An uncommon phenomenon hit the country music charts at the beginning of 2013: two platinum-selling singles � respectively from Carrie Underwood and The Band Perry � that are also murder ballads captured the public's attention. Underwood's "Two Black Cadillacs" reached No. 2 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, while Band Perry's "Better Dig Two" hit No. 1 on the same chart.

It's been a while since the murder ballad was so prevalent in country music. There was a rash of hit murder ballads in the '90s dealing with domestic violence that included Garth Brooks' controversial "The Thunder Rolls" (1991) and the Dixie Chicks crossover career-maker "Goodbye Earl" (1999), not to mention Martina McBride's dark hit single "Independence Day" (1994) or Reba McEntire's cover of first-person murder ballad "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" (1991).