The Top 10+ Eric Church Songs

Eric Church, otherwise known as “The Chief” has been entertaining crowds and carving out his unique brand of country music since 2006. Now, 14 years and six albums later, Church has earned himself a loyal fanbase and has become one of the most dynamic entertainers in music. Throughout the past 14 years, Church has released a multitude of both commercially successful and critically acclaimed songs, so it’s a difficult task to trim his impressive discography down to just a few, but here are the Top 10+ Eric Church songs.

(Arranged chronologically)

“How ‘Bout You” — From Sinners Like Me

Eric Church burst on the music scene with his debut single, “How ‘Bout You,” a hard-rocking, blue-collar country song about keeping traditional ideals alive. The song introduces Church as a cowboy-boot-wearing, hardworking country boy listing off the things that make him who he is. In the second verse, he sings, “I still say yes, ma’am to my mama, How ’bout you? / If I shake your hand, look you in the eye, you can bet your ass, it’s gonna be the truth / I cover my heart with my hat when they fly my red, white and blue / Just like my Daddy taught me / How ’bout you?” The song peaked at No. 14 on the charts and established Church as the bold and edgy artist he still is today.

“Guys Like Me” — From Sinners Like Me

In the same vein as “How ‘Bout You,” Church’s second single, “Guys Like Me,” gave listeners another look into who Church is as an artist and as a person. This song further cemented his edgy, country boy persona while forming a feeling of camaraderie with others who are like him. In the chorus, Church sings, “Guys like me drink too many beers on Friday after work / Our best blue jeans have Skoal rings / We wear our boots to church.” While this tune just peaked at No.17, it allowed fans to continue to get to know Church as a new artist.

“Love Your Love The Most” — From Carolina

After releasing a few rowdy country songs that would be welcome at any country bar, Church tapped into his softer side with the lead single from his second album, Carolina. “Love Your Love The Most” found Church singing about all the things he loves: cold beer, mustard on his fries (a topic that is worth a debate), and a good honky-tonk. But, as he sings in the song, none of these things come close to the love he has for his woman. This single not only showed a different side of Church’s music, but it was the first release to take him into the Top 10 on the charts.

“Smoke A Little Smoke” — From Carolina

“Smoke A Little Smoke,” the third single from Church’s Carolina album, brought the singer’s rebellious attitude back to the forefront. In the song, Church sings about sitting back and smoking away the worries of the world, including the end of a relationship. In the music video, Church is seen in his now-iconic aviator and baseball cap look that he sported for years. The song did not crack the Top 15 on the charts, but it went 2x platinum and continued to propel Church’s persona and widen his fan base.

“Drink In My Hand” — From Chief

By his third album, Chief, Eric Church had established himself as a strong force in country music, and the singles released from this album would only deepen that notion. The second single, “Drink In My Hand,” propelled Church into superstar status, becoming his first No. 1 hit. It was also after this song that Chief was announced as a nominee for the 2012 Grammy Awards for Best Country Album. The good-time drinking song became a classic Church tune and can still be heard on the radio and floating out of the doors of honky-tonks today.

“Springsteen” — From Chief

Church continued his stream of hits from Chief with “Springsteen,” a nostalgic tune remembering a summer of young love set to the soundtrack of Bruce Springsteen. The track is about how a song can take a person right back to where they were when they first heard it. “Funny how a melody sounds like a memory / Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night, Springsteen,” Church sings. The song took the No. 19 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the Hot Country Songs chart. In addition to its chart performance, “Springsteen” won an ACM Award and an American Country Award, and was nominated for various other awards.

“Give Me Back My Hometown” — From The Outsiders

Unlike “Springsteen,” which is about the romanticization of young love, “Give Me Back My Hometown” finds Church returning to his hometown and wanting to shake the memories associated with it. He pleads for the memories of a past relationship to wane so he can have his hometown back to what it was before it was filled with those reminders. The song hit the No. 1 spot on the Country Airplay chart and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, two CMA Awards and an ACM Award.

“Talladega” — From The Outsiders

With “Talladega,” the third single from The Outsiders album, Church tells a coming-of-age story about a group of boys who fixed up an old Winnebago and traveled to Talladega for one last hurrah before the real world starts. The song pulls on the heart strings of anyone who has experienced those young, carefree days. Talladega itself acts as a sort of metaphor for those days that Church will never get back, as he sings, “I’d sure like to stay in Talladega.” The song certainly resonated with listeners, topping the Country Airplay chart and earning Platinum status.

“Mr. Misunderstood” — From Mr. Misunderstood

“Mr. Misunderstood” will always be a memorable Eric Church tune, as it was the lead single from his Mr. Misunderstood album, which he released as a surprise the week of the CMA Awards in 2015. The album was first released directly to fans by email and mail, and was then released to streaming services. He then performed the lead single at the awards show. In the song, Church tells the story of a misfit kid who doesn’t like the things everyone else likes. The song serves as encouragement for any other “Mr. Misunderstoods” out there that they will be understood eventually.

“Record Year” — From Mr. Misunderstood

Church continued the Mr. Misunderstood album era with “Record Year,” a song about a heartbroken man who dives into music as a means of getting over a break up. Church makes references to various artists and songs throughout the tune, then sings, “I’m either gonna get over you or I’m gonna blow out my ears / Yeah, you’re out there now, doing God knows how, and I’m stuck here, having a record year.” The song struck a chord, as it topped the Country Airplay chart and went double Platinum.

“Some Of It” — From Desperate Man

If there had to be an extra song added to this list, “Some Of It” deserves to be that song. The second single from Church’s Desperate Man album is about all the lessons one learns in life. Church sings that these lessons, that come in the form of heartbreak or come with age, are never easy, but it’s these growing pains that form the life we live. The video, shot at the site of Shawshank Redemption, portrays Church as a criminal paying for his crimes. The song did well commercially, becoming his eighth No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart — his first since “Record Year.”