Writer Shane McAnally answered the question before it was even finished being asked. For him — and many others asked to name the Top Country Song of the Century — Miranda Lambert’s "The House That Built Me" is it.

“I feel like they wrote the perfect country song,” McAnally says, admitting he got chills just thinking about Lambert’s 2010 hit from Revolution. "I know that feeling. I’ve driven by that house. And I wanna go inside it and see if somehow when I go in there if I can remember who I was."

Eric Paslay is among those that agrees that even if you moved around a lot, you have a place that shaped you. "It wraps up every human’s experience as a child," Paslay says.

Kelsea Ballerini memorializes the song in the video below, telling her story of how she related, but also sharing everyone’s story.

For artists, this song was as important as any of the flashier cuts found on this Top Country Songs of the Century list. The popularity and commercial success of such a poetic ballad reinforced the long-cherished idea that pure art could win on country radio. It was a reminder for the community of why they were doing what they were doing. Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin penned the song, but it was Lambert who gave it life. She’s as vulnerable as she sings it today as she was years ago. We all are.

About this list: Taste of Country’s Top Country Songs of the Century were decided by a panel of country music experts and fans using sales and chart data, a song’s social and musical impact and lyrical integrity. Select artists were also surveyed. You’ll hear from several throughout the list.

Kelsea Ballerini Talks About the Importance of "The House That Built Me"

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