The 10 Best Jerrod Niemann Songs of All-Time
Jerrod Niemann might have written hits for some of the biggest names in country music (Garth Brooks, Neal McCoy, Jamey Johnson, Blake Shelton, Lee Brice, The Cadillac Three… you name them, Niemann has written for them), but he’s also a hugely successful performer in his own right. Since hitting the number one spot with his 2010 major-label debut, Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury, he’s released numerous top 40 country hits and sold over 20 million albums. Here’s our pick of the 10 best Jerrod Niemann songs of all time.
10. A Little More Love
In the spring of 2016, Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice teamed up for A Little More Love. With its funky, summery beat and fun interplay between the two singers, it went down a storm with critics and fans alike. Released as Niemann’s first single through Curb Records, it took the duo to number 28 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and number 41 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
9. Donkey
Donkey was written by David Tolliver, Kyle Jacobs, and Fred Wilhelm and released by Niemann as the second single from the album High Noon in May 2014. A toe-tapping, down-home slice of country that’s impossible not to shake a leg to, it took Niemann to number 43 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and number 38 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
8. Blue Bandana
As Song Facts notes, the wonderfully nostalgic Blue Bandana is sung through the eyes of a girl who spends her summers traveling to music festivals across the country “Being a music fan, I know that girl in the song,” Niemann says. “Blue Bandana is a story-song and a tip of the hat to those people who drive all over the place and spend their money to let us jam with them.” Released in July 2015, it hit number 32 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and number 37 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
7. Old Glory
After watching a news report about the ambush of American soldiers in Niger in 2017, Niemann wrote Old Glory, a patriotic tribute to the military narrated from the perspective of a deployed peacekeeper. Speaking about the song in a behind-the-scenes video, he explained, “After I wrote the song ‘Old Glory,’ I hung on to. I didn’t play it for any civilians. I wanted our military to hear it first, because it is from the perspective of a soldier. I saved it and played it and debuted it in Spain, and I got a response that I never imagined.”
6. Shinin’ on Me
With its laid-back lyrics, sunny melody, and amiable vocals, Shinin’ on Me encapsulates everything there is to enjoy about Niemann’s easy-going approach to country music. Released as the first single from the album Free the Music in 2012, the song took the singer to number 17 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, and scrapped a pass into the Billboard Hot 100 at number 92.
5. Drink to That All Night
An uptempo party anthem with good-time vibes, an infectious chorus, and a fist-pumping rhythm, Drink to That All Night proved that Niemann could handle a dance floor filler just as well as a scorching ballad. The album version from High Noon is catchy enough, but the slick remix with Pitbull is even more irresistible. Released as a single in October 2013, it became a major crossover success for the singer, climbing to number one on the Country Airplay chart (his second time at the top of the country charts) and reaching number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also managed to top the country charts in Canada.
4. What Do You Want
After topping the charts with his first top 40 single, Lover, Lover, Niemann capitalized on his success with What Do You Want, a moody, smoldering ballad with a wonderfully nuanced vocal performance. Released as the second single from his number one album Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury, the song gave Niemann another top 40 hit on the country charts, reaching number 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart and number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shortly after its release in October 2010, it was certified gold by the RIAA.
3. Only God Could Love You More
Described by The Boot as one of Niemann’s most powerful songs, Only God Could Love You More finds Niemann watching an ex walk out the door, but refusing to let her leave before he tells her “Just know only God could love you more / Than I do.” With its emotional delivery and flawless production, it’s one of the highlights of the singer’s 2012 album, Free the Music. Released as the album’s second single, it reached number 29 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and number 38 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
2. God Made a Woman
In 2017, Niemann released his most recent album, This Ride, a playful, energetic record that finds the singer flitting from boogie-woogie to sunshine pop, barroom country to tender ballads. One of its finest moments is God Made a Woman, a song that All Music describes as one of the best ballads in his catalog and which Niemann has called the “favorite song I’ve ever recorded.” Released as the album’s second single, it charted at number 55 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
1. Lover, Lover
In at number one on our list of the 10 best Jerrod Niemann songs of all time is Lover, Lover. Originally recorded by Sonia Dada under the title of (Lover) You Don’t Treat Me No Good, Niemann added a smattering of jaunty handclaps, layers of silvery acoustic guitars, some irresistible whisky-soaked vocals and turned it into one of the most distinctively soulful songs in his repertoire. Released as a single in July 2010, it soared straight to number one on the US Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the singer’s first-ever top 40 hit.