New Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#169)
As you hit the road for a Thanksgiving trip or hang around with family roasting a turkey, what better time to catch up with the best and latest tunes in country before we all get crushed in the avalanche of Christmas music.
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:
Turnpike Troubadours – “Just Like Old Times” – Leave it to the Turnpike Troubadours to take the passing of Todd Snider, and ten days later, turn in a tribute to him to help heal the hole left in our hearts.
Joe Stamm w/ Al Torrence – “I’ll Burn A Candle” – It’s the season of giving, but Joe Stamm continues to hoard some of the best songs released in all of music for himself. How this guy continuously sets the high bar for songs and then bests it himself is remarkable. He’s joined on this track with Charles Wesley Godwin’s bandleader Al Torrence.
Emily Ann Roberts – “Come Home To You” – Excellent country song here from Emily Ann with a killer lyrical hook and haunting steel guitar, taken to 10 by Emily’s soaring voice.
Lance Roark – “Lucky Penny” and “I Could Love You” – Lance just released what might be the best overall listening record of 2025 with his official debut Bad Reputation. Already with a couple of writing credits on Turnpike troubadours albums, Lance rockets up the Red Dirt depth charts with this one.
Mackenzie Rae & Buckshot Moon – “Brand New Day” – This band from Boulder, CO has just released a great little alt-country album called Lonesome and Free that’s full of spirited songs from rock to country to everything in between. This up tempo tune is a great taste of what they’re doing.
Jake Owen – “Fool Like Me” – Jake Owen has folks falling over themselves from his new album Dreams To Dream, produced by Shooter Jennings. About as far away from the country pop of previous efforts, he’s found a distinctly Outlaw country sound, and an excellent song to showcase it through in with “Fool Like Me” written by Kendell Marvel and Waylon Payne.
Drake Milligan – “Cryin’ Shoulder” – Damn if Drake Milligan doesn’t give you Dwight Yoakam vibes during the opening song from his brand new album Tumbleweed. Drake’s got that throwback country style in spades.
49 Winchester – “Changes” – 49 Winchester’s frontman Isaac Gibson could sing the phone book and still make it sound stellar. In this instance, he start’s in the O’s with “Ozzy,” and knocks it out of the park. What started as a tribute has quickly become a fan favorite.
– – – – – – – – – –
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:
- “Lucky Penny” – Lance Roark – Bad Reputation
- “The Longer You Hold On” – Colter Wall – Memories and Empties
- “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley – (single)
- “Cryin’ Shoulder” – Drake Milligan – Tumbleweed
- “Dark House of Fools” – Luke Bell – The King Is Back
- “The Middle” – Kaitlin Butts – Yeehaw Sessions EP
- “Honky Tonk Hideaway” – Spencer Hatcher – Honky Tonk Hideaway EP
- “I’ll Burn A Candle” – Joe Stamm with Al Torrence – (single)
- “If The Phone Ain’t Ringing It’s Me” – Jacob Tolliver – (single)
- “Tombstone” – The Droptines – (single)
- “Come Home To You” – Emily Ann Roberts – (single)
- “Brand New Day” – Mackenzie Rae & Buckshot Moon – Lonesome and Free
- “Thinking ‘Bout Love” – Leon Majcen – Making A Livin’ (Not a Killing)
- “Just Like Old Times” – Turnpike Troubadours – (single)
- “Clueless” – Joshua Hedley – All Hat
- “Fresh Out Of Teardrops” – Bailey Rae – (single)
- “Unknown Legend” – Lukas Nelson, Sierra Ferrell, Travelin’ McCourys – (single)
- “Worth His Salt” – Jack Blocker – The Land On Most High
- “Only Wanna Love You” – Grayson Jenkins w/ Emily Jamerson – (single)
- “Appalachia” – Emily Scott Robinson – Appalachia (1-30-26)
- “Fool Like Me” – Jake Owen – Dreams To Dream
- “I’d Be Damned” – Bryce Leatherwood – (single)
- “Dat Ain’t Right” – Melissa Carper, Theo Lawrence – (single)
- “What Part Of No” – Hayden Baker – Alive & Well
- “I Could Love You” – Lance Roark – Bad Reputation
- “Hatchet” – Blaine Bailey – Indian Country
- “Changes” – 49 Winchester – (single)
November 25, 2025 @ 8:23 am
The Snider cover is fucking with my brain. It sounds like a duet between Evan and Todd even though I know it’s just Evan.
November 25, 2025 @ 9:24 am
It makes me look forward to the the Todd Snider tribute album.
December 2, 2025 @ 3:13 pm
Yeah what’s the story about this? Was this already planned before Todd’s death or is this a new announcement?
November 25, 2025 @ 10:04 am
It’s so good. A perfect match between cover song and artist
November 25, 2025 @ 9:32 am
Man Trig, the Spencer Hatcher EP is great!!! Nice find. I like the Lance Roark album a lot too. On the song side Bailey Rae, Ella, and Kimberly Kelly’s Modern Day Woman are top 3. I told Kimberly her song was thumping the Jeep and giving the Sub a workout, and she said “Prove it,” so I sent her a video…lol
My guilty pleasure the last few weeks has been Essence & Gold Country’s album Father’s Daughter. Fronted by lead singer/songwriter Essence Goldman, the songs are fun, catchy, and Country. I’m sure she’s a Good Mom too! This one is a grower, not a show er..
Finally, and Trig knows this after 50 yrs in show business going to shows, playing shows, and doing shows in large venue video production, I officially retired last week. I’ll of course still go to a gig here and there, it just won’t be as often. Saturday night with The Castellows here on the final show of their Homecoming tour was amazing. As you can see by the video on my page, I’d never want to miss something like that. That’s what keeps you young!!!
November 25, 2025 @ 10:01 am
Joe Stamm is just unbelievable. The guy just keeps turning out quality. I started listening to him after I saw him open for Chris Knight in 2019 and he just keeps getting better. Plus, he’s a genuinely nice guy.
December 2, 2025 @ 3:15 pm
Man, I finally listened to the whole album. What a great songwriter, and just so consistent. I wish they had mixed his vocals a little bit higher. I was insanely tired qnd distracted when I listened to it, so maybe that was one of the issues but I had some trouble hearing every word.
I’ve been down a little bit of a Bruce springsteen-ish rabbit hole this year, after mostly avoiding that stuff. I discovered a few really good songs that same general vein from Minnesota Americana songwriter Erik Koskinen. All these guys kind of remind me of Dave Alvin on some level too. Joes band sounds fantastic ok this album.
November 25, 2025 @ 10:02 am
For my money, Joe Stamm Band’s /Little Crosses/ album is my AOTY in a year rich with choices. I’m looking forward to hearing his new song.
Trigger, I understand if you don’t want to list the reasons why you rolled a song off the playlist, but I’d love to see a list of which ones you rolled off the list in case any of my favorites rolled off and I want to go chase them down elsewhere. Some of these songs grow on me while they are on the playlist.
November 25, 2025 @ 2:42 pm
you can always search this site for previous “adds to the playlist” articles and search through them manually btw
November 25, 2025 @ 2:49 pm
This is the reason I number each playlist update. By using the website’s search function, you can look up all the previous playlists. Simply put “#168” or “#123” or “#45” in the search window, and they will come up.
You can also use this URL: https://savingcountrymusic.com/?s=168 and pull up any previous playlist.
November 25, 2025 @ 12:01 pm
Lance and Drake have been getting a lot of love on my speakers this past week. And 49 Win’s version of Changes is incredibly good. Don’t know if the world needed a cover of Toby’s “A Little Less Talk…” but Ashley McBryde does it about as well as anyone could. Elvie Shane dropped a 4 song EP and I wish it were a full album. “Comfort of the Pain” with Tenille Towns is spectacular. And my guy Ben Chapman dropped a stellar laid back-porch swing-sweet tea sippin song called “Satin Sheets” with Hayes Carll – so good it may just wind up on my single of the year list.
Sadly we turned off the neons for the last time at Duke’s Indy on Saturday night but not until the place was given its proper send off. At least 400 people were packed into that tiny place to pay their last respects under the PSTFU sign, get one final bucket of Lone Stars and hug friends made over the years in our little honky tonk. A very bittersweet night that no one wanted to end.
November 25, 2025 @ 2:31 pm
Addendum before anyone calls me out as a dumbass for not knowing the classics- Satin Sheets is a Waylon cover and is therefore not eligible as my single of the year but still a good version by Ben and Hayes.
November 25, 2025 @ 12:35 pm
That Turnpike Troubadour cover is outstanding, and the video for it is pretty nice, too. https://youtu.be/VvO26fDMcYM
November 25, 2025 @ 1:15 pm
I was shocked when I saw Turnpike having a new single today. I’ve heard it twice and it was outstanding each time. I didn’t know it was a cover, but I did noticed the Todd Snider credit.
Did Felker lower his voice for this track? It sounded really different and I first thought someone else from the band took lead vocal.
November 25, 2025 @ 2:09 pm
Love Joe Stamm!
He doesn’t disappoint. Always coming out with great stuff.
November 25, 2025 @ 3:12 pm
Omg that Lance Roark song is fantastic
November 27, 2025 @ 11:45 am
Great music as always. Turnpike, Rourke, Langley are my favourites….so far. Another country album well worth a listen is Jon Wolfe’s Barstool Therapy.
December 2, 2025 @ 11:02 am
Busy with the holiday bs and a week late but that whole Mackenzie Rae & Buckshot Moon album is pretty fine, Mule Creek Junction is tops, well written and she sure nailed the vocals. Good stuff ty.
December 9, 2025 @ 6:46 pm
SPENCER HATCHER All The Way
December 9, 2025 @ 6:51 pm
SPENCER ❤️🇺🇲💙 HATCHER NOONE BETTER❤️🇺🇲💙