Before you get bombarded with Christmas music for the rest of 2023, let’s run down some of the best songs from the latest releases in country and roots music you can be guaranteed mainstream radio won’t play.
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats (see below), or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations to find something new to listen to. New songs just added.
Newest Additions:
Wyatt Flores – “Orange Bottles” – There’s nobody moving up the ranks in Red Dirt faster than Wyatt Flores at the moment, and it’s because of the incisive and self-aware writing emblematic of a song like “Orange Bottles,” which brings it all home with a propulsive melody. This epic-feeling song is from his new EP Life Lessons.
Jessie Wilson, Caleb Lee Hutchinson – “Airstream Dreams” – Jessie Wilson said she grew up with the idyllic American dream in her head. But as she’s grown older, a new dream filled with life, travel, and music seems more fitting. That’s the theme of “Airstream Dreams” with Caleb Lee Hutchinson.
Daniel Donato – “Sugar Leg Rag” – Donato is one of the greatest Telecaster pickers of this generation, trained on the stage of Robert’s Western World in Nashville where he played no less than 464 shows with the legendary Don Kelly Band. He puts all that experience to good use on this original instrumental off his new album Reflector.
Daniel Donato – “Lose Your Mind” – It’s not entirely unprecedented for an artist to have two selections on the playlist at the same time, but this is the very rare instance where both get added simultaneously. If you want to partake of the Southern Rock portions of Daniel Donato’s repertoire, “Lose Your Mind” is a great place to start.
Terry Klein – “This Too Shall Pass” – Talk to his peers in the Austin songwriter scene, and they will affirm that Terry Klein is one of the preeminent and pure songwriters of our time. The shuffling groove of “This Too Shall Pass” sets your mood right, even if you don’t catch the song’s lesson on luck. From Klein’s new album Leave The Light On.
Billy Strings – “Cabin Song” – The soundtrack for the new film The Hunger Games: Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes has a big cast of independent country and roots greats, and looking at the streaming numbers, it’s delivering them worthy attention. Bluegrass maestro Billy Strings has been showcasing this song live for a while now. Fans should be happy to finally get this studio take.
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The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist primarily lives on Spotify, but is also available for those who use Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Music, and Tidal. For those who don’t stream music, you can still find the song recommendations in list form below.
CLICK HERE to follow Saving Country Music on Spotify, and/or follow the Spotify Top 25 Playlist.
Please Note: The songs on this playlist are curated for listening pleasure and flow. Otherwise, they are not in any specific order.
Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist:
- “Outlaws and Mustangs” – Cody Jinks – (single)
- “Sugar Leg Rag” – Daniel Donato – Reflector
- “Orange Bottles” – Wyatt Flores – Life Lessons
- “Fox Hunt” – Sierra Ferrell – (single)
- “True Companion” – The Wilder Blue – Super Natural
- “Dance Hall Crush” – Mamma Coal – Dance Hall Crush
- “Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution” – Ellis Bullard – Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution (2-9-’24)
- “I Can’t Take Me Anywhere” – Cameron Wrinkle – In My Heaven
- “Airstream Dreams” – Jessie Wilson, Caleb Lee Hutchinson – (single)
- “New American Dream” – Flatland Cavalry – Wandering Star
- “Family Ties” – Charles Wesley Godwin – Family Ties
- “We’re Gone” – Mike and the Moonpies – Live from the Devil’s Backbone
- “National Treasure” – Willy Tea Taylor – The Great Western Hangover
- “Time of the Rambler” – Vincent Neil Emerson – The Golden Crystal Kingdom (11-10)
- “Destroy Me” – Sean Burns – Lost Country
- “Lose Your Mind” – Daniel Donato – Reflector
- “Cabin Song” – Billy Strings – Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songs and Snakes
- “Lowland Trail” – Margo Cilker – Valley Of Heart’s Delight
- “Rustin’ In The Rain” – Tyler Childers – Rustin’ In The Rain
- “Dying Leaves” – Amanda Fields, Megan McCormick – (single)
- “Still Is Still Moving To Me” – Willie Nelson – Bluegrass
- “This Too Shall Pass” – Terry Klein – Leave The Light On
- “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” – The Steel Woods – On Your Time
- “Tecumseh Valley” – Charley Crockett – Live from the Ryman
- “Diamondhead” – J.R. Carroll – Live From Jean Pump EP
- “Coyote” – Dylan LeBlanc – Coyote
- “Hey Driver” – Zach Bryan feat. The War and Treaty – Self-Titled