Blake Shelton is a lot of things, but he’s not a great flower farmer.

In a chat with CMT recently, the star was asked to share something his fans might not know about him after his decades in the spotlight.

Shelton is honest about his shortcomings on the farm — this especially is a struggle for him.

“I think fans would be surprised to know that I am a struggling flower gardener. Struggling,” he admits.

“It’s something that Gwen and I do together, but you know, if I’m gonna plant flowers I wanna do like 10 acres of flowers so I can use my equipment, my tractors, really tear some crap up,” Gwen Stefani’s husband continues.

“So far, not so good.”

Shelton, his wife and her three sons have property in Oklahoma where he can “tear some crap up” regularly.

Shelton regularly shares updates from his tractor as he’s riding around his property tending to his crops.

When he’s not there, he’s in the studio — the country star just released his first new album in four years, For Recreational Use Only, on May 9. He credits Post Malone with inspiring him to get out there and make a new record.

Top Blake Shelton Songs: His Greatest Hits + Best Deep Cuts

Taste of Country staff opinion, and the commercial success of tracks from Shelton’s 12 studio albums were certainly considered in making this list of the top Blake Shelton songs. More than anything, we sought fan input, via sales and direct input. What’s your favorite Blake Shelton song, and does it agree with our No. 1?

Below are the The Voice coach’s 50 best songs. Lyrical integrity and production were also considered in this ranking. Really it’s hard to argue against any of the Top 5, but we understand if there’s a debate about placement. Heck, we encourage it!

No. 50: Shes Got a Way With Words

Warner Music Nashville

No. 50: “She’s Got a Way With Words”

Songwriters Andy Albert, Marc Beeson and Wyatt Earp wrote a clever country lyric, but the problem is, it felt too personal from Blake Shelton in 2016. This is the song that stopped Shelton’s impressive streak of No. 1 singles. Sonically, very few songs from this era stand apart from one another.

No. 49: Gonna

Warner Music Nashville

No. 49: “Gonna”

“Gonna” isn’t a bad song — a strong case could be made that it’s better than some of the singles ranked ahead of it on this list of the top 50 Blake Shelton songs, actually — the love story from 2014 just isn’t memorable in any way. Think about it: At best you said, “I remember that song” but more likely thought, “which one is that?”

No. 48: The Wave

Warner Music Nashville

No. 48: “The Wave”

“The Wave” is a unique metaphor for how a good love can wash away all of your troubles. Blake Shelton’s song from Texoma Shore is another fan favorite. The mid-tempo track displays his voice nicely.

No. 47: When the Wine Wears Off

Warner Music Nashville

No. 47: “When the Wine Wears Off”

Rhett Akins co-wrote “When the Wine Wears Off,” an album track from Texoma Shore that could have been a single. The song’s structure and flow is very similar to so many hits from this era of Blake Shelton.

No. 46: Anyone Else

Warner Music Nashville

No. 46: “Anyone Else”

When asked which deep cut they like most, Blake Shelton fans chose “Anyone Else,” an album cut from Bringing Back the Sunshine. This ballad shows a bitterness that’s rare across the singer’s discography, and certainly this list of 50 songs. It’s packaged in a fairly unoffensive arrangement, but his lyrics really sting.

No. 45: Over

Warner Music Nashville

No. 45: “Over”

Blake Shelton gives a great vocal performance of a fairly ordinary song during “Over,” his fourth straight No. 1 single from the Red River Blue album.

No. 44: Ill Just Hold On

Warner Music Nashville

No. 44: “I’ll Just Hold On”

Shelton relied on a sitar to make this song stand out. It only worked to get him a Top 10 hit. The remainder of “I Hold On” is arranged more conventionally, making the outsider instrument something of a gimmick.

No. 43: All Over Me

Vince Bucci, Getty Images

No. 43: “All Over Me”

“All Over Me” will always hold a special place for Shelton, as he co-wrote it with an idol, Earl Thomas Conley. The piano-led ballad finds the singer doing something truly unique: Showcasing a timid falsetto during the chorus of this poignant, pure country single. Lyrically it’s difficult to keep up with, but sonically it’s bold, like so many of his early hits.

No. 42: Every Time I Hear That Song

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

No. 42: “Every Time I Hear That Song”

In retrospect, very few songs from Shelton’s post-divorce album stack up against his earliest and most recent singles and deep cuts. “Every Time I Hear That Song” relies on a vocal hook, but the performance lacks urgency. Still, it hit No. 1 easily.

