50 Best Country Songs About Tough Times

Country Songs for Getting Through Hard Times

There’s a weight that hangs over certain seasons of life. Bills stack up, the truck won’t start, somebody you counted on walks away. It feels like the kind of stretch where coffee goes cold before you even drink it and nothing lines up the way you planned. That’s where these country tracks cut in. Some of them spill out raw confessions, others sound like a worn-out laugh in the middle of a breakdown. They aren’t neat or shiny, but that’s what makes them sit right when everything else feels crooked.

It’s not only country that tackles this headspace. You’ll hear echoes in pop, rock, country, and R&B songs too, the same themes twisted into different sounds. A few of these tracks may not be literally tied to hard times, but they lean into that energy anyway. It’s the cracked voices, the steel guitars, or even the way a verse trails off like someone too tired to finish their thought. They make sense when your day unravels and you need a song that doesn’t flinch.

These picks don’t promise quick fixes. They live in the quiet of a dim bar, the shuffle of boots on gravel, the kind of nights where you’re not sure if you’ll make it through or if you’ll end up laughing at how messy things got. Each track holds that tension and turns it into something you can carry. Here are the best country songs for tough times.

1. 'The Climb' by Miley Cyrus

2. 'I'm a Survivor' by Reba McEntire

3. 'Live Like You Were Dying' by Tim McGraw

4. 'I Hope You Dance' by Lee Ann Womack

5. 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash

6. 'Concrete Angel' by Martina McBride

7. 'Whiskey Lullaby' by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss

8. 'Choices' by George Jones

9. 'Girl Goin' Nowhere' by Ashley McBryde

10. 'It's a Great Day to Be Alive' by Travis Tritt

11. 'Bless the Broken Road' by Rascal Flatts

12. 'Believe' by Brooks & Dunn

13. 'Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)' by Gary Allan

14. 'Red Ragtop' by Tim McGraw

15. 'Humble and Kind' by Tim McGraw

16. 'Wait in the Truck' by HARDY and Lainey Wilson

17. 'Tough People' by Drew Baldridge

18. 'Rainbow' by Kacey Musgraves

19. 'The House That Built Me' by Miranda Lambert

20. 'I Am Not Okay' by Jelly Roll

21. 'This One's for the Girls' by Martina McBride

22. 'Better Than You Left Me' by Mickey Guyton

23. 'Save Me' by Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson

24. 'Getting Good' by Lauren Alaina

25. 'Travelin' Soldier' by The Chicks

26. 'Holes in the Floor of Heaven' by Steve Wariner

27. 'If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)' by Rodney Atkins

28. 'A Little Bit Stronger' by Sara Evans

29. 'Stand!' by Rascal Flatts

30. 'The Impossible' by Joe Nichols

31. 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart' by Eli Young Band

32. 'The Outsiders' by Eric Church

33. 'Where the Bluebird Sings' by Reba McEntire

34. 'Unstoppable' by Rascal Flatts

35. 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' by The Charlie Daniels Band

36. 'The Journey of Your Life' by Jake Owen

37. 'Fire Away' by Chris Stapleton

38. 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' by George Jones

39. 'Drink a Beer' by Luke Bryan

40. 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails

41. 'Don't Stop' by George Strait

42. 'The Underdog' by Aaron Watson

43. 'It Won't Always Be Like This' by Carly Pearce

44. 'The Mountain' by Dierks Bentley

45. 'Keep Your Head Up' by Andy Grammer

46. 'I'm Gonna Be Somebody' by Travis Tritt

47. 'Tough Little Boys' by Gary Allan

48. 'Road to Happiness' by Cam

49. 'My Wish' by Rascal Flatts

50. 'I Drive Your Truck' by Lee Brice