Tyler Childers Song List: The Essential Tracks for Your Next Rotation

Tyler Childers Song List: The Essential Tracks for Your Next Rotation

You know that feeling when you first heard the raw, unpolished crack in Tyler’s voice during an OurVinyl session? It’s addictive. Honestly, trying to pin down a definitive Tyler Childers song list is like trying to catch a greased pig at a county fair—there’s just so much ground to cover. From the early, gritty stories of Lawrence County to the polished, psychedelic experiments of the 2025 Snipe Hunter era, he’s built a catalog that feels more like a map of the human soul than just a collection of tunes.

He’s not just a country singer. He’s a poet who happens to own a fiddle.

The Heavy Hitters You Already Know (And Love)

If you’ve spent any time at all on the "Appalachian Folk" side of TikTok or Spotify, you’ve heard Feathered Indians. It’s the undisputed king of his discography. With over 680 million streams as we head into 2026, it’s the song that turned a Kentucky boy into a global icon. It’s got that specific kind of imagery—the belt buckle impressions and the "feathered Indians" left on the skin—that makes you feel like you’re intruding on a private moment.

But let's be real, the "essential" list usually starts here:

  • All Your’n: The ultimate "I’m sorry I’m a mess but I love you" anthem. It’s soulful, it’s got that R&B swing, and it’s arguably his most "radio-friendly" hit.
  • Lady May: A love song so pure it makes most modern wedding tracks look like Hallmark cards. It’s just Tyler and a guitar, proving he doesn't need a wall of sound to wreck your emotions.
  • Whitehouse Road: The rowdy older brother. If you aren't shouting "Get me higher than the grocery bill" at the top of your lungs in a dive bar, are you even a fan?
  • Nose on the Grindstone: This one hits different now. Originally a live staple, the 2025 studio version on Snipe Hunter finally gave us the high-fidelity recording we’ve been begging for since 2017. It's a haunting look at the opioid crisis that’s ravaged his home, and it’s more relevant today than ever.

Breaking Down the Snipe Hunter Era

In mid-2025, Tyler dropped Snipe Hunter, and it kind of split the room. Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, it pushed the Food Stamps into territory we hadn't seen before. It’s weird. It’s funky. It’s brilliant.

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The standout track Eatin’ Big Time is basically a psychedelic rock trip disguised as a country song. If you haven't seen the music video yet, go do that—it’s a trip. Then you’ve got Oneida, a song fans had been hunting for in bootleg YouTube clips for years. Hearing it with Rubin's "less is more" production style was a revelation for most of us.

Then there's Bitin’ List. It’s arguably the catchiest thing he’s written in years, but it’s got that biting (pun intended) Appalachian wit. It’s currently nominated for Best Country Song at the 2026 Grammys, and if it doesn't win, we riot. Sorta.

The Deep Cuts That Prove You’re a Real Fan

Anyone can like "All Your’n." It takes a certain kind of person to appreciate the 2020 Long Violent History record, which was mostly instrumental fiddle tunes until that title track hit you like a freight train. It’s a protest song that doesn't scream; it just talks to you like a neighbor, and that’s why it’s so powerful.

If you’re looking to flesh out your Tyler Childers song list, you have to dig into the stuff that doesn't always make the "Best Of" playlists.

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  1. Creeker: This is for anyone who has ever felt out of place in a big city. The vocal performance is absolute insanity. He sounds like he’s physically tearing his throat out by the end.
  2. Banded Clovis: A murder ballad about a prehistoric arrowhead? Only Tyler could pull that off. It’s dark, it’s cold, and it’s perfect.
  3. Follow You to Virgie: If you don’t cry during this one, you might be a robot. It’s a tribute to a friend’s grandmother, but it captures the communal grief of small-town life better than anything else in the genre.
  4. Jersey Giant: It’s technically a song he wrote but didn't officially release on an album for the longest time (though Elle King and others covered it). The live versions are where the magic is.

Understanding the "Three Versions" Madness

We have to talk about Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? from 2022. That was the triple album where he released the same eight songs in three different styles: Hallelujah, Jubilee, and Joyful Noise.

Some people hated it. They thought it was repetitive. But if you listen to the Way of the Triune God (Jubilee Version), you hear a man celebrating his sobriety and his spirituality with a full horn section and a gospel choir. It’s big. It’s loud. It’s a far cry from the kid singing in a radio station in 2011, and that growth is exactly why his song list is so fascinating to track.

If you’re lucky enough to have tickets for the 2026 tour, expect a heavy dose of the new record mixed with the "Mount Rushmore" of his hits. Recent setlists show he’s opening with Eatin’ Big Time and usually closing the main set with House Fire—which, by the way, is still the best song to hear live if you want to see the Food Stamps absolutely shred.

He’s also been doing a solo acoustic B-stage set mid-show. That’s usually where you’ll get Shake the Frost or a cover like Rock Salt and Nails. It’s a nice breather before the band comes back out and turns the volume back up to eleven.

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Why the Songwriting Still Matters

The thing about a Tyler Childers song list is that it’s never static. He’s constantly re-arranging things. A song that was a bluegrass stomp in 2018 might be a soulful slow-burn in 2026. He’s influenced by everyone from Larry Cordle to Ray Charles, and you can hear those threads pulling through every lyric.

He doesn't follow the Nashville "radio edit" rules. He writes about the "devil’s d**k on fire" and "feathered Indians" and "universal sounds." It’s specific. It’s Appalachian. And yet, somehow, it feels like it belongs to everyone.

To truly appreciate the depth of his work, start by listening to Purgatory from start to finish. Then jump straight to Snipe Hunter. The jump in production, vocal control, and lyrical complexity is staggering. You’ll see a songwriter who isn't afraid to alienate a few fans to find his own truth.

The best way to keep up with his evolving sound is to follow the live recordings. Check out the 2025 "Live From Dinosaur World" sessions if you want to hear how the Snipe Hunter tracks translated to a live setting before the big tour started. It’s raw, it’s loud, and it’s exactly what country music needs right now.


Actionable Next Steps:

  • Update Your Playlist: Make sure you've added the 2025 studio version of Nose on the Grindstone and the single Oneida to your rotation; the production quality on these surpasses the older bootlegs.
  • Check Tour Dates: The 2026 Snipe Hunt Tour is hitting major cities now—if you’re looking for tickets, stick to verified fan exchanges to avoid the massive markups on secondary markets.
  • Explore the Roots: If you love Tyler’s storytelling, go back and listen to the artists he covers, like S.G. Goodman or the late, great John Prine, to see where that "literary country" DNA comes from.