The artists below aren't all underrated themselves. You might even be familiar with most of them. The songs I've chosen for each of them, however, are extremely underrated within their wider discographies. After reviewing each entry, I hope you find at least one new favorite song, and take the time to explore these artists beyond their biggest hits.

10 Somethin' 'Bout A Woman

Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett is known for songs like "Die A Happy Man" and "Beer Can't Fix." On his latest album, About A Woman, his commitment and pure love for his wife shine through in a way that should've made this album much more popular than it is. The album is largely upbeat, featuring just one ballad as its closing track, and "Somethin' 'Bout A Woman" is one of its most addictive tracks.

With a soulful delivery and heavy guitar riffs, Rhett spends the track's runtime disregarding things like the moon and the band to state that nothing could make him lose his mind in this way more than the woman who charmed him at first sight. The vocal effect over his voice makes you lean in just a bit more, hanging onto every word he says, while the instrumental keeps you moving. A collaborative version of this track with Teddy Swims has more streams than any song off this album, but I believe the original deserves more appreciation.

9 Tights On My Boat

The Chicks

Another album that, collectively, deserved much more attention at the time of its release was Gaslighter by The Chicks. The album's title track was the first of many to mention a boat, but no song would go into as deliberate detail as "Tights On My Boat." After all, it's right there in the title. The acoustic guitar-driven track starts so strongly that it'll have you laughing in shock at Natalie Maines's honesty.

I hope you die peacefully in your sleep

Just kidding, I hope it hurts like you hurt me

I hope that, when you think of me, you can't breathe

Beyond that opening verse, the song continues down the same path, leaving direct callouts on almost every line. Maines repeats that the man she's singing about is going to get what's coming to him and that the girl who left her tights on her boat can have him all to herself now. Structurally, it's not the most impactful song from The Chicks, but the vocal delivery and brutal honesty make it a song that any fan of strong female country artists should listen to.

8 Gabrielle

Brett Eldredge

Every time I hear a Brett Eldredge song, I'm tempted to do another deep dive into his catalog. Something about his rich tone and smooth vocals wins me over within seconds, and that is exactly the case with "Gabrielle." This song was released in the summer of 2020, a fateful time for new music, but it's one that immediately fills the listener up with warmth. Eldredge's voice has a way of sounding as comforting as a breezy spring day, and this song is just one of the most beautiful examples of that.

Similar to Thomas Rhett, Eldredge has plenty of hits from the 2010s, but he continues to make music that deserves a listen. "Gabrielle" and the album this song is on are just one example of the deeper listening his discography deserves.

7 Good Ol' Boy's Club

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves' Pageant Material is, somehow, still her most underrated album. With the success of Golden Hour, it's difficult for any of her other albums to compare to the average listener, but those interested in her more traditional country roots shouldn't turn a blind eye to her sophomore album.

Related

10 Best Country Songs (From Artists Who Aren't Country)

Not all great country songs were released by country artists; here are 10 amazing country tracks by pop, grunge, indie and heavy metal artists.

Posts 5

On "Good Ol' Boys Club," Musgraves critiques the country music scene with lines including "Favors for friends will get you in and get you far / When did it become about who you know / And not about how good you are?" She rejects the idea of this fictional-yet-realistic club, stating that she refuses to be part of it. Instead, she opts to continue doing things her own way, something that has remained true throughout her successful career. It's a song that would make sense to be sung in the 1960s, and one that will continue to hold up years from now.

6 SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea Ballerini is one of many female country artists whose music transcends genres. Unfortunately, in order to stay relevant in the country music scene, women often have to continuously change their sound, collaborate with more popular artists, or fully branch out into pop music. Ballerini is an artist who bridges the gap between country and pop in a similar way to Shania Twain. Her fourth studio album, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, holds many of the usual country instrumental details while also feeling bright and refreshing.

The album's title track is an ode to growing up and the right to change your mind. When she sings, "The right and the hard thing are sometimes the same," she's singing to anyone who has ever felt like they made the wrong decision by choosing themselves or allowing themselves to be selfish for once. This album holds a couple of hits, but it could still do with some wider appreciation.

