2020 … what a year, amiright?! The entire world was effectively shut down, and live concerts and festivals came to a screeching halt. But that didn’t stop Canadian country artists from releasing great music.
So many artists took the time this year to sit down and write and release some amazing music. We were introduced to some new artists, and fell deeper in love with some familiar artists. The country seemed to lean heavily on music to get through this tough year. And the proof is in the analytics.
This year, when the pandemic hit in March, there was an increase in people searching for music, and that trend continued to grow to the end of the year. All in all, music helped us get through this year. It provided comfort, and an escape.
We had the chance to write about a lot of music this year. We also introduced you to some great emerging artists. Of all the music we wrote about though, there were some songs that you couldn’t get enough of. We took our top performing music reviews and created this list of the Top 10 Canadian Country Songs of 2020 from the Front Porch. This was determined based on how many people saw the feature on our website (Page Views).
So here are the top singles from 2020 on Front Porch Music.
2020’s Top Canadian Country Songs
10. “I Picture You” – Sons Of Daughters
All the way back in January, Sons Of Daughters released their single “I Picture You”. This duo consistently releases great music … And have seemed to have figured out the trick in blending country music with pop.
“We wanted to capture the timeless and heartfelt notion of ‘the one who got away’”, said Chrystal Leigh and Jimmy Thow. “Sometimes you lose touch with people you were once close with and every so often you catch yourself thinking about them. This song is the answer to the universal question: ‘I wonder if they ever think of me?’”
It’s no surprise that this was one of the most searched songs on Google in Canadian. country music. It’s a great song, and you all couldn’t get enough of it.
9. “Thank Her For That” – Owen Barney
Owen Barney had another great year. His song “Thank Her For That” was released earlier in the year, exactly when we needed it most! It’s a great song that peaked at number 11 on the Canadian radio charts, and resulted in him seeing a huge increase in people searching for him on Google.
The music video for “Thank Her For That” featured Owen living his best quarantine life. Almost all the activities he sets up are meant for two, but he finds a way to enjoy it all solo … double fisting margaritas, playing Beer Pong and Flip Cup.
It’s turned out to be a banner year for Owen, and we couldn’t be more excited for him. It’s no surprise “Thank Her For That” was one of the top songs on the Front Porch in 2020.
8. “Born With A Boyfriend” – Josh Ross
It’s been a big year for Josh Ross. He moved to Nashville, recorded and released some great music. Despite contracting Coronavirus, he was still able to find the positive and ended up having a banner year.
He recorded a video of himself hearing his music on the radio for the first time. It’s an incredibly emotional and tender moment that he shared with everyone. That video went viral on Tiktok and helped raise his profile.
“Born With A Boyfriend” is a love song about someone you’re crazy about but can never get a shot with … they always seem to be taken. We all know people like that – people who go from relationship to relationship. The song is a guy telling other people that if you want your shot with her, not to wait.
This was one of the top songs on Front Porch Music this year, and there’s no surprise there!
7. “Outlaws & Outsiders” – Cory Marks
Cory Marks had a HUGE year with “Outlaws & Outsiders”! This song debuted at No. 1 on both the top rock and hard rock digital song sales chart, and at No. 7 on the country digital song sales chart. These placements on the Billboard charts are incredibly significant – particularly from an artist who hasn’t seen mainstream success at this level prior to this release.
This song also reached number 1 at radio in Germany, of all places!
Cory has been one of the most searched for artists in 2020, so it’s no surprise that he landed in the top 10 on Front Porch Music.
6. “Drink About Me” – Brett Kissel
Brett Kissel is such a consistent artist. Every song he releases performs well, and sounds great. His song “Drink About Me” may have been released in 2019, but it continued to pick up steam into 2020 and remained one of the top songs throughout the year on the Front Porch Music website.
Brett Kissel has a way of connecting a listener with the story in a song and making them understand it, whether it’s lighthearted, emotional, or a party anthem.
