The 10 Best Brandy Clark Songs of All-Time

Who is Brandy Clark? She’s a country singer-songwriter known for her beautiful vocals, guitar, and piano playing. Born in 1975 in Washington State, her amazing songs have been recorded by the likes of the Band Perry, Sheryl Crow, Billy Currington, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, LeAnn Rimes, and Darius Rucker.

In 2013, CMT chose Brandy as one of their “Women of Country”, which was an annual promotion that featured up-and-coming artists. And, according to Wikipedia, Brandy was also nominated for a 2015 Grammy Awards Best New Artist award. Her songs have received numerous nominations over the years, and one of the many country songs she wrote called “Follow Your Arrow” (performed by Casey Musgraves) won the 2014 CMA Song of the Year Award.

So, who influenced Brandy’s music during her formative years? Growing up in the 80s, her grandmother and her parents played a lot of country music, so she was most influenced by artists like Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, and Ronnie Milsap.

In fact, one of her major influences early on was a movie called “Sweet Dreams”. Brandy started playing the guitar when she was only nine years old and then she also began writing songs and singing in some school musicals.

Then in 1998, she moved to Nashville, took additional guitar lessons, and landed a job with Leadership Music. That job led to a publishing deal. Since then, Brandy Clark’s songs have become legendary, so here are the 10 Best Brandy Clark Songs of All-Time (in our opinion):

1. “ Stripes” (2013)

This song is from the 2013 album “12 Stories” and what’s great about it is that it’s one of those country songs that really sound like one. It’s not pop, gospel, or some kind of crossover but simply a good voice singing a catchy tune about a pissed-off country girl who wants to give her man a piece of her mind in no uncertain terms. One great line in it goes like this, “I got a pistol, I got a bullet, and a pissed-off finger just itchin’ to pull it.” That kinda says it all.

2. “Get High” (2013)

This is another great song. Everything from the slide guitar to the rhythm, the lyrics, and Brandy’s singing bring it perfectly together to make this song a great example of amazing songwriting paired with a gorgeous voice. The best line from this song goes something like this, “Lord, please help me to accept what I can’t change but ‘til I learn how to do that, thank you for the Mary Jane”.

3. “Insecurity” (2023)

The only thing better than a Brandy Clark or a Brandy Carlile song is a duet featuring both of them. And “Insecurity” is the best of the best simply because it features this amazing power couple. Their voices meld together just perfectly to make for an unforgettable song.

4. “Pray to Jesus” (2013)

This particular Brandy Clark song is not only brilliant but the entire 2013 album is excellent as well. It’s the perfect example of what country music should be sounding like. And, Brandy singing it is exactly what country music is really all about because it can make people fall in love with the genre all over again. You don’t necessarily have to be religious to appreciate it, just a country music lover.

5. “Better Dig Two” (2012)

The most famous version of “Better Dig Two” was recorded by The Band Perry and released in October 2012 on their second album, Pioneer. The song was a big hit and not only got a lot of airplay but it also reached #28 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Brandy collaborated with both country artist Shane McAnally, as well as Trevor Rosen from the ACM & CMT award-winning band Old Dominion, in writing this song. Brandy herself also recorded it and it was truly beautifully done although not quite as moody and dark as the Band Perry version.

6. “Big Day In A Small Town” (Acoustic version) (2016)

This is the title song from Brandy’s second studio album and was released via Warner Bros. Records on June 10, 2016. The album and the single received positive music critics’ reviews. In fact, in 2017, the album garnered a Best Country Album Grammy Awards nomination. Also, a song called “Homecoming Queen” on the album was previously recorded by Sheryl Crow on her 2013 “Homecoming Queen” album.

7. “Who You Thought I Was” (2016)

This post-break-up statement song is one that recognizes who you should be after a long list of other personas gets discarded along the way. It’s beautifully delivered in Brandy’s uniquely bold and gritty style. I just love to listen to her magical voice accompanied by her excellent guitar playing. All of her songs appear to be so genuine, always striking a chord with me. Here are a few special lines from this song: “I wanna be almost close at least to worthy of your love. I wanna be who you thought I was.” Very profound.

8. I Think We’re Alone Now – Brandy Clark & Brandi Carlile- (2023)

Who could possibly not love this song and this dream team’s beautiful vocals? Let’s face it; separately they sound lovely but together their sound is pure magic! And, this is such a great song for showcasing their combined talents. It’s also recently performed as opposed to so many of our Brandy faves that are from previous years. ️

9. “You Can’t Come Over (But You Can Come In)” (2020)

This awesome country song written and performed by Brandy Clark features the great Martina McBride. It’s also the name of a special event and playlist from Brandy featuring greats like Reba McIntyre. Definitely some great stuff.

10. “Remember Me Beautiful” (2021)

This song is from the album “Your Life is a Record”, which was released in 2021. This is one of our favorite Brandy Clark Songs. It has such poignant lyrics that can almost make you cry. From “I had a ball and I’d do it all again” to “Remember me happy, … remember me smiling,… remember me young,… remember me beautiful”, the lyrics are a beautiful commentary on true love and graceful aging.

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