No. 41: Sure Be Cool If You Did

Warner Music Nashville

No. 41: “Sure Be Cool If You Did”

Shelton’s Based on a True Story … album started with “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” but every single that followed is far better and more engaging. This love ballad doesn’t hurt for warmth, but the arrangement is milquetoast at best.

No. 40: Drink on It

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

No. 40: “Drink on It”

Real life couple Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall joined Rodney Clawson for this track from Shelton’s Red River Blue album. While still a No. 1 hit, “Drink on It” gets a little lost among other more dynamic performances and arrangements on this list of his 50 best songs.

No. 39: Ill Name the Dogs

Warner Music Nashville

No. 39: “I’ll Name the Dogs”

“I’ll Name the Dogs” cast Blake Shelton as a husband in waiting, something his fans and the world in general were hoping for in his real life. The No. 1 hit from 2017 went Platinum on the strength of a pop-rock chorus and a charming lyrical hook.

No. 38: Happy Anywhere

Warner Music Nashville

No. 38: “Happy Anywhere”

“Happy Anywhere” — the second of two straight single collaborations with Gwen Stefani — hit No. 1 and is a total earworm. It’s hard to criticize the feel-good jam, but we’ll say “Nobody But You” is a superior duet for the country couple.

No. 37: Neon Light

Warner Music Nashville

No. 37: “Neon Light”

In a vacuum, “Neon Light” — a No. 1 hit, released in 2014 — is a funky, country and hip fusion that works. Across Blake Shelton’s full catalog of hits and album cuts, however, it tries to do too many things that this singer does better elsewhere. For that reason, this track rates a bit low on this list of Shelton’s best songs.

No. 36: Granddaddys Gun

Trae Patton, NBC via Getty Images

No. 36: “Granddaddy’s Gun”

Aaron Lewis’ version of this same song was more convincing, but Blake Shelton’s “Grandaddy’s Gun” wasn’t trying to act tough. The more sensitive singer’s rendition was more sensitive and polished. The two men were targeting different country audiences.

No. 35: A Guy With a Girl

Warner Music Nashville

No. 35: “A Guy With a Girl”

Blake Shelton celebrates his woman during “A Guy With a Girl,” a No. 1 hit from If I’m Honest. The song is a sweet gesture, made atop a radio-ready arrangement.

No. 34: Nobody But You

Warner Music Nashville

No. 34: “Nobody But You”

The first of two straight, Gwen Stefani duets to country radio finds the couple trading lines as they tell a love story that can only be described as genuine. The No. 1 hit reached a very pleasing one million downloads quickly. “Nobody But You” should not be confused with another song on this list. It’s a progressive, pop-friendly ballad that truly simmers.

No. 33: When Somebody Knows You That Well

Warner Music Nashville

No. 33: “When Somebody Knows You That Well”

Of all of Blake Shelton’s official singles, “When Somebody Knows You That Well” faired the worst. It barely cracked the Top 40, possibly due to an outdated, string heavy arrangement. But it’s not a bad little song. Harley Allen co-wrote this ballad and Shelton does OK in finding the right perspective. ‘A’ for effort, big fella.

No. 32: Doin What She Likes

Warner Music Nashville

No. 32: “Doin’ What She Likes”

This charming No. 1 hit is best remembered for a music video in which a bumbling Blake Shelton burns the house down trying to cook a romantic dinner for Miranda Lambert, who makes a vocal cameo early. Sans video, “Doin’ What She Likes” is a warm love song that’s fit for a squeeze.

No. 31: Just South of Heaven

Larry Busacca, Getty Images

No. 31: “Just South of Heaven”

Another fan favorite from deep in Shelton’s catalog, “Just South of Heaven” finds the singer relying on a familiar mood over a welcome acoustic guitar and fiddle combination.

No. 30: Came Here to Forget

Warner Music Nashville

No. 30: “Came Here to Forget”

If you expected Blake Shelton’s post-divorce album to include some heartache, you were right. “Came Here to Forget” is a dark country lyric atop an R&B-infused guitar line. His twang keeps it country, but the song is among his most progressive No. 1 hits. Often when he stretches the genre, it’s done with a wink — not this time.

