10 Country Party Song Necessities for Weekend Playlists

Country music has plenty of love ballads, songs about real-life situations, and more, but sometimes all one needs is an escapist party song on a Friday night. Luckily, there is plenty of the latter — so many, in fact, that it's hard to choose just a few.

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If you're looking to build the perfect Spotify playlist for a wild weekend on the town, here are 10 of the best country party songs. Though our list stretches back to Brooks & Dunn's game-changing debut album and a hit from Shania Twain's crossover moment, we skip the '90s hits of Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw in others for the lighter-hearted radio hits from the 21st century.

10. "Country Girl (Shake it For Me)," Luke Bryan (Tailgates & Tanlines, 2011)

If you want to get the good vibes flowing, you can't go wrong with Bryan's "Country Girl (Shake it For Me)." It's among the highlights of the often-criticized "bro country" era that brought us Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, and Sam Hunt. Listen here.

9. "Boot Scootin' Boogie," Brooks & Dunn (Brand New Man, 1991)

Brooks & Dunn's "Boot Scootin' Boogie" helped rekindle the country line-dancing craze, and it's sure to get guests on the dance floor. It's influenced the more '90s-leaning material of Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Jake Owen, Dustin Lynch, Thomas Rhett, and other 21st-century stars. Plus, it's one of those ever-present singalong songs that seemingly everyone knows, on par with Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried," Darius Rucker's version of "Wagon Wheel," and, of course, a laundry list of Garth Brooks songs. Listen to Brooks & Dunn here.

8. "Good Time," Alan Jackson (Good Time, 2008)

Jackson's 2008 song "Good Time" is all about shaking off the work week and enjoying the weekend, making it a perfect party song with an extended remix. A staunch traditionalist, Jackson reminds us here and with Jimmy Buffett's collaboration "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" that party songs predate the '90s country boom by never straying far from his roots. Listen here.

7. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," Shania Twain (Come on Over, 1997)

Whether you're looking to kickstart a bachelorette party or just a fun weekend with your friends, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," Twain's ode to letting your hair down, is the perfect soundtrack. Her catalog is chock full of party starters, including the Billy Currington duet "Party for Two." Listen to "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" here.

6. "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," Trace Adkins (Songs About Me, 2005)

Like soundalike friend TJ Osborne, Adkins brings country and blues grit to heavy-rocking songs. Adkins' most famous is this nonsensical yet delightful banger —think Walker Hayes with a Texas accent— about lust at first sight. Listen here.

5. "Life is a Highway," Rascal Flatts (Me and My Gang, 2006)

Early aughts nostalgia is on the way, and with that trend will come country dance parties framed around the music of Keith Urban and Brad Paisley, not George Strait and Joe Diffie. Nothing better suits Y2Kountry get-togethers quite like this version of this feel-good jam. Listen here.

4. "Am I The Only One," Dierks Bentley (Home, 2012)

In an era that was saturated with party songs, Bentley stood out with the good-time anthem "Am I The Only One.". Bentley starts off the song with a bit of a dilemma: he wants to party, but none of his friends are available. His friends' excuses include watching American Idol and abstaining from drinking, so Bentley goes out alone. To his luck, he meets a "country cutie" out on the town, and the night turns around. This song is still a fan favorite at shows more than ten years after its release, and it's perfect for a party night— even if it starts as a party of one. Listen here.

3. "Drink In My Hand," Eric Church (Chief, 2011)

Church has plenty of serious songs, but even he has to let loose and have some fun every once in a while. His song "Drink In My Hand" is the perfect one for doing that. This country dance song is all about taking a break from the 9 to 5 and letting the weekend fun take over. The song features a contagious melody and rhythm, and it can be heard flowing out of the honky tonks on Lower Broadway in Nashville to this day. Of course, party-hearty songs about beer and tequila by the likes of Luke Combs and Kenny Chesney could make for a separate list. Listen here.

2. "Red Solo Cup," Toby Keith (Clancy's Tavern, 2011)

Red solo cups are a necessity at any good house party, so Toby Keith recorded a song about them. His song "Red Solo Cup" is a party song, but it's so much more than that: it's a love song to the red solo cup —the vessel by which the party commences— itself. The song begins with Keith listing all the good things about red solo cups, and by the end, he is quite literally pouring his heart out into the cup. Overall, this jovial tune is great for a chuckle and for getting into party mode. Listen here.

1. "Here For the Party," Gretchen Wilson (Here for the Party, 2004)

If you're looking for a real country party full of "rowdy romance," look no further than Wilson's "Here For the Party." The title says it all: she's here for the party, and she ain't leaving until they throw her out. In this tune, the "Redneck Woman" describes a wild night out at the bar where the beer, cowboys, and pick-up lines are flowing. This song is a classic country party tune, and it was penned by a dynamic trio: Wilson and Big & Rich's John Rich and Big Kenny. The latter two left a mark on party song playlists with "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." Listen to Wilson here.

READ MORE: The 20 Best Country Songs About Summer

This story originally ran on July 22, 2022.