Eric Church celebrates his 46th birthday today (5/3). Having just announced a partnership for a brand of whiskey, and with a summer tour coming in June, Eric is a busy guy. Musically, he’s also working on new songs and ideas to please his rabid fanbase, the Church Choir. To his credit, whatever comes out, he gives his fan club members first access to it as he is not one to underappreciate the people who support him and brought him to where he is today.
As Church blows out 46 candles today, just a handful of years away from his big 5-0 birthday, we gathered what we believe are the 20 finest songs in his lengthy catalog.
RELATED: Eric Church Partners For New Whiskey Brand
20. “How ‘Bout You” (2006)
ShareA good one for his debut single from his 2006 debut album “Sinners Like Me.” Church wrote this song with Brandon Church (his brother) and Brett Beavers.
19. “Give Me Back My Hometown” (2014)
ShareAn Eric co-write with Luke Laird. It was released in January 2014 as the second single from his album “The Outsiders.” The song reached number one on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart in May of that year.
18. “Guys Like Me” (2006)
ShareGreat line: “I ain’t scared to bleed.” In the song, Eric describes the ways in which his lifestyle appears incompatible with that of his partner. He hypothesizes that even though she has lots of other men interested in her, it is an act of God's will that motivates her to choose someone like him.
17. “Hell on the Heart” (2009)
ShareA top ten for Eric who sings about a girl he knows, saying that she is "heaven on the eyes / But boy, she's hell on the heart."
16. “Smoke a Little Smoke” (2010)
ShareSomewhat of a controversial song when it was first released, over a decade ago. The video sees Church driving vintage cars at Clarksville Speedway, and includes a cameo from NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne.
15. “The Outsiders” (2013)
ShareEric described it as a mix of Waylon Jennings and Metallica. Church also said when it came out, “It’s a bit of a statement. I wanted to send a message with this album that it’s gonna be different, it’s gonna be another level."
14. “Cold One” (2014)
ShareA straight up country song. Church states in the song that a woman took a beer from a twelve-pack that he was drinking at the time and describes both the beer and her sudden departure as a "cold one."
13. “Does to Me” (2020)
ShareEric joined one of his biggest fans on this duet with Luke Combs. It’s a solid collaboration co-written by Combs along with Ray Fulcher and Tyler Reeve, it is the third single from Combs's 2019 album 'What You See Is What You Get.’
12. “Mr. Misunderstood” (2015)
ShareChurch dropped this album of the same name backstage to media on the night of the 2015 CMA Awards. The song is about a misfit teenager, expressing sympathy for his being "misunderstood." In it, Eric says some encouraging words about the good things that will happen one day when people will appreciate him.
11. “Some of It” (2019)
Share"Some of It" became Eric Church's eighth number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It’s pure Church.
10. “Monsters” (2019)
ShareThis one is a bit eerie but makes a statement using the analogy of a monster hiding under a child's bed to represent troubles in one's life.
9. “Desperate Man” (2018)
ShareIn the cool music video for this song, Church gets "busted" by FBI agents whose uniforms read EMI, the name of his record label.
8. “Hell of a View” (2020)
ShareIt is the lead single from Eric’salbum “Soul,” part of a triple album set. The track features backing vocals from Church's longtime collaborator Joanna Cotton.
7. “Creepin’” (2012)
ShareChurch describes the memory of a former lover as being similar to "creepin'." The tune features a banjo and an electric guitar, as well as several vocal effects on Eric’s voice.
6. “Record Year” (2016)
ShareIt’s about a man who recovers from a broken heart by listening to a collection of vinyl record albums.
5. “Stick That in Your Country Song” (2020)
ShareThis is pure Church; even the title is exciting. The song doesn’t disappoint either as it addresses several social issues and situations including underprivileged lives in urban areas, a soldier coming back from war, and an overworked and underpaid school- teacher. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance.
4. “Raise ‘Em Up” (2015)
ShareAn amazing duet with Keith Urban. It asks every concert crowd to simply “Raise ‘Em Up.”
3. “Talladega” (2014)
Share"Talladega" is a song about a man who is sharing memories from a trip made to Talladega Superspeedway with friends after his senior year in high school. Eric and his crew filmed the video for the song at the real Talladega Superspeedway.
2. “Drink in My Hand” (2011)
ShareThis song is just infectious and gets you to really want to put a drink in your hand. It was Church’s first number one song on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
1. “Springsteen” (2012)
ShareInspired by an idol of his, Bruce Springsteen; like many of Bruce’s early songs, it tells the story of a teenage romance. And it got the attention of Jersey’s favorite son: if you search “Bruce Springsteen and Eric Church” on YouTube, you’ll see Bruce inviting Eric onstage for a duet of “Workin’ On The Highway.”