New Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Playlist (#184)

The summer might be ending, but the “Oscar Season” for songs is nigh upon us with some excellent tracks crowning some stellar albums worth selecting out from the herd and shining a heavy spotlight on.

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.

Newest Additions:

Wyatt McCubbin – “All Outta You” – Wyatt McCubbin gets you super excited to hear his new album 650 coming out October 16th with “All Outta You.” It’ll be released on Dave Cobb’s Lucille Records, and was recorded in Savannah, GA at Cobb’s Thunderbolt Studios.

Darby Sparkman – “American Shoestring” – Sometimes a song comes along that hits the nail right on the head with the timing and sentiment. Darby Sparkman’s “American Shoestring” does that very thing down to the elimination of the penny. The situation might be bleak, but this song is a hoot to listen to. Co-written and produced by Adam Odor.

Brandon Flowers – “Tiger’s Blood” – Brandon Flowers has released one of the most passionate and engaging albums in country music in 2026 with Thrasher. “Tiger’s Blood” might be a bit more Heartland rock or Springsteen. But it’s still an epic track enmeshed in story and a great evocation of setting.

The Wilder Blue – “The Hunt” – The melody of this song is so bewitched with musical magic, especially the way the faraway steel guitar is set within it, and the way Zane’s voice sets you right in the moments he’s singing about. The Turnpike Troubadours have set a high precedent for hunting songs that are about so much more. The boys in The Wilder Blue figured out a way to match it with this song from their new album Cinco.

Mason Lively w/ Presley Haile – “Azaleas” – Those obsessed with everything Presley Haile and the Texas Hill Country, make sure to not overlook this song, or Mason Lively’s new album The Hill Country Sound. “Azaleas” is arguably the moment the album reaches its emotional peak.

Kimmi Bitter – “Over You” – From chorus singers, to the steel guitar and unexpected (but welcomed) harmonica in the song “Over You,” everything feels so intentional on Kimmi’s new album Bittersweet, though leagues away from antiseptic or sterile. Every element brought to this music feels alive and present. Even if the perspective is steeped in the past tense, it’s conveyed in timeless themes.

Tony Hannah – “It Takes a Man to Say Goodbye” – If it was 1987 and Tony Hannah was signed to a major label, “It Takes a Man to Say Goodbye” written with Brennen Leigh would be an all-time solid gold country standard into eternity. Even as presently released, it still deserves to be considered one. It’s from Hannah’s new album Love It Or Leave It.

Chasen Wayne – “The Diamond Saloon” – The title track is just the precursor to what becomes a fully immersive experience on the new conceptualized album from Chasen Wayne and The Honky Tonk Machine. But it’s also one of numerous songs from the project that works excellent all on its own. Chasen has a great disposition for making country songs that are wholly unique, but with just enough familiarity to pull you in as well.

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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, and Apple Music. 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:

• “Taking to a Dreamer” – Robert Henry & the Repeaters – Down The Road
• “All Outta You” – Wyatt McCubbin – 650 (10-16)
• “Tiger’s Blood” – Brandon Flowers – Thrasher
• “It Takes a Man to Say Goodbye” – Tony Hannah – Love It Or Leave It
• “American Shoestring” – Darby Sparkman – (single)
• “The Hunt” – The Wilder Blue – Cinco
• “Cut The Chain” – Jason James – Cut The Chain (9-11)
• “Baby Love “- Hannah Marie Kelley – (single)
• “Ghosts of the Panhandle Wind” – Red Shahan – Hard Land
• “Gas Is Cheap” – Lena Rich – Emerald City (9-4)
• “Heartbreak Grin” – Trever M. Keith – We Drank From a Poisoned Well
• “Sideways” – Schaffer Brothers Band – Old Thing New
• “Blink of an Eye” – Bronwyn – Rattlin’ Bones
• “The Diamond Saloon” – Chasen Wayne – The Diamond Saloon
• “Looking For a Place to Die” – John R. Miller – The Great Unknowing
• “It’s Gonna Rain” – Colton Dawson – (single)
• “Drinkin’ Ain’t Enough” – Alex Williams – Discount Country EP
• “Over You” – Kimmi Bitter – Bittersweet
• “Money Business” – Addison Johnson – The State I’m In
• “Longitude” – Silverada – Living Proof
• “Azaleas” – Mason Lively, Presley Haile – The Hill Country Sound
• “Dontcha” – Matt Castillo – (single)
• “Undertow” – Tyler Richards – (single)
• “Turpentine” – Wade Bowen – The Version Of Me You Get (9-25)
• “Make Mine Country” – Paige Plaisance – (single)
• “Piece of Heaven” – Colton Dawson – (single)
• “Silver Promise” – Presley Haile – Hamilton Honey: Part I EP (7-17)

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