10 Of The Best Country Love Songs Of The 2010s

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Written by Laura Macmillan
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Country music has the special ability to tap into some of humankind’s most profound emotions, from heartbreak to celebration to, most of all, love. 

While this is no longer a world in which amatory balladeers like Randy Travis, George Strait, or Hank Williams top the charts, that doesn’t mean there is a shortage of high-quality country songs. The opposite is true—the last two decades have produced some truly incredible love songs that reach deep into the heart of love and desire in the modern world. 

If you’re ready to dive into tunes that will make you fall in love with love, then read on to learn about 10 of the best country love songs of the 2010s.

1. “Just A Kiss” By Lady Antebellum

The first song on this list is “Just a Kiss,” a 2011 release by smash-hit country group Lady Antebellum.

If there is a song that captures the combination of nerves and elation that comes with the fiery start of a relationship, it’s this one. The song’s dual speakers are lovers—or soon-to-be lovers—whose internal monologues reveal they are both nervous about initiating a relationship and hopeful the other person will be the love of their lives.

Despite the almost cliché summary, the tender tune and understated lyrics strike the perfect contrast with the soaring chorus, giving the listener that same electric inspiration that comes with finding new love.

2. “Mine” By Taylor Swift

Another song about the start of a relationship, “Mine,” is the lead single from Taylor Swift’s 2010 album Speak Now.

The tender and moving tune revolves around a narrator who, despite facing serious anxieties and commitment issues, falls into a relationship with a starry-eyed dreamer. 

What makes the song especially creative, though, is that it’s largely a flashback—the only event that takes place in the present is the lovers lying on a couch together, and the rest is a retrospective of an early relationship.

Especially moving is the moment when the narrator, about to depart after a fight, is embraced by her lover with the promise that he will never leave.

Related: Next, read our list of the most popular country songs of all time.

3. “H.O.L.Y.” By Florida Georgia Line

“H.O.L.Y.” by country music duo Florida Georgia Line, released in 2016, reflects the kind of love that isn’t fun but transformative.

As its title implies, “H.O.L.Y.” revolves around a narrator’s devotional relationship with his lover. He speaks about her in the same terms one would talk about a religious revelation, detailing her power to forgive his mistakes, bring him to heights of love, and make him burst out in ecstatic praise.

While the lyrics imply almost zealous energy to “H.O.L.Y.,” the opposite is true. While the speaker’s intense passion burns through the song, the subtle melody and solemn instrumentals give the impression of a respectful reverence, not deranged devotion.

4. “Wagon Wheel” By Darius Rucker

This song is probably the definitive statement on the beauty of long-distance love. Although the song was written by Bob Dylan in 1973 and first released in 2004, Darius Rucker’s 2013 rendition is perhaps the most well-known.

“Wagon Wheel” is a loving ode both to an individual lover and to the geography of the East Coast. The narrator laments that, while they previously played music together with their lover, they’ve since split up; but after leaving New England on account of gambling debts, he resolves to get her back.

If Rucker’s earthy voice doesn’t capture you by the first verse, then you’ll certainly be feeling the love by the last one when he resolves to meet his lover in Raleigh, North Carolina.

5. “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” By Kip Moore

While other songs on this list are about the highs and lows of romantic love, 2012’s “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” by Kip Moore is one of the most vivid odes to physical love. 

The narrator begins by contemplating on the charm of his truck parked in a field on a summer’s night and having a beer by the tailgate after a long day of hard work.

In addition to rhapsodizing the unique satisfaction of drinking ice-cold beer, Moore’s narrator also contemplates the temptations and allure of taking his beautiful lover to a lonely field and kissing her in the moonlight.

With this backdrop, it’s certainly hard to disagree with the speaker: there is something about a truck.

6. “Why Don’t We Just Dance” By Josh Turner

Sometimes, it can seem difficult to find love amidst the ongoing chaos of being a human being in this day and age. Amidst all the hubbub of the news and the deluge of information, where is love to be found?

For anyone who has pondered that question, Josh Turner has an answer in his “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” released in 2010. In an entrancing and incredibly catchy tune, Turner’s speaker poses a simple idea for lovers everywhere: just pull someone close and love them hard.

The song’s lyrics are relatively simple, as is the melody, which is the perfect complement to the song’s exhortation to step away from the modern world and focus on the simplicity of love.

7. “Farmer’s Daughter” By Rodney Atkins

While many songs on this list capture specific moments in a relationship—the beginning, the humble nights at home, the intimate nights—Rodney Atkins’s 2010 tune “Farmer’s Daughter” is a tapestry of an entire relationship.

The lyrics detail the love-soaked history of a farmhand who falls in hand with the titular farmer’s daughter, a beautiful socialite. Despite their differences, the chemistry emerges immediately, and each verse of the song details a new evolution in the couple’s relationship.

In addition to the stellar imagery (a credit to songwriters Marv Green, Rhett Atkins, and Ben Hayslip), Atkins’s rich voice adds crackling life to the story, making the listener experience the true love that burns between the farmhand and the farmer’s daughter.

8. “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” By Thompson Square

Another song that captures the fleeting beauty of early love is 2010’s “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” by the country duo Thompson Square. Akin to “Just a Kiss,” the song encapsulates the indescribable beauty of a budding relationship.

But where “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” distinguishes itself is in the fact that it goes beyond the moment of the initial kiss and captures all the beginnings and renewals in a relationship.

When it culminates in the couple’s wedding kiss, it’s hard not to feel inspired. For anyone who’s fallen head-over-heels in one night, this is the song to put on repeat.

9. “Play It Again” By Luke Bryan

Five-time “Entertainer of the Year” Luke Bryan has a special talent for elevating the pedestrian details that thread through any love affair. This is especially true of “Play It Again,” which highlights the power of music in igniting relationships.

The 2013 song, which resides somewhere between a party song and a solo-listening tune, is both a rip-roaring good time to dance to and a great way to reflect on all the factors that are part of love blossoming.

“Play It Again” is certainly a song you’d want to listen to, whether you’re also just blooming into your own love story or already securely embraced in it.

10. “Loving You Easy” By Zac Brown Band

The last song on our list captures one of the very best feelings in love: when loving someone is easy.

This 2015 tune by the legendary Zac Brown Band captures the kind of love that people feel whether they’ve been together two days or twenty years—the love that feels intuitive and natural.

In “Loving You Easy, ” the narrator certainly fawns over how everything about his significant other—her smile, her movement, her looks—makes, as the song title states, loving her easy for him.

Here’s to that kind of love.

Summing Up Our List Of 2010 Country Love Songs

Whether you need a starting point for a deep dive into love songs or a tune to remind you why you love love, we hope these 2010s country love songs will do the trick.

However, this list captures just 10 and there is a multitude of other great country love songs for you to listen to out there.

So if we missed a favorite of yours, let us know so we can add it.

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Laura has over 12 years experience teaching both classical and jazz saxophone and clarinet. She now resides in California where she works as a session and live performer.