It’s a fun song, and the accompanying music video is cool too, and features Bachelor/Bachelorette alums Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick, friends of Brett Kissel.
5. “Got Your Name On It” – Jade Eagleson
This is the second year that “Got Your Name On It” by Jade Eagleson has landed in the top 10 on the Front Porch Music website. His debut single may have been released in 2018, but it remained one of the top performing songs on the Front Porch throughout 2019, and then remained there throughout 2020 as well. It continues to be one of the top searched country songs in Canada on Google for 2020.
Jade is a fantastic artist and has been spending his quarantine connecting with fans and doing live streams on a weekly basis as a way to connect with his fans. We can’t wait until we get to see him perform live again … but until then, we’ll keep watching his weekly livestream.
4. “The Call” – Owen Riegling
This is the second year that Owen Riegling has appeared in the annual top 10 for Front Porch Music … you all really love Owen’s music! This year, his song “The Call” sits in the 4th most popular song on Front Porch Music.
Owen Riegling has been making a name for himself in Ontario, and has recently been making a splash across the country. “The Call“ is a change of pace from his typical sound. , It’s an emotional ballad about loss, grief and getting that call.
The Front Porch Music audience are huge fans of Owen’s. Anytime we publish a feature about him, we see huge spikes on the website. So it’s no surprise that “The Call” has become one of the top Canadian country songs of 2020.
3. “All My Tomorrow’s” – Shawn Richard
It’s been a big year for Shawn Richard! His debut single “All My Tomorrow’s” was released at the end of 2019, and was consistently the most visited feature on the Front Porch Music website throughout much of 2020.
Shawn’s fans are fierce! When Shawn shared our feature about him in early 2020, we had so much traffic to our site, that our servers couldn’t keep up … the website went down!
“All My Tomorrow’s” is a fun song with a catchy chorus and relatable message. It’s no surprise to us that this became one of the top songs on the Front Porch in 2020.
2. “F-150” – Robyn Ottolini
Robyn Ottolini has had a wild year! She went from losing her job at the start of the pandemic to closing out the year with a record deal, and publishing deal. While the rest of us were feeling like the world stopped, Robyn has been truly living her best life! None of us are going to forget 2020, but she will remember it in a completely different way.
Her song “F-150” went viral on Tiktok and the rest is history. Almost overnight, thousands of people were searching for Robyn’s song on Google. In November of 2020, Robyn Ottolini was the most searched-for country artist in Canada! Because of that, there’s absolutely no surprise that this was second most popular song of 2020 on Front Porch Music.
1. “Hard Dirt” – Hunter Brothers
“Hard Dirt” by Canada’s favourite band of brothers has taken the title as the number 1 Canadian country song on Front Porch Music for 2020. And for good reason! “Hard Dirt” performed well on the Canadian radio charts, has over a million streams, and is just a great song in general.
Hunter Brothers have had a huge year, and they have “Hard Dirt” to thank in part to it. These guys were the most searched-for country acts in Canada on Google this year, so it’s not surprising they they took the number 1 spot with “Hard Dirt”.
“‘Hard Dirt’ is a song that speaks to the process of enduring struggle, but also knowing that hope exists on the other side of whatever circumstances you may be going through”, says Ty Hunter. As brothers, they also say they hope that this song will uplift our hearts, put a new fire in our dreams and encourage us to keep growing as not only individuals but as families and, more importantly, as a community.
A Recap Of 2020
While most of us are SO ready to say good riddance to 2020, it’s hard to argue that 2020 was a great year for Canadian country music. We were gifted with so much new music. When we look back at the year, it’s hard not to smile a bit when you listen to all the great songs these Canadian country artists have shared with us.
What do you think? What songs were your favourite this year? We’d love to hear from you.
We can’t wait to hear what 2021 has in store for us.
In country music, the Front Porch has long been a place of reflection. A place where you can look at the life you have inside that front door. A place where time almost seems to stand still, where you can get away. It’s also a place where you can go to observe the world as it passes by you. To think about your place out there beyond the driveway.
