These days, folks are often disdainful of "the current state of Country". I believe that is mostly based on hearing a few minutes of radio and going no farther...
In a recent thread I mentioned to TuneMonger that there was a bunch of good Country out there (if you stay away from the radio). He said "Gimme some names" (kinda)
So...here is a small sampling.
Here are 5 damngood songs from one of my favorite records from the last few years... Jameson Rodgers - Bet You're From A Small Town
Missin One - Bet You're From A Small Town - Merle Haggard - One Day - Good Dogs -
If you get done with those and don't want to hear the rest of the album, then we (you) are headed down the wrong path.
Morgan Wallen's Dangerous album would land in my list of top 5 albums of all time. I highly recommend calling the record up, put on the headphones/earbuds, close your eyes and LISTEN. (over and over and over) The productions are astounding. (And So varied). If you learn just one thing (production-wise) from 5 songs, you will be upping your game. And there are 33 songs - that you could learn 5 things each.
From Wikipedia: In March 2022, the album established the all-time record for longest duration in the number one spot (97 weeks) on Billboard's Country Albums chart. In December 2022, the album became the first album ever by a solo artist to spend 100 weeks inside the top-ten of the Billboard 200. As of July 2025, the album has spent 165 weeks inside the top-ten of the Billboard 200, the second most weeks spent in the charts uppermost region in history.
The album was ranked top album of the 21st century by Billboard.
There is a reason for that.
Dangerous
And the follow up is almost as good (36 more songs)
One Thing At A Time
Here is a random listing of some folks I've added to my library (Apple Music) over the last few years. There are "singer-songwriters", 90's Country throwbacks, Hard Rock guys (even Metal), "new" Country ("beats"-kinda-stuff). And. like I said, this is a small, random sampling...
jordan davis https://www.youtube.com/@jordandavisofficial
That's gonna take a while to sort through and digest.
There is some really good, well written and performed songs on the radio these days. It's often skipped or put down as junk, or radio crap, because it doesn't fit neatly into our perception of what we consider to be "good music".
I'll work through the list you provided later
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Wow, amazing amount of work you put into this country compendium, thank you so much for the most detailed reply in the history of the internet! I am retired, so I had time to listen to every song. You're right, I will be listening to the whole albums from Jameson Rodgers and Morgan Wallen (33 songs!). "What I thank when I drank" gave me a good laugh. It's all good stuff. But I will always be a blues guy at heart. I grew up in poor, black neighborhoods of DC, and I guess that had too much influence on me. My interest in country has always been peripheral, and it will likely remain that way. I do think you should be one of these guys with double-record albums full of songs like Mister Wallen, if there's any justice in the world. I'm still hoping for that.
I'm going to go back through these songs again with an ear toward production. You said I could learn some things from them, and god knows I need to do that. Thanks again for taking the time to do this.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
No. Ears and an open mind - one that doesn't immediately lock onto stereotypes and cliches - are all that are required.
I don't know if your intent is to insult me or the artists on the list I've provided or just the entire industry, but you might want to try using a little imagination and originality when doing so.
I highly recommend calling the record up, put on the headphones/earbuds, close your eyes and LISTEN. (over and over and over) The productions are astounding. (And So varied). If you learn just one thing (production-wise) from 5 songs, you will be upping your game. And there are 33 songs - that you could learn 5 things each.
Even though Country isn't exactly my favorite genre , you've listed a lot of REALLY good songs that everyone can learn a lot from. Bookmarked Jameson Rodgers (amazing!), Morgan Wallen, Ryan Hurd, Lily Rose and Lainey Wilson. Great stuff. Thanks, Floyd I didn't know any of them.
No. Ears and an open mind - one that doesn't immediately lock onto stereotypes and cliches - are all that are required.
I don't know if your intent is to insult me or the artists on the list I've provided or just the entire industry, but you might want to try using a little imagination and originality when doing so.
So your response is to insult things I didn't say?
Ok, I'll say it, then. Every one of the things you posted–and I listened to them all—is formulaic crap, IMO. Creaking voice intro over chunks-chunka rhythm guitars or odd fingerpicked arpeggios—just like on country radio. Then the singer reminisces about booze-laden lost adventures or lost loves that just don't ring true. The only thing missing is Mark O'Connor's fiddle sawing away like in the 1990s.
I'm glad it provides employment and sells to somebody but never to me. Why? It's boring as hell, over and over and over and over and...
I stopped playing lead in country bands in the late 1980s after 20 years because I picked up touring gigs playing other types of music. When I started listening in again in the mid 1990s, "Hot Country" was in vogue and I never went back, The Urban Cowboy craze produced some interesting songs but that spark of creativity had disappeared. There's just nothing interesting there anymore that I can hear.
No thanks
BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5
I highly recommend calling the record up, put on the headphones/earbuds, close your eyes and LISTEN. (over and over and over) The productions are astounding. (And So varied). If you learn just one thing (production-wise) from 5 songs, you will be upping your game. And there are 33 songs - that you could learn 5 things each.
Even though Country isn't exactly my favorite genre , you've listed a lot of REALLY good songs that everyone can learn a lot from. Bookmarked Jameson Rodgers (amazing!), Morgan Wallen, Ryan Hurd, Lily Rose and Lainey Wilson. Great stuff. Thanks, Floyd I didn't know any of them.
Ryan Hurd and Lily Rose are favorites. Josh Kerr lands about where they are. too.
And keep in mind the videos that popped up are usually the first cut on an album... not necessarily a favorite/best song (I tried to post the album playlist)... So digging a little will reveal some gems. Go to the artist channel and start poking around. Some of the choices were simply to show the variety available. The 2 Morgan Wallen records are enough to keep ya busy for a while....
Hi Floyd! Thanks for posting this summary - a bit of an education for me. I have to admit I’ve not listened to much country, so anything I say will come with quite a lot of ignorance - naïveté might be a better word.
I listened to a sample of these songs - mainly the ones with YouTube displaying inline - and it made me ask the question ‘What defines the genre country music?’ I think this is the same point you are making in a way. For reference, I don’t know examples of where radio country has gone rubbish because I don’t listen to it, so I am assuming your list you consider to be good country.
To my ears, these are the elements that jump out of a song to make me think it’s country:
The accent or vocal stylings of the singer - a certain twang and emphasis on rhotic pronunciation - the latter not exclusively.
The choice of instrumentation - put in a steel guitar, resonator, double stopped guitar or fiddle and it yells country.
The rhythm - something like train e.g. Lainey Wilson ‘Keep up with Jones’
For the first two points, you could swap out the singer and drop an instrument or two and you’d have indie, rock, folk rock or alternative. To illustrate in reverse, if you put Jameson Rodgers’ vocal on Blur - Tender would it become country?
Without wanting to go on a tangent, I have the same dilemma about rock and pop. What is it that defines these?
I just did a quick check of 3 Australian country artists (not current but very popular) to see if these elements are present, and sure enough! Lee Kernaghan ‘Boys from the bush’ Boys from the bush Troy Casserole-Daly ‘Born to survive’ Born to survive In this live performance, contrast the way he speaks to the way he sings. Kasey Chambers ‘The captain’ The captain
For clarity, the above is genuinely not to be critical of country or of the songs listed or of the issue at hand. I think we are all seeing our favourite genres being diluted.
Thanx Floyd for post this songs. Yes they are very good songs and yes there are a number of them on the Internet. The problem with looking for good country songs, old style country songs, rock songs, jazz songs, etc, is that you have to wade through a lot of, as Notes would say, "not for my ears" songs. I did enjoy each of these.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Floyd, you and I have talked in a while and I haven't been on here much, but what a great thread! The weird part is even without us touching base in a bit it's crazy how much of what you posted I listen too. PLUS, as a bonus, I got a few new ones to check out from you! Thanks for that!
As far as Mike, dude, it's your kind of response that has me not coming here anymore. You came in and made a comment that wasn't to help, improve or add ANYTHING beneficial to a post that Floyd obviously put some time and effort into. You felt the need to make some snide remark, act like you didn't make it, then insult the spirit of the thread. You're a smart dude. Do better, man.
Anyway...later for now.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
, you've listed a lot of REALLY good songs that everyone can learn a lot from.![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif){kind=icon}
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean