my top 20 hunter hayes songs

Hunter Hayes is one of my favourite artists ever. in 2013, before I was even a country fan, I was introduced to his music via Home Free when they were on The Sing-Off, and I listened to some of his songs for bit because of that. in 2018, I stumbled upon his music again, and something about it just clicked with me and I listened to his music exclusively for the next several months and proceeded to have his music in my rotation everyday for at least the next year. I fell in love with his lyricism, his character, and his passion and talent that came across in his music (he learned how to play parts on over 30 instruments for his debut album!).

about a month after I started this deep-dive into his music, he launched into the next era of his music, which started with a single, and then a tour announcement. I remember looking at the tour dates for that year and being absolutely devastated that none of them were even remotely close to me. I remember seeing how long a drive to the closest stop would be (it was like 19 hours and I couldn't even drive -- I was 15). in that moment, I created my mental concert bucket list, and Hunter would forever be first on it (in case you were wondering, the second is Brett Eldredge).

almost exactly five years later to the day, my dreams came true and Hunter FINALLY released a tour with a stop close to me. I grabbed a ticket to this show as fast as humanly possible and started to plan my little roadtrip to see him (and I'm not even just going to see him -- I get to meet him) and with that has come listening exclusively to his discography, just like I'm back in Grade 10 all over again. this got me inspired to do a blog entry on him, so, I have tried my best to compile a list of my 20 favourite (out of an almost 90-song catalogue) Hunter Hayes songs. this is likely subject to change on any given day and I've spent months trying to craft it the best that I can and am already feeling sad for songs I had to leave out (sorry, Somebody's Heartbreak and Someday Girl and Someone Will!).

20 / More, Pictures - EP (2018)

with every minute, every up and down together / as long as you're in it, girl / my world keeps getting better

I think the Pictures EP is such a solid collection of love songs, complete with the mini short film video series. More is one of my favourite cuts from the project. I've always found the lyrics to be super sweet and I love the imagery found within them. I love that this song shines a different light on seemingly mundane things such as this girl "sliding down the hallway, dancing 'round the house" or when she's "late for [her] friend's party, 'cause [she] can't find a thing to wear".

19 / Storyline, Storyline (2014)

we can pack for Paris, plan for Tennessee / oceans, mountains, I don't care as long as you're with me

this song is so fun. hearing the upbeat guitar-driven intro always puts a smile on my face. as the title track to my favourite project of Hunter's, I love the way it sets the tone for the album both lyrically and musically. and the words are always a great reminder to make the most out of everyday as you "write [your] own storyline".

18 / If I Didn't Care, Wild Blue Complete (2021)

I'm dancing with you in my mind / while I dance around a lie

I love the musicality in this song so much. I feel like it stands out amongst the rest of Wild Blue in this way. the production feels almost ethereal and the longing heard in the lyrics makes for a really interesting take on a love song. I love how the whole song basically takes place in the one setting of a dance room and the song progresses through all of his feelings in this short span of time, which is different from how a lot of Hunter's other songs are laid out.

17 / What If I Do, Wild Blue Complete (2021)

I love the being with you through it all / probably swore that I would never fall / but what if I did, what if I do? / what if I dream, and what if it's you?

I saw a video recently where Hunter was talking about writing for the Wild Blue album and he thought about how he hadn't written a love song for the album, so he thought "what if I did, what if I do?" and turned that into this song -- and I'm so happy he did. although it was written to be a love song, I feel like it always comes across as a bit of a sadder song about falling in love with someone that you think you shouldn't be in love with. regardless, I love it and think it was a great addition to the deluxe version of Wild Blue.

16 / Roses, Red Sky Continued (2023)

and I don't buy roses / I don't have the strength to watch another good thing die

there are a few songs where I can remember being stopped in my tracks while listening to a song the first time -- with this being one. the imagery in the first verse of the grocery store checkout line is such an appreciated detail that brings the song to life, and the first time I heard the first line of the chorus (included above) I was shocked. I was so surprised at how raw and blunt and sad the whole story of the song was. alas, I love a good sad song and this one is a great one. I am so happy that Hunter decided to release this song and the extra four alongside it to make up Red Sky Continued because I love every single one of the bonus tracks and it's amazing that they all now have their well-deserved place to shine on that project.

15 / Tell Me, Wild Blue Complete (2021)

so we smile while we're crying / holding oceans back inside / and I try to be quiet / as I watch our dreams collide

speaking of sad songs! here's another one! I remember first seeing a video of this in 2018 where Hunter sang it live at a concert -- I was obsessed so I Youtube to MP3ed it and listened to it on repeat for a few weeks. the three year wait for the studio version was so worth it. I believe I heard Hunter say that the vocals on this version were the same as his original demo vocals and I love them -- you can feel so much emotion come through in this song, complete with the pretty piano riff and the ethereal production that enters later in the track.

14 / My Song Too, Wild Blue P. 1 (2019)

there's love in every lyric / you live in every note / don't hate me if I never let go, it's my song too

I've always been a big fan of the sentiment of this song -- the fact that he still has all these memories from a past relationship but attached to music and certain songs, that takes him back with every listen. I love nostalgia in music and I think this song puts a really sweet and unique take on a break-up song.

13 / I Get It Now, Red Sky Continued (2023)

I can't listen to love songs / every line is about what I couldn't say out loud / I get it now / didn't know what love was / 'til I lost it somehow / yeah, but I get it now

I think that this song is the other side of the coin that My Song Too is on. Hunter sings about feeling too much pain from lost love that is attached to certain love songs. he states that he learned what love was through the process of losing this person but that the love songs he now hears say everything he wishes he could have. I think the production on this song is so fun and kind of makes it feel like it's a slightly more happy song than it is.

12 / Storm Warning, Hunter Hayes (2011)

she rolled in from the west in a summer sundress, hotter than the heat in July / with her wind-blown hair, it just wasn't fair, the way she was blowing my mind

something about this being Hunter's very first song in his whole catalogue makes it just a little bit more special. that opening acoustic guitar riff is one of my favourites and whenever I listen to this song I feel like I hear another little musical moment that I wasn't aware of before. I love the energy of the song and you can just feel how much fun Hunter had putting this song together come through in his performance.

11 / When Did You Stop Loving Me, Storyline (2014)

is this really how you want it to end? / with a lie of love, and the loss of a friend / now I'm scared of loving anybody ever again / is this how you want it to end?

this song is peak sad-country-ballad. I've always loved the way that the musicality and lyrics go together and compliment each other perfectly. the way that the story is told through various questions is so heart-wrenching and helps add character to the song. like I said, I love a good sad song!

10 / Everybody's Got Somebody But Me (feat. Jason Mraz), Hunter Hayes [Encore] (2011)

I hear love songs playing on the radio / people slow dancing everywhere I go / I'm a good slow dancer, but you'd never know / 'cause everybody's got somebody but me

sometimes I still have to remind myself that this duet actually exists. I'm sure if a Hunter Hayes/Jason Mraz collab didn't already exist, it would be number one on my dream collab list. as a massive fan of both of them, this song holds a very very special place in my heart. the musicality is a perfect blend of both of their acoustic guitar-driven musical styles and the lyrics are so fun (yet sad at the same time) and unlike any other Hunter songs, in my opinion.

9 / You Should Be Loved, Pictures - EP (2018)

you should be shining like a star / instead of crying like you are / held by a man who don't know what he has / how can I make you see? / you should be loved

I've always loved the feel of this song. musically, it seemed a bit different for Hunter at the time but in a way that I loved. the story is really simple but it's so sweet -- ultimately making this song my most listened to track on the Pictures EP.

8 / Dear God, Wild Blue P. 1 (2019)

I know You showed me the road less traveled, knowing I'm gonna run away / You make me love so hard, when everything I love just leaves / are You sure that there's nothing wrong with me?

this is the song that re-introduced me to Hunter's music in 2018 and I'm so glad it did. I remember being quite taken aback at its lyric as a whole when I first heard it -- but the more I dove into interviews and press that were done surrounding this song, the more I understood it and fell in love with it. Hunter clarifies that it's ironic because he obviously knows that God doesn't mess up, and that he believes that "the Lord gives us big questions so that He can answer in a big way" (Hayes, 2018, the Jesus Calling podcast). I'll attach the article that the excerpt is from here! I think it's a really interesting read if you're familiar with this song or with Hunter, or both.

it was also co-written with Andy Grammer right after Hunter recorded a podcast episode with him. after listening to the conversation that preceded them writing this song together, it gave me so much insight into Hunter's story and where he was at when he decided to write this song.

7 / Love and Only Love, Red Sky Continued (2023)

so simple it sounds absurd / and for some it's just a word / if you've heard my prayers you've heard / love and only love

this song is just so pretty. I love the sentiment, the acoustic guitar all throughout, and the simple-yet-effective production. I remember when this song was just a little SoundCloud file that got sent out to Hunter's fan club a few years back, and I was ecstatic to discover that he was giving it a permanent home on Red Sky Continued (although I also remember when Port in the Storm was also a SoundCloud file and I'm still waiting patiently for that one!!).

6 / I Want Crazy, Hunter Hayes [Encore] (2011)

our first date, girl, the seasons changed / it got washed away in the summer rain / you can't undo a fall like this / 'cause love don't know what distance is

this is the very first Hunter Hayes song I ever heard and it has absolutely stood the test of time. I've probably had it on the majority of country playlists I've made and I still love it as much as I did on day one. it's incredibly catchy, includes some great instrumentation, and has very cute lyrics. I'm so excited to hear this one live and feel the energy while everyone in the room sings along.

5 / Young and in Love, The 21 Project (2015)

I missed you far and wide / love ain't black and white / I'm learning from hurting, that you're what I've searched to find

there's just something about this song that I can't quite pinpoint. I feel like this song has never left my musical rotation since the first time I heard it -- it just seems to stand out amongst Hunter's catalogue. his vocals, the melodies, music, and story all blend together so well. I love to look at it as a part two of I Want Crazy (if you've never considered that before, go back and listen to them together while reading the lyrics!).

4 / Faith to Fall Back On, Hunter Hayes (2011)

these days I'm not sure if I know / what I'm doing here or where I'll go / but every night I say the same old prayer / 'God, I don't have to see You, I know that You're there'

this is the first song in Hunter's discography where we hear him reference his faith. it's such an interesting take on it, as this song is kind of autobiographical in that sense, but it also talks about a failed romantic relationship and what he learned through that. the song ends with him learning to put his trust where it belongs after everything else has proved him wrong, which I find to be a very insightful conclusion to this song.

Honourable Mention / Better Than This, Hunter Hayes [Encore] (2011)

getting by on just a little sleep and coffee cups / learning through the downs, and living for the ups

this song is purely an honourable mention on this list because of the memories I have attached to it. he talks about chasing a dream and pursing something (in his case, music) while not knowing where it will go, but he just knows he has a passion for it so it doesn't matter. these lyrics had always reminded me of my own journey with ballet as soon as I heard this song. a few months later, my ballet journey as I knew it for the last 14 years had come to an end and the lyric "learning through the downs, and living for the ups" was constantly running through my mind. that's exactly how I was feeling in that moment and this song helped characterize that for me.

Honourable Mention / Wanted, Hunter Hayes (2011)

you know I'd fall apart without you / I don't know how you do what you do / 'cause everything that don't make sense about me / makes sense when I'm with you

this wouldn't be a Best-of-Hunter-Hayes list if I didn't mention this song. it deserves all the love that it's gotten over the last 13 years and I know Hunter wouldn't be where he is in his career if it weren't for it.

Honourable Mention / Heartbreak, Wild Blue P. 1 (2019)

imagine someday, when we look back / I'll thank my past for giving me my future better half

this was the first song that was released in 2019 as a lead-in to the Wild Blue era. I was so excited for this new chapter in Hunter's music that I listened to this song on repeat. for months. my music library is telling me that I have listened to it 715 times (for a total of 34 hours and 16 minutes).

3 / In a Song, Hunter Hayes [Encore] (2011)

it'll take some time, but I know that I / I can find where I belong / I'll find it in a song

for as long as I can remember, I've always loved song lyrics. I always felt like I was able to connect with them and they could express things that I couldn't put words to, and this song does just that -- but about this very concept of finding yourself in music. I thought that was such a cool thing to write a song about and these lyrics have stuck with me ever since.

2 / Flashlight, Storyline (2014)

my prayers are all the same as the ones I've prayed before / thank You, and forgive me, my rough-around-the-edges heart is Yours / in the moments where you swear I'm just screaming at the sky / it's the strangest conversation, or a friend just stopping by / and it's funny when I realize all the places that Your miracles can hide

lyrically, this is one of my all-time favourite songs. if I could put the entirety of this song up in that little lyric blurb above, I would. like I was saying in the previous entry about In A Song, I've always found that there are songs that I specifically connect with through the lyrics and this one would be at the top. the idea that God seems to find him and answer his prayers and his calls in the most unexpected and beautiful ways is one of my favourite sentiments and this song expresses that concept so well.

1 / Still Fallin, Storyline (2014)

after every sunrise holding you / and after all the crazy we've been through / every day and every minute, girl, it's something new / I'm still learning, still burning, still wanting, still all-in / still fallin'

I would almost go as far as to say that this is a perfect love song. the sentiment of continuing to fall in love with someone as time goes on is so beautiful and I love the pictures this song paints of that concept -- about how things as simple as a "late-night streetlight drive" and sunrises together continue to further their love for each other. I also love the structure of this song. the way that this song was written made me fall in love with the concept of choruses that change slightly every time (and I actually remember hearing Hunter say in an interview that the original iteration of the song wasn't like that and he almost didn't go back and change it!!). complete with the very pretty guitar part, and you have, in my opinion, the best Hunter Hayes song.

I have compiled these into a playlist! take a listen (then maybe to Hunter's whole discography 🥰)!

thanks for reading! this was a really fun little project for me to put together and I hope it was as entertaining to read as it was for me to write :)