It is not easy to put patriotism into words, but music icons such as Johnny Cash and Bruce Springsteen have found ways to accomplish just that. Cash’s “Song of the Patriot” and “Ragged Old Flag” and Springsteen’s “American Land” and iconic “Born in the U.S.A.” – among other examples – express passionate love for our nation, even if they sometimes point out its faults. (These are Bruce Springsteen’s best albums.)
Neither Cash nor Springsteen, nor such other famed performers as Ray Charles (“America the Beautiful”) or John Denver (“Take Me Home, Country Roads”) have had big hits with their patriotic offerings, however. Who has?
To determine the most popular patriotic songs according to Billboard, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Songs were ranked based on an inverse score wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point. Chart data is current through the week of Nov. 19, 2022.
Click here to see the most popular patriotic songs on the Billboard Hot 100
Patriotic songs come in all genres, from funky rhythms to stirring ballads to rock favorites. The songs on our list range from classics that honor brave men and women in uniform to more contemporary songs, such as Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” – one of the many country songs appearing here. (This year’s final ranking isn’t finished yet, but these are the best country songs of 2021.)
25. Sugarland, “Everyday America”
> Entered Hot 100: July 21, 2007
> Peak position on Hot 100: #68 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 10 weeks
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24. Brad Paisley, “American Saturday Night”
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 19, 2009
> Peak position on Hot 100: #67 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 15 weeks
23. Chuck Berry, “Back in the U.S.A.”
> Entered Hot 100: June 22, 1959
> Peak position on Hot 100: #37 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 8 weeks
22. Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, “Gallant Men”
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 24, 1966
> Peak position on Hot 100: #29 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 6 weeks
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21. Johnny Burnette, “God, Country and My Baby”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 16, 1961
> Peak position on Hot 100: #18 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 9 weeks
20. Jake Owen, “American Country Love Song”
> Entered Hot 100: March 26, 2016
> Peak position on Hot 100: #55 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 17 weeks
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19. Lee Greenwood, “God Bless the USA”
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 29, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #16 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 17 weeks
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18. Jay & The Americans, “Only in America”
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 17, 1963
> Peak position on Hot 100: #25 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 11 weeks
17. Dierks Bentley, “Home”
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 26, 2011
> Peak position on Hot 100: #44 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
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16. Montgomery Gentry, “Something to Be Proud Of”
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 6, 2005
> Peak position on Hot 100: #41 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
15. Jimmy Dean, “P.T. 109”
> Entered Hot 100: March 31, 1962
> Peak position on Hot 100: #8 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 11 weeks
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14. Toby Keith, “Made in America”
> Entered Hot 100: June 25, 2011
> Peak position on Hot 100: #40 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
13. Keith Urban, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”
> Entered Hot 100: June 27, 2015
> Peak position on Hot 100: #40 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
12. Toby Keith, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”
> Entered Hot 100: June 8, 2002
> Peak position on Hot 100: #25 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
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11. Darryl Worley, “Have You Forgotten?”
> Entered Hot 100: March 15, 2003
> Peak position on Hot 100: #22 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
10. Brooks & Dunn, “Only in America”
> Entered Hot 100: July 21, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #33 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
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9. Toby Keith, “American Soldier”
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 27, 2003
> Peak position on Hot 100: #28 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
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8. Dion, “Abraham, Martin and John”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 26, 1968
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 14 weeks
7. Whitney Houston, “The Star Spangled Banner”
> Entered Hot 100: March 9, 1991
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 27 weeks
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6. Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
> Entered Hot 100: July 5, 2014
> Peak position on Hot 100: #23 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
5. The Shirelles, “Soldier Boy”
> Entered Hot 100: March 24, 1962
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 14 weeks
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4. Neil Diamond, “America”
> Entered Hot 100: April 25, 1981
> Peak position on Hot 100: #8 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 17 weeks
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3. James Brown, “Living in America”
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 7, 1985
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 19 weeks
2. Aaron Tippin, “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 20, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #20 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Hot 100: 20 weeks
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1. Zac Brown Band, “Chicken Fried”
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 4, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #20 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Hot 100: 25 weeks
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