Country music wasn’t what it used to be when I finally dropped the genre. Gone were the songs I jammed to in the back of my dad’s truck, and while music genres are more than welcome to evolve and plenty of subgenres have been created, I no longer heard the sounds or stories I loved. This music was born as an ode to the countryside, to livestock, harvest season, and horribly humid summers. Singers lament about love, loneliness, and hard work. As pop bled in, we forgot that it’s supposed to paint a picture, to tell a captivating, original story.

Pop dies. That’s what it was made to do, and that’s why it work so well. When we mix pop with other music, however, we put genres at risk of becoming a popularity contest instead of songs that reach a long-loving audience. Still, I’m willing to bite and see what became of a genre I used to love.

Below is a list of Billboard’s Top 10 Country Songs from their 2022 Year End chart. The grading is on a 6-point scale based on the following things: sound originality, storytelling, hitting at least one of three themes (love, loneliness, and work), using an acoustic guitar or fiddle at least once, and that good old fashioned southern accent.

Wasted on You by Morgan Wallen – 2/5

• Despite a strong start, you can hear pop music bleeding in at the chorus with a computer-generated beat, and the flow of the song gets interrupted. Points off for a lack of storytelling and sound originality, as well as not enough acoustic.

You Proof by Morgan Wallen – 2/5

• I heard the acoustic this time, but it’s only there for a blip at the beginning. There’s almost no difference between this song and “Wasted on You.” It’s pretty much just a prequel. The pop beat also makes a stronger, just as unfortunate reappearance.

‘Til You Can’t by Cody Johnson – 5/5

• The guitar stays strong and doesn’t get shoved to the side, even as the song picks up. Johnson could sing this song on a porch with no drums or keyboard and it would still carry the same strong, desperate emotion. He tells multiple stories that all loop into the chorus, and you can feel the countryside rushing by.

Fancy Like by Walker Hayes – 0/5

• It’s literally just an Applebee’s commercial.

The Kind of Love We Make by Luke Combs – 2/5

• It hits on the theme of love, but I’m not pulled into the story. It’s also not very original. I could easily mistake Combs for Wallen and vise versa. Not to mention, the acoustic is only a whisper, as though Combs is ashamed of the country sound.

Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan – 5/5

• Starts of strong with a melancholy guitar that is present throughout the song, and Bryan’s mourning pulls you right in. He doesn’t stress his country accent and talks about the little memories they share. It’s reminiscent of old country, and is a backdrop for a field-framed sunset.

She Had Me At Heads Carolina by Cole Swindell – 1/5

• Where’s the guitar? Just because you’re naming southern states and have a southern accent doesn’t mean everything you sing country. He might be singing about love, but it’s in a karaoke bar. Not to mention, I can’t hear eve acoustic.

Fall in Love by Bailey Zimmerman – 3/5

• The accent feels forced, if not fake. There’s a (mediocre) story, a guitar, and Zimmerman touches both love and loneliness. However, the sound is the same as half the modern country music on the radio.

Buy Dirt by Jordan Davis (feat. Luke Bryan) – 5/5

• The story begins immediately, all about love and work. While it lacks direction beyond the chorus, they paint a solid picture. The guitar is the centerpiece, and neither are forcing a southern twang. I can’t be surprised. Luke Bryan doesn’t disappoint.

AA by Walker Hayes – 3/5

•  This would be much better without the generated beat, a surprising divergence from his other song. It still feels like pop with a southern accent, but Hayes does have a solid story this go-around. The sound isn’t entirely original – there’s an inkling of “I’ve heard this one before.” However, this one definitely scores higher.

If you want the full country experience after taking a gander at the scores above, here’s some songs You Should Be Listening To:

1. 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton (literally anything by her ♥)
2. Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
3. The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie by Colten Wall
4. You Don’t Mess Around with Jim by Jim Croce
5. Way of the Tribune God by Tyler Childers
6. Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show
7. Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
8. King of the Road by Roger Miller
9. Blue Side of the Mountain by The Steeldrivers
10. Copperhead Road by Steve Earle
11. Small Town by John Mellencamp
12. Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
13. Tush by ZZ Top
14. La Grange by ZZ Top
15. Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd