• Luke Bryan, who has 30 No. 1 hits, says some songs still give him goosebumps.
  • He praised “One Margarita” as a summer anthem people play at lakes and on boats.
  • Bryan recalled illegal downloads of “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” early in his career.
  • Tune in to Backstage Country with Elaina Smith for more stories behind the hits.

Luke Bryan names the tracks that still excite him

Luke Bryan — a country star with 30 No. 1 songs — joined Backstage Country co-host Elaina Smith to talk about the tracks that still fire him up. Instead of leaning on his greatest-hits playlist, Bryan shared the songs and moments that make him want to turn the volume up live.

“One Margarita” and the summer-vibe anthem

Bryan said he loves writing songs that “need to be played out loud at the beach, the lake, on the boat and on vacation.” He pointed to “One Margarita” as an example. The singer explained that the first time he heard the song and saw fans dancing, holding shots and having fun, it “struck a chord” with him.

“When we’re at ‘Crash My Playa’ and we kick into it, it’s almost like we ought to do a special ‘Crash My Playa’ edition of ‘One Margarita,’” Bryan said. He compared the song’s role to classic summer anthems by Kenny Chesney and said he hopes fans blast it alongside other beach-ready country hits.

Early career struggles: illegal downloads

Bryan and Smith also revisited the early days of his career, when his breakout single “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” was being downloaded illegally. Bryan said his label estimated the track was being pirated “20 million times a week” during a multi-year stretch. That loss of revenue and control was painful, he acknowledged, but he called the song life-altering for his career.

“You can’t go back and have that,” he said, “but when I look forward, it was a life-altering song for me. I’ll get to play until I’m an 80-year-old man walking out there getting to make some country music.”

Watch: “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)”

Embedded below is the official video for “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” which Bryan discussed on the show:

Why these songs matter

Whether it’s a high-energy summer anthem or a stadium-ready singalong, Bryan said he knows which tracks will get people dancing and which will give him goosebumps. His conversation with Elaina Smith on Backstage Country pulls back the curtain on why certain songs become soundtrack moments for fans — and for the artist himself.

For more stories and behind-the-scenes talk from Luke Bryan and other country stars, tune in to Backstage Country.

Image Referance: https://wkml.com/2025/12/31/luke-bryan-on-the-songs-that-excite-him-the-most-3/