16 Oliver Anthony Songs That Prove 'Rich Men ...' Is No Fluke

September 19, 2024

There's more than one Oliver Anthony song that relies on themes of hard work, simple freedoms and American perseverance. The "Rich Men North of Richmond" singer's viral hit was actually born out of several darker attempts to distribute his message.

There are 16 songs under Anthony's profile on Spotify and other digital streaming platforms. Taste of Country has ranked them below, with links to each one, should you want to familiarize yourself with "Rich Man's Gold," "Doggonit" and "Stuck Living in a New World," three that work to show the urgency of the problem.

You'll also find love songs, personal meditations, words of inspiration and a beautiful letter to his home state of Virginia. If everything he sings is true, then it's clear he also loves dogs and marijuana, and has conflicted feelings about the reality of growing up in Appalachia.

Country music fans may have first discovered Anthony (real name Christophe Lunsford) last month, but his music first appeared online last September. It's interesting to track his progress and growth over the last 11 months. His tone is lighter today, and the production value — while still simple — is much cleaner. Simply put, he's a better songwriter and storyteller than he was when his first cell phone-produced track went live.

That should make his new fans very excited about what's on tap to close 2023 and open 2024. "Rich Men North of Richmond" may or may not be Oliver Anthony's best song — scroll down to see where we placed it, and sound off if you don't agree.

The viral hit is certainly not his last song.

The Best Oliver Anthony Songs — His Entire Catalog, Ranked

A chronological listen of Oliver Anthony's songs shows a longterm effort to massage the themes present in "Rich Men of North Richmond." Fans will also find he's capable of so much more than being a blue collar folk hero.

The best Oliver Anthony songs are dynamic and complete. They also hold true to the buoyant optimism he speaks of during candid conversations on his YouTube page. Hope isn't always present, however — tracks released in late summer 2022 find the Virginia-raised singer on a dark path, singing of heartbreak and suicide. You can hear and see (if there's video) the strains of life across his face.

Taste of Country ranked all 16 songs Anthony has released so far. Most are cell phone recordings, but we didn't hold a lack of production quality against him. Instead, each song is rated based on strength of message, originality and overall appeal. "Rich Men ..." ranks third, which is not a criticism of his debut hit as much as it is praise of two other mostly unheard-of songs.

11 Country Stars Who Don't Write Their Own Songs + 1 You'll Be Shocked to Learn Does

If you think a country singer needs to write their own songs to be a legitimate artist, take this short quiz:

Just two of those names make this list of 11 country stars who don't write their own songs, and one you'll be surprised to learn does. It's a list that includes four Country Music Hall of Fame inductees and at least two others sure to get in soon. The takeaway is that great singers are great storytellers, especially when they're telling someone else's story.

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