2025’s Top Country Hits Celebrate Talent And Storytelling

2025 was a great year for country music. True. The radio airwaves were absolutely dominated by Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, and Luke Combs. However, some up-and-coming country stars made a significant impact too- not just on the air, but on the charts. Sometimes I struggle to find ten songs that define the year for me. But, not this year. I have a solid Top 10 and here they are! Here are my picks for the Top 10 Country Songs of 2025.

#10- TOUGH PEOPLE by Drew Baldridge

Look, maybe it's because I had the privilege of seeing him sing this live at a St. Jude conference. It was just Drew and his guitar and he sang the heck out of the song. But, the lyrics of "Tough People" soar like his voice. Is there anything more 'country' than the images painted in this song? Hank taught us that country folks can survive. He was right. As a general rule, we're resilient and we rally. That's what 'tough people' do and Drew Baldridge captures that spirit melodically, beautifully, and triumphantly.

#9- SINGLE AGAIN by Josh Ross

Canadian country singer Josh Ross hit a massive home run in the U.S. with "Single Again." This song is loaded up with cleverly-written lyrics. My favorite line is this one and I have basically sung it all year long. You know I got that same old Tennessee six-one-five that you used to hit up. A half past 'Where you at? Pick me up!' I also love this line- I got a king size bed just missin' a queen. Josh's first Top 10 hit has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it and it's squarely inside my picks of the best country songs of the year.

#8- BOYS BACK HOME by Dylan Marlowe and Dylan Scott

Whenever I introduced this song on my radio show, I just refer to the guys as the Dylans. Dylan Marlowe and Dylan Scott teamed up for one of the catchiest and most rousing songs of the year. Anyone raised in a rural area of this country relates to this wholly 'country' song and its imagery of just hanging out the guys. If home's truly where the heart is, the "Boys Back Home" immediately takes us back there.

#7- I'M THE PROBLEM by Morgan Wallen

Look! Morgan Wallen dominates country radio and the country charts because he's releasing singles at a pop star's clip. If you follow pop music, specifically the charts, you know that pop is usually a 'turn and burn' affair. Popular songs have a very limited shelf life. A pop superstar can release a song and propel it to #1 in a week. The song will sit for a few and the artist will almost instantly release another one. Morgan Wallen has rewritten that recipe for country and it's worked. He's having hit after hit after hit. But, here's the thing. His songs don't have a lot of shelf life either. He's turning and burning songs too. This one though- "I'm The Problem"- is THE exception. I personally think this is Morgan's biggest achievement to date. This is a GREAT song and I predict it will go down as one of the greatest hits of Morgan's career.

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#6- IT WON'T BE LONG- George Birge

The name 'George Birge' doesn't necessarily scream 'country star!' For me, that sounds like the name of a Republican congressman from Oklahoma. But, listen to George Birge's voice. He's got a great one and he sings this song beautifully. "It Won't Be Long" is a gorgeous tribute to every fleeting moment of life. As the song explains, "Life might be a lot of things, but it won't be long." This song crams a virtual lifetime of experience into three minutes and eighteen seconds of flawless picture painting and messaging. This is one of the most beautiful and exquisitely performed songs of the year.

#5- DON'T MIND IF I DO- Riley Green featuring Ella Langley

I have said many times on my radio show that I consider Riley Green and Ella Langley the new Loretta and Conway, the new Kenny and Dolly of country music. They already topped the charts with the brilliant (and award-winning) "You Look Like You Love Me." They've done it again with the haunting and relatable "Don't Mind If I Do." This song will resonate like a thundering church tower bell with anyone who's ever experienced a break up. It pierces the heart and punches you right in the gut. I could listen to this song on repeat. Honestly, it's so good, I don't mind if I do.

#4- WIND UP MISSIN' YOU by Tucker Wetmore

I gauge a good song by how the melody and lyrics ultimately reside with me. If I'm singing along that's a really good sign. And I love singing along with this song. That opening line- You know I might look like another ball cap on a bar stool under a PBR light- is a brilliant introduction. It doesn't just set up the song, it effectively introduced Tucker Wetmore to country radio. I don't know how much you know about Tucker, but keep an eye on him. He's an incredibly talented musician and he can play and sing anything. There's something just achingly sexy about him too. This guy has star power and his music is backing up the promise.

#3- FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG by HARDY

Brilliant. Inspired. Perfect. There's a reason that Eric Church has proclaimed HARDY as one of the best songwriters Nashville has ever seen. He is. This song is a tribute to virtually every song that's come before it. It's chock full of references to established country hits, but the genius of it is that it plants the real roots of country music in nature. Go outside. Journey into the woods and listen. That's music. That's country. That's HARDY's favorite country song and it's one of mine too.

#2- WHISKEY DRINK by Jason Aldean

I have said this- much to the dismay of friends of mine who aren't particularly fans of his bulldog political stances- but I think Jason Aldean is THE most consistent hit maker in country music. Aldean knows a great song when he hears one and, thankfully, he walks into the studio, records, and releases them. Of all the songs that hit country radio in 2025, I have found myself singing this one the most. "Whiskey Drink" is exceptionally clever. Look! This is a tried and true country trope, right? There's a breakup. The guy goes to the bar to cope. Yada yada yada. Country music's been there and done that a thousand times. But Jason Aldean's monster hit takes it a step further. That whiskey's now a friend, with assigned human characteristics. Aldean brings that whiskey to life and gives it a pulse of its own. Hey, Whiskey Drink! I know it's been a while. I gotta talk to you gotta catch you up on this hell I'm in right now. And I love this line too- Come on, Cigarette. Some out that regret.  This is great songwriting and Aldean, like he always does, performs it like a pro.

#1- HEAVENS TO BETSY by Jackson Dean

I don't just think this is the best song of the year, I think Jackson Dean's "Heavens To Betsy" is one of the greatest country songs of all time. It's everything you want in country music. It's tragic. It's haunting. It's illustrative. It's redemptive. This masterpiece, which paints the picture of a man in heaven trying to make contact- on a CB radio- with his daughter, is a stroke of songwriting genius. And that voice! Jackson Dean's voice is impeccable. Masked by all that vocal gruff and gravel, is immeasurable pain. I cried the first time I heard this song. The second time too. It still breaks my heart with every listen. Jackson Dean has shared that he never really expected to record and release "Heavens To Betsy." For years, he was content letting it exist as that live version he recorded at the Ryman. Thankfully, he reconsidered what he believed was the song's destiny. Mark it! "Heavens To Betsy" will be the song that defines Jackson Dean's career. This song's no longer just sitting up in the clouds. It has put him firmly on the ground and right smack dab in the middle of the country music map.