There's something about Sara Evans songs that make me nostalgic. She's an old school performer with some classic hits, but she deserves to be recognized for the true country artist she is.
Since 1997, the Boonville, Missouri native has sung the musical praises of American music legends ranging from Buck Owens to Otis Redding. You understand why when you listen to her songs, which include multiple top ten hits. She somehow fits the needs of a wide array of listeners who crave either traditional sounds or early-aughts country music.
Check out these ten selections from Evans' greatest hits that we are lovin' and enjoy the works of one of this young century's brightest stars. She's released solid albums in the past decade including Stronger (2011), Slow Me Down (2014), and Words (2017), so this trip down memory lane is simply a jumping-off point for a vast and growing back catalog.
10. "Saints & Angels"
Evans often sings about matters of the heart and her faith in God. Here, she blends both for a tale about loved ones rising above their own perceived imperfections.
9. "I Could Not Ask For More"
Evans' 2000 album Born to Fly includes this orchestral ballad. In Evans' hands, the Diane Warren composition becomes a worthy addition to any wedding reception playlist. It's one of the album's must-hear tracks, along with "Every Little Kiss" and "I Keep Looking."
8. "No Place That Far" (With Vince Gill)
Evans makes the shortlist of singers to sing '90s country ballads on the same level as Gill. Naturally, they work together swimmingly on this 1998 single. It's the title track off the same album as the equally sentimental "Love, Don't Be a Stranger."
7. "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus"
Evans' storytelling talent brings this runaway pregnant teen's struggles, and the birth of her child somewhere between Jackson and Memphis, to life.
6. "Cheatin'"
In this song from 2005's Real Fine Place, a lonely and broke man can't fool himself. He's worse off without his ex-wife, and it's all his fault. He should've considered these potential circumstances before cheating with another woman.
5. "A Real Fine Place to Part"
As demonstrated by the couple in its music video, this country love song describes the sometimes indescribable joy of bonding emotionally with a new significant other. It's off 2005's Real Fine Place, the album that brought us the tender "You'll Always Be My Baby."
4. "Three Chords and the Truth"
As its title implies, the title track off Evans' 1997 major label debut celebrates the power of an old-fashioned country love song. It's not the only ode to the classics on an album bolstered by "I Don't Wanna See the Light," "The Week The River Raged," and a cover of the Buck Owens and Harland Howard classic, "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail."
3. "A Little Bit Stronger"
Evans' strongest offering of the 2010s came through this collaboration with songwriters Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsey, and Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott. It's a catchy modern country hit that accentuates Evans' vocal talents and features some pretty sick guitar work.
2. "Suds in the Bucket"
This number-one hit off the album Restless sounded old-school by 2003 standards. Gossip around the local beauty shop is all about a young woman who'd just run off to Las Vegas with her boyfriend. It's from the same back-to-basics album that brought us "Rockin' Horse," "Need to Be Next to You," and other memorable songs.
1. "Born To Fly"
Any song that fans of a certain age know by heart deserves to headline its singer's top 10 list. The amped-up fiddle tune inspires listeners to expand their horizons by living life to its fullest. It also points them to Evans' other great songs.
