has been racing through the Top 10 as of November 2021.
