Kenny Chesney has dominated the country music scene since his debut in 1994. From the days of a young, up-and-coming musician to an icon for the country genre, Chesney has produced hit after hit. There are so many to choose from; here are my top 10 songs of all-time by Kenny Chesney:
10. “Just Don’t Happen Twice” This song is a great country song, from the beat to the theme of the song: reminiscing about childhood love. The tune is catchy and the lyrics are extremely relatable. The first love of anyone’s life is memorable and Chesney does a great job capturing that in this song. Many of his songs are about being young and enjoying teenage love, but this song is one of the best.
9. “Old Blue Chair” The premier beach song by Chesney. Many of his songs tie in the Caribbean in some way, but Old Blue Chair is the best of the bunch. It feels like a song written on the beach (I wouldn’t be surprised to hear he did write it in said blue chair). Everyone has something that has been with them throughout their life – whether it’s a chair, a picture, a hat – and is memorable.
8. “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems” Again, another beach-style song. This one is more fun than reflection, and is all about his island living that he seems to have made famous. The casual lifestyle on the beach is something everyone yearns for, and this song can make anyone daydream about being at the beach. It is a fun song that is a perfect beach party song. It is the title song for his 2002 album
7. “Who You’d Be Today” One of Chesney’s deepest song, this song describes the “what if” of someone lost young in life. It is wonderfully written and is a stark contrast to other songs on his 2005 release The Road and the Radio such as “Summertime,” “Living in Fast Forward,” and “Beer in Mexico.” The song sets the tone early with the acoustic guitar and the mood is somber throughout the song. It was a top-five country hit, and deservedly so.
6. “Young” One of Chesney’s most fun songs of all-time, “Young” is about exactly what the title says. It is about loving life as a young person, about being reckless and carefree and rebellious. It truly is an anthem for adolescence. This song is one of those songs you want to play loudly and sing along to while driving on an open road.
5. “Don’t Blink” Touching on similar themes to “Young,” “Don’t Blink” is all about enjoying every moment in life, from the party days of the teenage years to the days of raising a family. Chesney preaches to slow down and keep things in perspective, something many today fail to do because of the speed of the modern world. Similar to all of Chesney’s songs, the vocals are fantastic and the message is pure.
4. “There Goes My Life” Teenage pregnancies are more and more common, and Chesney provides a different perspective in this song. He sings about watching a teenage pregnancy grow up and eventually leave for college, and all the enjoyable moments in between. Many chastise anyone who is pregnant before marriage, but this song disregards that and looks at it like it is in real life: a struggle that changes your life immensely, but can be extremely rewarding by the time the child grows up.
3. “You Save Me” One of the best country songs ever written. The refrain rhymes beautifully and the song sings about what many men believe, but cannot say: that their significant others do more for them than they can imagine. From his 2005 album The Road and the Radio, this song pulls together the album as a whole and is the best song on the album. The lyrics are fantastic and the vocals of Chesney really shine.
2. “The Good Stuff” From his 2002 album No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems, this song paints a picture and tells a story like few songs have ever done. The calming factor of a bartender is evident in the song, and the song preaches perspective, like other top songs by Chesney do. The image of Chesney at a bar conversing with a genuinely nice bartender is easy to picture because the lyrics are so great.
1. “I Go Back” For me, this is the most perfect song Kenny Chesney has done. From his 2004 release When the Sun Goes Down, this song captures the feeling anyone has when they hear a song that reminds them of their youth. Again, Chesney paints a great picture of his youth with the lyrics and the beat is catchy and the song is easy to sing along to. Whenever I hear this song, I immediately turn the volume up and begin to sing along.
