As an artist, Chris Stapleton's rise to the top of country music's list of superstars has been nothing short of meteoric: Following his now-legendary 2015 CMA Awards performance with Justin Timberlake, the singer-songwriter's star instantly shot upward. No longer simply a critical darling, Stapleton was winning armloads of awards and selling out major venues, too.

In reality, though, Stapleton's rise to the top took years. Prior to releasing his own debut album, Traveller, in 2015, he penned dozens of songs, for everyone from George Strait to Adele. A favorite of the Nashville artist community for his ability to craft a lyric, Stapleton's fame as an artist is due in part to those songwriting skills: Pair his writing with his incredible voice and guitar-playing, and it's magic.

Stapleton's only released three albums, but paring down a list of his 10 best songs proves difficult, mostly because it's tempting to want to list all of them as his best work. To us, though, his deep cuts are where it's at.

10 Chris Stapleton Songs That Will Put You Through the Emotional Wringer: