It’s been a banner year for country music. Streaming is up nearly 25% for the genre over last year, propelled by newly minted superstars Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs having banner years, artists like Lainey Wilson rising from newcomer to award-winning star and baby acts like Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith and Megan Moroney breaking through with chart toppers.
The success spread far beyond the country charts. Wallen’s “Last Night” spent 16 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, while three other country songs hit No. 1 on the chart, Jason Aldean’s controversial one-week leader “Try That in a Small Town,” Oliver Anthony Music’s two-week No. 1, the topical “Rich Men North of Richmond” and Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves. Since the Hot 100’s launch in 1958, only 1975 had more country No. 1s. That year five country songs hit the summit.
In total, 11 country songs reached the Hot 100’s top 10, including Combs’ “Fast Car,” which spent eight weeks at No. 2, becoming his top-charting song. In 2022 and 2021, only three country hits appeared in the top 10 each year.
While a few of the acts have been around for more than a decade, several didn’t put out their first single until fairly recently, which serves as a testament to the influx of great new talent coming into the genre as Wallen and Combs brought about a generational shift.
Below, Billboard counts down our 10 favorite country songs that came out this year. Some hit the top of the charts, others serve as great introductions to new talent. The songs delve into themes of heartbreak, healing and everything in between.