No. 29: Sangria

Warner Music Nashville

No. 29: “Sangria”

Few songs on this list of Blake Shelton’s best smolder like “Sangria.” The love song rides a warm melody that covers for a barely-there hook. This 2015 hit was one in a string of No. 1 hits for Shelton, most of which went Gold or Platinum.

No. 28: Jesus Got a Tight Grip

Warner Music Nashville

No. 28: “Jesus Got a Tight Grip”

When Blake Shelton does sit down to write, what comes out is often spiritual. Deep love songs and reflections on a higher power make up his short songwriting catalog. Jessi Alexander helped him with “Jesus Got a Tight Grip,” a plucky country-rocker from 2019.

No. 27: Draggin the River

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

No. 27: “Draggin’ the River”

Chris Stapleton co-wrote this rare duet between Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. “Draggin’ the River” tells a dark story of two lovers escaping together, and in that way, it’s very Miranda. Shelton’s polished vocals and a sweetened production make this track from the All About Tonight EP very Blake, however. While not a single, it was a fan favorite back when they were a couple. We still dig it.

No. 26: Minimum Wage

Warner Music Nashville

No. 26: “Minimum Wage”

Blake Shelton’s blue-collar love song is no “Friends in Low Places” but the spirit of this song still hits today. There’s not a lot of love-conquers-all messaging across his catalog, at least not as much as that of storytellers like Eric Church. “Minimum Wage” is a mainstream effort that did its job of introducing a new album, but it’s hard to put it high on this list of Shelton’s 50 best at this point.

No. 25: Footloose

YouTube

No. 25: “Footloose”

Blake Shelton didn’t deviate much from Kenny Loggins’ original version. The country “Footloose” wasn’t a radio hit, but it went Gold and introduced the country singer to an all-genre audience that was just beginning to learn of him via The Voice.

No. 24: Some Beach

Warner Music Nashville

No. 24: “Some Beach”

One could make a case for “Some Beach” as Shelton’s most important song, as it saved a career that was spiraling after a trio of Top 40 country airplay hits. This is the first time fans got to witness his sense of humor and sarcasm — remember, there was no Twitter in 2004. A pre Joey + Rory Rory Feek co-wrote “Some Beach,” showing how wide the singer reached for great songs early in his career.

No. 23: Bible Verses

Warner Music Nashville

No. 23: “Bible Verses”

“Bible Verses” is the faith song on Blake Shelton’s 2021 album Body Language, and it’s truly a highlight on the project. The singer approaches the topic with genuine humility that feels as honest as any love or drinking song he has recorded. A great play on a phrase pushes the song higher up on this Top 50 list.

No. 22: Hillbilly Bone with Trace Adkins

Warner Music Nashville

No. 22: “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins

Blake Shelton proved he’s a dynamic duet partner with this partnership with Trace Adkins. “Hillbilly Bone” is among his most well-known songs, even if it’s not a Top 10 song on our list. Amid a catalog of songs with sexy, delicate women, this rocker with tough guy Adkins stands up and demands you pay attention. Even the haters have to smile!

No. 21: Nobody But Me

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

No. 21: “Nobody But Me”

Did you even know that Shelton has a hit song called “Nobody But You” and “Nobody But Me”? The former is his most recent hit with Gwen Stefani, but the 2005 love ballad is the one that deserves a celebration. A jazzy piano carries the country singer atop this pleading love song. It’s both memorable and effective.

No. 20: Saviors Shadow

Warner Music Nashville

No. 20: “Savior’s Shadow”

Jessi Alexander returns to this list of the best Blake Shelton songs to offer a gentle message about faith and peace. “Savior’s Shadow” is Shelton’s only Hot Christian Songs hit, reaching No. 14 in 2016. He’s rarely, if ever, performs the song live.

No. 19: The More I Drink

YouTube

No. 19: “The More I Drink”

David Lee Murphy co-wrote “The More I Drink,” a Top 10 hit for Blake Shelton in 2007. The singer’s early rompers are unmistakably genuine. In his later years, a certain polish would change the raw messaging, but that doesn’t exist in this Brent Rowan production.

No. 18: Playboys of the Southwestern World

Warner Music Nashville

No. 18: “Playboys of the Southwestern World”

This is a song about best friends. “Playboys of the Southwestern World” is a critic’s pick for this list because we can recall him playing it live. The song is largely shelved now, but it still cooks. As a storyteller, few artists do better than Shelton, as some of the highest ranked songs on this list will prove. Playboys (No. 24 in 2003) is a different kind of story.

