Vince Gill songs are some of the best-written and most beloved of the last three-plus decades of popular music. The multi-talented singer, songwriter and guitarist has created a body of work that is nearly unmatched in the history of country music, in the process charting more than 40 singles and winning numerous CMA Awards and Grammys.
Gill’s unique blend of exceptional song craft and instrumental ability, combined with one of the purest and most instantly identifiable voices in the genre, has helped him to consistently produce work that stands head and shoulders above that of most of his contemporaries in terms of sheer musical quality. Our list of the Top 10 Vince Gill Songs acknowledges the best of his many great songs from all facets of his career:
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10
“One More Last Chance”
From: ‘I Still Believe in You’ (1992)
A hysterical tale of a drinking man married to a Bible-toting wife, this song begins with the guy, who smells tellingly of whiskey, being greeted at the door by his wife, who is armed with a rolling pin. As she tries to control her husband’s wild ways by taking his glasses and his car keys, he finds a way to escape again by riding his trusty John Deere, all the while begging his betrothed for “one more last chance” before she gives up on him for good.
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9
“My Kind of Woman / My Kind of Man”
From: ‘The Key’ (1998)
Sung as a duet with Patty Loveless, this song that reveals “my body trembles with the touch of your hand” was believable enough to earn the pair a CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year in 1999. The tune was such a favorite of Loveless’ that it showed up a year later on her Classics album. Although it wasn’t as big a hit as some of Gill’s other tracks — reaching No. 27 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart — the track’s sheer quality makes it one of the Top 10 Vince Gill songs.
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8
“Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away”
From: ‘I Still Believe in You’ (1992)
This No. 1 hit, which blames a troubled romance on a couple’s lack of communication, weaves a story of an all-night discussion of their relationship, without coming to any resolutions. As dawn is about to break, he begs that they can “find a way to just hold on.” The second single from the career-defining album I Still Believe in You, this song reached No. 1 in January of 1993.
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7
“Look at Us”
From: ‘Pocket Full of Gold’ (1991)
“Look at Us” has become one of Gill’s career-defining songs. One of a number of songs written during a period of turbulence in his first marriage to Sweethearts of the Rodeo singer Janis Oliver, the song celebrates a love that overcomes all obstacles, saying, “If they wanna see how true love should be, they’ll just look at us.” The simplicity of the song, coupled with Gill’s vocal performance and a pedal steel solo from John Hughey, make it a modern country classic.
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6
“When I Call Your Name”
From: ‘When I Call Your Name’ (1990)
Pairing Gill with good friend Loveless once again, this heartbreaking hit finds Gill coming home to an empty house and a goodbye note on the table. Revealing that the “lonely sound of my voice calling is driving me insane,” he continues to call out, but his cries go unanswered. The song was a game-changer for Gill’s career, reaching No. 2 and winning a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, as well as CMAs for Single and Song of the Year.
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5
“Worlds Apart”
From: ‘High Lonesome Sound’ (1996)
This second single from High Lonesome Sound is yet another example of Gill’s signature way with heartbreak. His ballads rely on a bare-bones, minimal approach that keeps the focus on the melody, lyrics and vocals, which is one of the key ingredients of Gill’s success. Written by Gill with top Nashville tunesmith Bob DiPiero, “Worlds Apart” rode that formula all the way to No. 5 in the country charts, and earned Gill a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
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4
“Tryin’ to Get Over You”
From: ‘I Still Believe in You’ (1992)
Gill was on the hot streak of a lifetime when he released this ballad as the fifth single from the monster hit album I Still Believe in You. This tragic tune reveals that, even though the relationship has ended, only death will heal his wounded heart — although he’s trying everything from spending time alone to being fixed up by his friends. Gill’s pure tenor voice made this chart-topper a breakup classic, and certainly one of the Top 10 Vince Gill Songs.
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3
“I Still Believe in You”
From: ‘I Still Believe in You’ (1992)
Filled with regret over how his actions have hurt the woman he loves, Gill, in this song, begs the object of his affection for one more chance. The title track from his sixth studio album’s remorseful lyrics reaped Gill his first No.1 hit, and the song stayed on top of the charts for two weeks. This song was another product of his troubled first marriage – “Somewhere along the way, I guess I just lost track / Only thinkin’ of myself never lookin’ back / For all the times I’ve hurt you, I apologize / I’m sorry it took so long to finally realize” –which, in a somewhat bitter irony, finally dissolved just a few years later.
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2
“Whenever You Come Around”
From: ‘When Love Finds You’ (1994)
This song is perhaps the most honest love song that Gill has ever recorded; he keeps nothing back in expressing his emotions with lines such as “I get weak in the knees and I lose my breath.” He admits that he “tries to speak but the words won’t come” because he is “scared to death,” and the paralyzing feelings that Gill embraces make this one of our all-time favorites. The first single from When Love Finds You, the track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
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1
“Go Rest High on That Mountain”
From: ‘When Love Finds You’ (1994)
A poignant farewell to a departed loved one, this classic song is still important more than 20 years after it was released. Gill penned the first verse after the passing of his friend and fellow artist, Keith Whitley, but it wasn’t until Gill’s brother passed away four years after Whitley that he was able to finish the tune. Ricky Skaggs and Loveless lend their harmonies to this Grammy-winning song, which is our pick to top this list of the Top 10 Vince Gill Songs.