Don’t let ANYBODY convince you that country music is dead. Dig in and you’ll find a new generation of artists joining legends in revitalizing country music right under your nose. Here is a place where you can hear them and experience them.
The Saving Country Music Top 25 playlist is designed to keep you up to date with all the best songs and albums coming out right here in country and roots music. It’s available on most streaming formats (see below), or you can simply use the song, artist, and album recommendations to find something new to listen to.
Latest additions:
Brennen Leigh with Asleep at the wheel – “In Texas with a band” – Ooh! Brennen Leigh goes Western Swing, and backed by Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel no less?!? And Chris Scruggs guest on the track too? And even better, Brennen has an entire album of this stuff coming out May 6 called Obsessed with the West.
Lyle Lovett – June 12 – Leave it to Lyle Lovett to post nothing for 10 years, and drop that dropper on us out of the blue. It wasn’t just his unique country swing style that separated him from the pack. This is his writing, illustrated by the title song of his next album which will be released on May 13.
Dolly Parton with Ben Haggard – “Demons” – Anything Ben Haggard sings immediately becomes as smooth as butter. It’s just a shame that songs featuring Merle’s son are so rare. But we are treated to something special here by Ben and Dolly Parton. From Dolly’s recent release Run, Rose, Run.
Stefanie Joyce – “Love Your Neighbour” – It’s Waylon Jennings’ halftime groove that pulls you into this song. It’s the perspective that Stefanie Joyce boldly presents that makes her like few other country songs you’ve ever heard before. There are a lot of cheater songs in country. Few present a case of devil’s advocate for the cheater. Yes, she went there.
Molly Tuttle – “Twisted Tree” – It’s not just the choice of the title track from Molly Tuttle’s latest album, but the puns and wisdom of “Crooked Tree” that make it worthy of the Top 25 Playlist. We’ve been waiting for that definitive Molly Tuttle bluegrass record, and now we have it.
Matt Castillo – “Leaving Since You Came Here” – Matt Castillo’s new album how the river flows highlights his blend of traditional South Texas country, and the writing of this track combined with a bit of compression boxing makes it a standout example and the perfect illustration of what makes Castillo valuable to country music.
Alma Russ – “Bad Mom Jamma” – Stirring your soul, sending throbs through your heart and shivers down your spine, Alma Russ’ voice has an immediate and lasting impact on the show as it passes over you, stinging your pores like the first warm breeze of spring, and leaving you yearning violently for its presence once more after it has passed.
Randall King – “Hard To Make It Rain” – Randall King takes the energy up a notch on this track from his new album shot glass. Often compared to George Strait, King also proves he can reinvigorate the traditional country medium with songs like this. You can tell “Hard Way To Make It Rain” will also kick ass live.
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The Saving Country Music Top 25 playlist lives primarily on Spotify, but is also available to those who use Amazon Music, Youtube, Apple Musicand Tide. For those who don’t stream music, you can still find the song recommendations in list form below.
CLICK HERE follow Saving Country Music on Spotify, and/or follow the Spotify Top 25 Playlist.
Note: The songs in this playlist are designed for listening pleasure and fluency. Otherwise, they are not in any specific order.
Saving the current top 25 country music playlist:
- “Neon Blue” – Joshua Hedley – neon blue (4-22)
- “Twisted Tree” – Molly Tuttle – twisted tree
- “Down Home” – David Quinn – fresh country (4-15)
- “June 12” – Lyle Lovett – June 12 (5-13)
- “Butler Hayes” – The Wooks – fly high
- “In Texas with a Band” – Brennen Leigh with Asleep at the Wheel – Obsessed with the West (5-6)
- “Hard to make it rain” – Randall King – shot glass
- “blood” – Kaitlin Butts – What else can she do? (4-15)
- “Demons” – Dolly Parton, Ben Haggard – Run, Rose, Run
- “Friends with Benefits” – Mike Kuster – Better late than never
- “Song of Fire” Jessica Willis Fisher – (Single)
- “River Crazy” – Ian Noe – Mad of the rivers and saints of the mountains
- “Love Thy Neighbor” – Stefanie Joyce – (Single)
- “Lincoln’s Ghost” – The Wild Blue – Eponym
- “Annabel” – 49 Winchester – Fortune favors the brave (5-13)
- “I will love you until the day I die” – a beautiful moment (4-29)
- “Leaving Since You Came Here” – Matt Castillo – how the river flows
- “Tell the Devil” – Aaron McDonnell – Too many days like Saturday night
- “We are not made to love” – Vaden Landers – Lock the doors and close the blinds
- “Go Loretta” – Drew Moreland – (Single)
- “From Austin” – Zach Bryan – American grief (5-20)
- “Bad Mom Jamma” – Alma Russ – Fool’s Gold
- “Calloway County” – Tony Logue – Jericho
- “Out of Control” – Addison Johnson – (Single)
- “What It’s Like To Be A Cowboy” – Hogleg Band – paradise country
- “Strong” – Charles Wesley Godwin – How the mighty fall