No. 17: Lonely Tonight

Warner Music Nashville

No. 17: “Lonely Tonight”

Give Shelton credit: At a time when few solo females could break in country music, he was doing what he could to celebrate talent. Ashley Monroe is just one example of the hitmaker looking past stars who would have furthered his career to support Nashville’s best. This dark ballad about a one night stand is a provocative conversation that just burned in 2014, a time where Blake Shelton was king. During “Lonely Tonight,” Monroe was his queen.

No. 16: Turnin Me On

Warner Music Nashville

No. 16: “Turnin’ Me On”

Blake Shelton hasn’t written very many of the songs found on this list of his 50 best. “Turnin’ Me On” is a rare case where he set out to write a song that became a hit, albeit a minor one. The simmering love song only reached the Top 10 after its 2018 release, but charts aren’t everything. Years later it really stands apart from the rest of the songs he released to radio. You can feel his passion as he sings a song that he clearly had girlfriend Gwen Stefani in mind for.

No. 15: I Lived It

Warner Music Nashville

No. 15: “I Lived It”

This Top 5 hit for Blake Shelton seemed to come and go, but we wish it would have stuck around as a catalog cut for the singer. “I Lived It” is among his best late model songs as it treads into new, nostalgic territory for a singer who is so often singing of love and love lost.

No. 14: The Baby

Warner Music Nashville

No. 14: “The Baby”

Blake Shelton cemented himself as one of country music’s most promising young storytellers with three of his first four singles, including “The Baby.” The heartbreaking mother-son story is a gut punch for older country music fans. Melodically, the chorus gives it wings. This song from The Dreamer would become his second No. 1 hit.

No. 13: All About Tonight

Warner Music Nashville

No. 13: “All About Tonight”

The Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip) wrote “All About Tonight” for Blake Shelton, and it’s a song that will forever hold a place in his live show. It’s kind of the theme song for any country concert, isn’t it? In truth, Shelton hasn’t released too many all-out jams like this one in the last decade, so it stands out a decade later.

No. 12: Boys Round Here With Pistol Annies and RaeLynn

Warner Music Nashville

No. 12: “Boys ‘Round Here” With Pistol Annies and RaeLynn

Every once in awhile Blake Shelton drops a song that reminds you he doesn’t take himself too seriously. It’s critical to his artistry and an integral part of his longevity. “Boys ‘Round Here” was his early 2010s version of that song. It’s a sort of hip-hop-inspired redneck stomp with callback lyrics and his then-wife’s supergroup supporting him. The song is just so much fun to bop along with, even a decade later.

No. 11: God Gave Me You

Warner Music Nashville

No. 11: “God Gave Me You”

Blake Shelton took Dave Barnes’ “God Gave Me You” and turned it into a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping country song. But that’s just part of the story. The emotive love ballad is also what gave the singer the kick in the pants he needed to propose marriage to then-girlfriend Miranda Lambert. This is a tremendous vocal performance and certainly worthy of a high placement on the singer’s best songs list.

No. 10: My Eyes

Larry Busacca, Getty Images

No. 10: “My Eyes”

Blake Shelton and Gwen Sebastian kept a brother-sister kind of relationship after her time on The Voice. She even joined his band. That changed with “My Eyes,” a true bed burner that beckons, “Come a little closer, come a little closer / Come a little closer, love the way you look tonight / My eyes are the only thing I don’t wanna take off of you.”

“My Eyes” was the last of a trio of great male/female collaborations that truly put new female artists on a pedestal. RaeLynn and Pistol Annies joined him for “Boys ‘Round Here,” Ashley Monroe jumped in for “Lonely Tonight” and Sebastian for “My Eyes.” This was a time when women struggled mightily at country radio, but the singer did what he could to help introduce new talent.

No. 9: Home

Warner Music Nashville

No. 9: “Home”

You see a real change in Blake Shelton’s commercial success beginning with his cover of “Home” in 2008. One could argue this is his most important radio release, and his vocals stand up to anything else he’s put out. Prior to his version of the Michel Bublé song, Top 20 was where he lived. After that, he rattled off a string of No. 1 hits as long as anyone ever: Nineteen of Shelton’s next 20 singles hit No. 1.