5 Man On The Moon

Megan Moroney

The humor within the delivery of Megan Moroney's "Man on the Moon" is the type of thing I love most about country music, specifically by women. Other artists, like Taylor Swift on "Speak Now" or Miranda Lambert on "Kerosene," have a similar approach where their sarcasm wins out over any other emotion found in certain songs of theirs. Moroney uses this track to lean fully into the exhaustion of suffering through a relationship with a man who can't make up his mind.

I don't mean to be dramatic, but can somebody call NASA?

Or a billionaire with money to burn (money to burn)

'Cause he wants me and he needs space

Someone take this cowboy away

Somewhere far, let him fly

Out of this world and off my mind

C'mon, there's gotta be a rocket somewhere taking off soon

I think it's time we put another man on the moon

Whether you've experienced exactly what she describes or have been lucky enough to have avoided these types of men your whole life, you'll believe every word she sings. By the end, she'll have you on board with the idea of sending every insufferable ex-boyfriend to the moon. This album is incredible; with the right promotion, and the right fans willing to listen to her full projects rather than just one song, Moroney could become one of the biggest country stars of her generation.

4 Redwood Tree

Cam

Every song of Cam's feels more personal than the last. Her sweet voice and perfect tone get every word she sings across in a way that almost feels like she's speaking just to you, sharing some wisdom that is sure to guide you on your journey into the future. As a seasoned songwriter, her talent for telling a story shines through especially well in her own music. "Redwood Tree" is a nostalgic, emotional dedication to a simple memory of her childhood: the redwood tree in her yard.

From the opening lines, I feel like I have to stop everything I'm doing because it becomes increasingly likely that I might tear up. She speaks directly to the tree, singing "Oh, redwood tree / Don't you recognize me? / No, it's not much time for you / It's been decades for me," reflecting on the age of time that comes with growing up and coming home years later. Cam is an infuriatingly underrated country artist, but she's sure to attract anyone fond of storytelling artists that are all over country music.

3 Heartbreak

Hunter Hayes

The most underrated male country artist, in my opinion, is Hunter Hayes. Although he's been in the game since 2011 with early hits like "Wanted" and "I Want Crazy," his more recent music hasn't reached the audience it deserves. Wild Blue, Part 1, released in August 2019, is such an impressive album from start to finish, with "Heartbreak" being just one of many highs within the tracklist.

Hayes' voice has a sweet tone to it that delivers each track in a believable way no matter what he sings. On "Heartbreak," he describes the constant cycle of relationships that turn into breakups, but finds the positive in each ending by claiming that he's one heartbreak closer to finding the girl of his dreams. This is a positive spin on something that many people relate to, and yet another example of the kind of sincere perspective he brings to the genre that has overlooked his music for years.

2 The Tree

Maren Morris

When Maren Morris released The Bridge, a single featuring two incredible tracks, I was floored. Morris has been a force in country music since the mid-2010s, but, after dedicating so much of her time and energy to the genre, she made the same choice that so many women before her have been pushed to make. Rather than continue providing music for the country music industry, she opted to submit "The Tree" and "Get The Hell Out Of Here" as her semiformal resignation letters.

I'm done filling a cup with a hole in the bottom

I'm taking an axe to the tree

The rot at the roots is the root of the problem

But you wanna blame it on me

I hung around longer than anyone should

You've broken my heart more than anyone could

Trying to stop me won't do you no good

I've already planted the seeds

Morris' voice is one of the most powerful in recent years. Her strong delivery works perfectly with songs created to push a clear message to a broad audience. With "The Tree," she indirectly calls out those in country music who actively work to push out artists like her while ignoring the root of the issues that have plagued the industry for decades. It's a message that still hasn't been received, even after Beyoncé won Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

1 Country Queen

Mackenzie Carpenter

There is an endless well of talent from young women in country music today who deserve more attention. Mackenzie Carpenter is a rising star who you're going to want to start listening to now. Her debut studio album Hey Country Queen is a masterpiece of traditional sounds mixed with modern problems and female empowerment (no matter how ruthless). It even includes a song to the tune of "Goodbye Earl" by The Chicks and "Gunpowder and Lead" by Miranda Lambert. Be careful claiming you've "gone fishing" around Carpenter.

"Country Queen" is a beautiful song about knowing your worth in this world as a woman. After being pushed aside or left behind, it's difficult to dust yourself off and keep going. Carpenter pulls you in with the promise that no man is worth the loss of your confidence. After all, "He ain't the first Bass Pro jerk to think he runs this town." Amen to that.