Hitmaker Bailey Zimmerman Took Heartbreak to a Record-Breaking Place With ‘Rock and a Hard Place’
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Country music hasn’t had a huge presence in the mainstream top 10 since Florida Georgia Line provided a couple of big crossover blips in 2014 and 2017 with “Cruise” and “Meant to Be.” But that changed in triplicate in 2023 with three Nashville exports— the well-established Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, plus a blazing-hot newcomer, Zimmerman.
His first three singles all hit No. 1 on country airplay charts, but it was “Rock and a Hard Place” that landed the 23-year-old Illinois native in the upper ranks of the Billboard Hot 100… and, now, on Variety‘s Hitmakers list of the top 25 songs of the year.
Zimmerman’s secret sauce? He’s between rock and a country place — which is to say that he grew up as a rocker, and his gravelly tone reflects the rock power ballads of his youth.
Producer Austin Shawn notes, “He’s from Southern Illinois, and what they listen to over there is Eddie Vedder, AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd and Southern rock.” When they’re trying out different vocal approaches, “I’ll be like, ‘Sing it like Scott Stapp from Creed,’ and he can do that.” Even though he brings the party in concert, his singles have tended toward the broken-hearted and balladic.
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