Kellie Pickler first caught the public eye as a contestant on American Idol in 2006 where she charmed audiences with her bubbly personality and southern accent. Pickler's talent shone through on the show as well, and although she was eliminated after the Top 6 round of performances, she managed to have a successful singing career in country music post-Idol.
Alongside artists such as Carrie Underwood, Scotty McCreery, Kelly Clarkson, Pickler has become known as an American Idol alum to use the competition series to launch her career into the stratosphere. She's also had a successful career as an actress, starring in the Hallmark films Christmas at Graceland and The Mistletoe Secret.
Following her stint on the show, the singer-songwriter and future Pickler & Ben co-host and Dancing With the Stars champ signed with 19 Recordings/BNA Records, and she released multiple singles to country radio. Here are the 8 best Kellie Pickler songs.
8. "Tough"
Pickler isn't one to be shy about her strong personality and her 2011 song "Tough" personifies this trait. In this tune from her 100 Proof album, Pickler unapologetically sings about the "tough" kind of girl she is: one that is a little rough around the edges with plenty of "backbone." With energetic country production and Pickler's sharp voice, she more than gets across the message of the song.
7. "Best Days of Your Life"
Pickler's confidence exuded in both her songs and her artist persona, and she wasn't one to release many sad songs. Even when she sang about heartbreak, it was often from the perspective of a woman who knew her worth. That is true in her 2008 single, "Best Days of Your Life." In this tune, Pickler clearly sings from the perspective of someone going through a break up, but she doesn't let it get her down, instead proclaiming that their relationship will be the peak of her ex's life. This was Pickler's highest charting song of her career, landing at No. 9.
6. "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind"
For her third single, the country singer returned to her sassy ways with "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind." In this humorous song, Pickler lists the things she believes a stereotypical male doesn't think about often. These thoughts include needing to go shopping, wondering how they look in their clothes and relationship thoughts like: "Lets turn off the TV / Now can't we just talk." Overall, the song is a tongue-in-cheek tune about the differences between the sexes.
5. "Don't You Know You're Beautiful"
In 2008, Pickler released her sophomore, self-titled album, and the lead-off single "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" was released that same year. In this empowering song, Pickler sings to young girls who lack confidence, reminding them that they are beautiful no matter what they may think. Pickler had already picked up a following of young fans at the beginning of her career, and this song solidified her as a sort of role model in country music.
4. "Someone Somewhere Tonight"
In 2013, Pickler released her fourth studio album, The Woman I Am, and to lead off the album at radio, she released "Someone Somewhere Tonight." This song, originally released by Walt Wilkins, is a heartfelt ballad about all the different phases of life people are going through at any given moment. In the song, Pickler recognizes that some people are going through hard times, and she almost uses this as reason to fully love the person she's with and enjoy the present moment. This song finds Pickler returning to a more traditional country sound, and it emphasizes her unique vocals.
3. "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"
Pickler sang of heartbreak in her 2009 song "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You." In this tune, the North Carolina native sings from the perspective of a woman who is clearly hurt from a past relationship, and she is trying desperately to convince her partner of her love for him. This song showcases Pickler's strong voice and it was Pickler's last Top 15 song of her career, landing at No. 14.
2. "Red High Heels"
After competing on Idol and signing a record deal, Pickler came out of the gate with the spunky "Red High Heels" in 2006. Released as the lead single from her debut album Small Town Girl, the tune finds Pickler singing to her deadbeat boyfriend who, in her opinion, isn't treating her right. The character portrayed by Pickler decides to get over her man by donning her favorite pair of red high heels and going out on the town. This song served as a solid debut for Pickler and landed at No. 15 on the charts.
1. "I Wonder"
Throughout her career, Pickler was open about her estranged mother who left when she was young. The subject has been brought up in multiple interviews throughout the years, and the singer put her own feelings into song in her 2007 single, "I Wonder." In this vulnerable song, Pickler sings directly to her mother, wondering what she'd say to her now-grown daughter. "Oh, / I hear the weather's nice in California / There's sunny sky as far as I can see / If you ever come back home to Carolina / I wonder what you'd say to me," she sings. This song notched one spot ahead of her debut single, landing at No. 14.
Honorable Mentions: "Where's Tammy Wynette," "Makin' Me Fall in Love Again," "Closer to Nowhere," "Stop Cheatin' On Me"