No. 8: Goodbye Time

Warner Music Nashville

No. 8: “Goodbye Time”

There is more than one famous cover among Blake Shelton’s 50 best songs. “Goodbye Time” was a Conway Twitty hit in 1988, and the younger singer did it justice with a piano-led arrangement that showcased him as a premier vocalist. This song also exemplifies why he was hit-and-miss at radio in the mid 2000s. It followed the chart-topping “Some Beach,” which followed a Top 40 song called “When Somebody Knows You That Well.” It’s good to go back and forth between good times and heartache, but with Shelton, the pendulum swung too far every time. It was hard to figure out who he was for most of a decade.

No. 7: Ol Red

Giant Records

No. 7: “Ol’ Red”

“Ol’ Red” is not Blake Shelton’s best song, but it’s his signature song. He can’t play a live show without telling this story of a prisoner, a dog and a warden who gets fooled. Early in his career, Shelton wasn’t shy about covering other artists, including Conway Twitty and (in this case) George Jones. His tie to the past has loosened in recent years, which is a bummer because songs like this are far more interesting than anything on the radio today.

No. 6: Honey Bee

Warner Music Nashville

No. 6: “Honey Bee”

There’s not an easier song in Blake Shelton’s catalog to enjoy than “Honey Bee,” his slightly saccharine, but still grinning love song from 2011. The track went triple-Platinum and is perhaps his most recognizable song worldwide today.

No. 5: Who Are You When Im Not Looking

Warner Music Nashville

No. 5: “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”

Joe Nichols cut this song several years before Shelton would make it his best love song. Both versions are exemplary. It starts with the songwriting. Lyrically, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” is more sensitive and poetic than anything else on this list. Each line is phrased as a question, and each question is one any woman can relate to. The magic is in this hitmaker’s personal delivery. His range isn’t needed for a subtle romancer that the greats would be proud of. Few country women will resist a warm smile when this No. 1 hit begins.

No. 4: Gods Country

Warner Music Nashville

No. 4: “God’s Country”

“God’s Country” rejuvenated Blake Shelton’s career. The country-rock song paints a vivid picture (credit songwriters Hardy, Devin Dawson and Jordan Schmidt), but it works so well because everyone who touched the song went for it 100 percent. The chart-topping hit is arguably his best of the last half-decade and an easy pick for Top 10 on this list of his greatest songs.

No. 3: She Wouldnt Be Gone

Warner Music Nashville

No. 3: “She Wouldn’t Be Gone”

There’s no song in Blake Shelton’s catalog that paints a breathtaking picture with the same ease of “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” his No. 1 song from 2008. He begins with, “Red roadside wild flower if I’d only picked you / Took you home set you on the counter” before his second metered stanza that goes, “Yellow sunset slowly dipping down in the rear view / Oh, how she’d love to sit and watch you / I could have done that a whole lot more.”

The chorus of this song is where the tension lies, however. Shelton has told great stories before and delivered strong vocal performances plenty of times, but few songs find him so recklessly emotional as this ballad. It’s almost unnerving to listen to.

No. 2: Mine Would Be You

Jason Davis, Getty Images

No. 2: “Mine Would Be You”

“Mine Would Be You” is a Top 5 Blake Shelton song because of the twist at the end that just crushes your heart. It’s a love song, until suddenly it isn’t. Jessi Alexander and company wrote it, but it’s the singer’s energy that makes the song special. As with “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” there’s a sense of panic so rare on the radio today. Shelton seems like such a cool character most of the time, but moments like this remind us of his gifts.

No. 1: Austin

Giant Records

No. 1: “Austin”

Fans have, and will continue to, make a case for “Austin” as Blake Shelton’s best song. It’s certainly an all-time great debut single — one that would work in any era of country music. Early in his career, the Oklahoma native relied on veteran songwriters and producers like Bobby Braddock to shape his sound. These days everything comes with a little more polish, which is fine and probably even necessary.

You can’t compare 20-year-old tracks like “Austin” with modern songs like “I’ll Name the Dogs.” Lyrically, his newest material lacks depth when held up against the rich tapestry of these early hits. So many songs from Shelton’s first two albums make the Top 10 or even Top 20 of this list for this reason. “Austin” at No. 1? It’s tempting to select another for the sake of being bold, but doing so would just be dishonest.

Read More: Blake Shelton Is a Farmer, But Don’t Ask Him to Grow Flowers | https://tasteofcountry.com/blake-shelton-flower-farmer/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral