Every country music fan knows the classic country music songs, typically sung by George Strait, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, and more. But there are several relatively new country songs, which will undoubtedly be played for decades.
Videos by American Songwriter
We found four country songs released in the last five years, which will probably be classics.
“Texas” by Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton released “Texas” in 2024 as the first single from his For Recreational Use Only album. The song, which became Shelton’s 30th No. 1 single, is written by Johnny Clawson, Josh Dorr, Kyle Sturrock, and Lalo Guzman.
Part of the appeal of “Texas” is that it namechecks another country superstar, and classic hit, in the song.
“She’s probably in Texas / Amarillo, all I know,” Shelton sings. “George Strait said it / Yeah, that’s where all them exes go.”
“You Look Like You Love Me” by Ella Langley and Riley Green
The timeless beauty of Ella Langley and Riley Green’s “You Look Like You Love Me” duet is that it channels days gone by, especially in the video. The two wrote the song with Aaron Raitiere, for Langley’s debut Hungover record.
“You Look Like You Love Me” became an award-winning, No. 1 hit for the two. It’s success is even more surprising, since Langley didn’t write it as a duet for her and Green.
“I heard the song, and I think she kind of thought maybe it would be a good collaboration with somebody, so I wrote a second verse for it,” Green tells Holler. “It’s just a really fun song. She does a great job with it.”
“Whiskey Drink” by Jason Aldean
For decades, country music has celebrated songs about drinking. It’s likely what propelled Jason Aldean’s “Whiskey Drink” to the top of the charts.
Written by Kurt Allison, Jonathan Edwards, Tully Kennedy and John Morgan, the song says in part, “Come on, cigarette, yeah, smoke out that regret / I pour it straight and strong, make her memory gone before you let me leave / Come on, whiskey drink, oh / Come on, whiskey drink.” It sounds about as classic as a country music song can be.
“Dirt Cheap” by Cody Johnson
“Dirt Cheap” sounded like a classic country song as soon as it was released. The song, penned by Josh Phillips, came out in 2024, on Johnson’s Leather album. Johnson may not have written “Dirt Cheap,” but it’s a message he is still passionate about.
“I recorded ‘Dirt Cheap’ because I want you to understand how I feel about being a rancher,” Johnson tells American Songwriter. “I want to take you back to where I come from in Texas.”
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
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