Eric Church made a bold statement about Hardy‘s songwriting at the 2025 ACM Honors ceremony on Aug. 20.
As Church was being honored with the ACM Icon award, Hardy brought him up onstage.
The “Hands of Time” singer stepped up to the microphone and waited for the “Chief” chants from the crowd to dwindle down to a point at which he could speak and be heard.
What Does Eric Church Think of Hardy’s Songwriting?
Church then made a major proclamation about his pal Hardy, saying, “In my opinion, he’s one of the greatest songwriters Nashville has, that’s ever held a pen.”
Here is the even crazier part: Hardy has never written or even co-written a song with Church, and Church still had those words to say about the “Wait in the Truck” singer-songwriter.
Which Artists Have Recorded Hardy’s Songs?
Hardy has written songs for a long list of top country artists, including Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen and many more.
Hardy has written a whopping 16 No. 1 singles since he has worked in Nashville writing country songs, and that includes three that he penned and sang on his own.
Hardy wraps up his Jim Bob Tour in New York City on Sept. 24 at Madison Square Garden.
As for Church, he is currently on his Free the Machine Tour, which runs through November.
How Many No. 1 Songs Does Eric Church Have?
As of this writing, Church has landed 10 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Country charts, both as a solo artist and in collaboration.
What Is Hardy’s Full Name?
Hardy’s full legal name is Michael Wilson Hardy.
Top 50 Eric Church Songs: His Greatest Hits and Best Deep Cuts
He’s been known to sample R-Rated burners and sage truth-tellers — and then there are two songs about murder. So, Eric Church’s songs fall into rows, but there are a lot of rows in his 15-year-plus catalog.
His best song? Taste of Country asked fans, staff and the industry to weigh in and then looked at chart success, sales data pop culture importance to choose No. 1 from No. 50. Songs with strong lyrical content rank high. Songs with creative production rank high. Songs with both ended up in the Top 5.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
10 Can’t Miss Items From Eric Church’s Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes