From groundbreaking debuts to career-defining releases, 2024 delivered an impressive wave of new projects from both rising stars and seasoned acts and it’s time we celebrate them properly before the year comes to a close. Throughout the past 365 days, artists like Kenny Chesney, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs and more each put in the hours to create a collection of music that captured the hearts of their fans and showcased their remarkable storytelling skills. Meanwhile, albums that emerged from rising talent such as Zach Top, Ella Langley and Shaboozey also spawned major milestone achievements for them across country radio, taking their careers to new heights.
Most importantly, listeners got to know their favorite singer/songwriters on a much deeper level as they unleashed heart-wrenching ballads, boot-stomping anthems and authentic narratives while showing a whole new side to their artistry. Now, with 2025 just around the corner, we’ve rounded up 16 of the best country albums that defined the genre in 2024. Find the complete list below in no particular order.
Zach Top – Country Beer & Country Music
Zach Top – Cold Beer & Country Music
Zach Top experienced a major shift in his career in 2024, and a big part of the sudden uptick in momentum is due to his debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, which dropped last Spring. He spent months building anticipation for the project with songs like “Justa Jonesin’,” “The Kinda Woman I Like,” “Busy Doin’ Nothin’,” and the album’s lead single, “Sounds Like The Radio,” which cracked the Top 20 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Another set of tracks that have unexpectedly become fan-favorites during his live shows in recent months include “There’s The Sun,” “Use Me” and especially, “I Never Lie.” According to Top, he never expected “I Never Lie” to become such a staple among his listeners, but it’s addictive melody and hearty storyline saw such a surge that it was pushed to country radio and made its way onto the Billboard Hot 100. With Cold Beer & Country Music, he further emphasis’s his goal of giving ’90s country a resurgence while adding his own modern twist. Top might be among the new generation of rising country stars, but his twangy vocals and melodies featuring fiddles, steel guitars and warm banjo plucks effortlessly capture the essence traditional country in every note. The album offers the perfect roundup of clever songwriting and traditional melodies for any fans who have a craving for the most beloved era of the genre.
ERNEST; NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
ERNEST – NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
When ERNEST unleashed his sophomore album, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, he made it clear how deeply proud he is of his roots and the city that raised him. This 26-track masterpiece is not only a love letter to his hometown and some of his fellow country stars featured, but he also pays tribute to the brilliant songwriters who play a vital role in maintaining the authentic country music sound. He fulfills his mission several times throughout the project, most prominently with his newest single, “Would If I Could,” which was originally written in 1996 by award-winning songwriters Skip Ewing and Dean Dillon and has now been brought to life in a new way alongside Lainey Wilson. The Big Loud recording artist’s collaboration with the songstress serves as one of five songs on the Joey Moi produced album that find ERNEST singing alongside his fellow hitmakers. Jelly Roll, Lukas Nelson, Morgan Wallen, and HARDY. He sets the bar high with the opening track, “I Went To College/ I Went To Jail” featuring Jelly Roll, and maintains a consistent thread of authenticity, humor, and storytelling in “Kiss of Death,” “Bars On My Heart,” “Honkytonk Fairytale,” and more. This album clearly honors the spirit of Music City while simultaneously proving ERNEST as one of the most dynamic singer/songwriters in country music.
Kameron Marlowe; Keepin’ The Lights On
Kameron Marlowe – Keepin’ The Lights On
There’s no doubt that Kameron Marlowe is beyond proficient in his work as a masterful storyteller and a vocal powerhouse. With his sophomore album, Keepin’ The Lights On, that belief is amplified by 16-songs that delve into themes of mental health, love, life lessons and self-reflection. Many of these stories evolved from Marlowe’s real-life emotions and experiences, capturing the true vulnerability of all the challenges, growth and new milestones he’s faced throughout his life. Produced by Dann Huff, the album opens with the nostalgic honky-tonk anthem “911” and features with previously acclaimed singles “Quit You,” “Strangers” (with Ella Langley), “Tennessee Don’t Mind,” and “On My Way Out.”
These songs, alongside others like “Nothin’ Slowin’ Us Down” and the focus track “I Can Run,” highlight Marlowe’s ability to connect with listeners on a profound level. His latest single to evolve from the album is, “Never Really Know,” an impactful tune that sheds light on addiction and encourages others to reach out to help those who may be struggling behind closed doors. This powerful storyline was recently brought to life in an emotional music video that highlights the poignant themes. With Keepin’ The Lights On, Marlowe has delivered his most honest work yet, firmly establishing the album as one of the best releases in country music in 2024 and a must-listen. This is going to be a hard one to top in 2025.
Kenny Chesney – BORN Cover Art
Kenny Chesney – BORN
Even though summer has come to an end, Kenny Chesney’s coastal country sound will continue to heat up our playlist with his latest album, BORN. Any and all worries melt away while taking in each of the 12 tracks that go deeper into his vulnerable storytelling and offers songs that depict the motions of real life – living, breathing, working, kicking back on the weekends and getting through those tough moments. Since the March 2024 release, Chesney has kept the momentum going throughout his summer of live shows. Along the way, pne song into particular has made a great impact on country radio – “Take Her Home.” This heartfelt tune recently scored the top spot on Billboard Country Airplay, marking Chesney’s 33rd No. 1 on the chart and 36th overall No. 1 at country radio. While this song has become a hit among his fans, every song on this record offers something special as Chesney can be heard pouring his heart and soul out in each lyric. Other standout tracks like “Just To Say We Did” and the title track make it easy to fall in love with this album and keep the joy of summer shining bright all year round.
Scotty McCreery – Rise and Fall
Scotty McCreery – Rise & Fall
As Scotty McCreery reveals in his current single, “Fall of Summer,” romantic flings during the sunshine-filled months are not always built to last, however, we can confidently say that his fifth studio album, Rise & Fall, isdestined to stand the test of time. The project showcases his growth as an artist over the past 13 years, while honoring his modern-day traditionalist sound. In a previous interview with Country Now, the American Idol alum admitted to taking a “no rules” approach to writing and recording this project, resulting in a work he is extremely proud of. Within the 13 tracks, he weaves nostalgic ‘90s influenced tunes like “Can’t Bass The Bar” with faith-filled songs such as “Red Letter Blueprint,” and offers plenty of authentic storytelling along the way. Plus, staying true to his signature style, McCreery continues to capture the hearts of fans with his tender love songs including “Fall Of Summer.” Since the project’s official unveiling in May, this track has climbed its way into the Top 40 on country radio, following the close behind the success of his sixth No. 1, “Cab In A Solo.” This no-skip album is made up entirely of songs that will captivate you with each listen, including “Love Like This,” “Slow Dance,” “Porch,” and more, making Fall of Summer one of McCreery’s best albums to date.
Luke Combs; Fathers & Sons
Luke Combs – Fathers & Sons
Luke Combs delivered a heavy dose of emotions with his latest album, Fathers & Sons. Throughout each of the 12 expertly crafted tracks, listeners are reminded of the deep bond between parents and their children. These songs highlight pivotal moments we experience as fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons at various stages in life, like the euphoric feeling of reuniting after time apart, the fear of disappointing those you love, the realization that parents truly do know best, and the sometimes heartbreaking reality of seeing those we love age. It’s clear that this project was crafted from the heart, and that’s a true testament to Combs’ artistry because these songs hit hard. This album may not have produced several chart-topping radio hits, but surely left an emotional impact on listeners and for that reason alone, this record may be one of the most important releases of Combs’ storied country music career. Whether you’re a parent or not, grab the tissues—listening to Fathers & Sons is like going on an epic, emotional musical journey.
Lainey Wilson – Whirlwind; Photo by Eric Ryan Anderson
Lainey Wilson – Whirlwind
On August 23, 2024, Lainey Wilson gifted the country music community a collection of songs that offer an immersive experience for both long-time country fans and new listeners. This 14-track project, all co-written by Wilson, is Whirlwind. The past few years of the Louisiana native’s life has been just as the title describes, and she uses this collection as an opportunity to give listeners an intimate look into many of the emotions and experiences she’s endured in that time. Tales of perseverance, heartbreak, and love, with a touch of humor are all portrayed through what we can easily consider to be some of her best work yet. She opens with a tune titled “Keep Up With Jones” and continues with her fan-favorite single, “Country’s Cool Again,” before diving into the only collaboration on the entire album, “Good Horses (feat. Miranda Lambert)” and so much more. And of course, we can’t forget the album’s lead single that will have you grooving in your bell bottoms, “Hang Tight Honey,” and “4x4xU,” which she revealed was inspired by her love for her boyfriend, Devlin “Duck” Hodges. It took two years to bring Whirlwind to fruition and it’s safe to say it was worth the wait. The BBR Music Group/BMGNashville release also added to the singer’s already triumphant year as it received a nomination for Best Country Album at the upcoming 67th Annual Grammy Awards and earned Wilson her best sales week ever as it debuted at No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart (her first top 10 entry). If 2025 was anything like this past year, Lainey Wilson is going to continue to thrive and unleash music that touches listeners in a way unlike any other artist can do.
Ella Langley – Hungover
Ella Langley – Hungover
Ella Langley’s career saw a major spike in 2024 as fans started to tap into the immense talent she holds as a singer, songwriter and performer. Her core group of listeners vastly expanded in the process, largely because of her platinum hit with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me.” The track has racked up over 186M worldwide streams to date, was nominated at the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year and the People’s Choice Country Award for Collaboration Song of 2024 and earned Langley her first No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The songstress made history with this news as she is now the first female artist this year to hold the No.1 spot on the chart. With all the buzz around “You Look Like You Love Me,” fans started craving more and more of Langley’s gritty Alabama bred vocals and she responded with her critically acclaimed debut record, hungover, out August 2. This 14-track collection takes a deep dive into Langley’s boldness and strikes a moody chord while implementing heavy emotions and some fun, twangy narratives. She continued to build on these stories with the recently unveiled deluxe edition, Still Hungover. The extended version includes two new songs, “Girl You’re Taking Home” and “20-20” as well as the previously released “Weren’t For The Wind” and Langley’s biggest solo debut to date, “Made It Out of Mexico (Acoustic).”
Miranda Lambert; Postcards From Texas
Miranda Lambert – Postcards From Texas
Miranda Lambert tells her story and pays tribute to her home state of Texas in a way unlike she’s ever done before on her ninth solo studio project, Postcards From Texas. Throughout these 14 songs, her loyal fans embark on a journey through Lambert’s milestones, lessons and memories made over the past two decades of her life. While album as a whole gives Lambert the chance to explore her sense of newfound freedom, the track “Run” is especially liberating as it portrays a narrative she has been holding onto for 10 years. She opens with the clever upbeat tune of “Armadillo,” takes a scornful stance with “Dammit Randy,” empowers women on “Wranglers,” offers the ultimate barn burner with “Alimony,” and brings the storyline full circle with “Living On The Run.” As listeners, we can physically feel the weight being lifted off the female singer/songwriter’s shoulders as she portrays her desire to return to her home, reset, and come back stronger than ever. She did just that as she speaks from the heart, while maintaining her signature fierceness. Fans will truly get to know the artist on a deeper level as they listen to this collection because every step was intentional and carefully thought out. It was recorded in the Lone Star State at Austin’s legendary Arlyn Studios and also marks her first project with her new label home, Republic Records.
Post Malone – F-1 Trillion
Post Malone – F-1 Trillion
Post Malone already had his listeners yearning for the release of his debut country album, which was finally unveiled in August via Mercury Records/REPUBLIC in collaboration with Big Loud. F-1 Trillion was easily one of the most anticipated projects of the year because Malone promised to deliver a slew of star-studded tunes and he went above and beyond to keep his word. The album includes 18 songs, 16 of which finds Malone accompanied by country music royalty such as Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Jr., and Tim McGraw as well as several of the genre’s newest generation of stars like Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, and more. Prior to the album’s official release, he caught fans’ attention with several sneak peeks turned hits. This includes the tracks “Pour Me A Drink” with Blake Shelton, the record-breaking mega-smash, “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen, which landed in the top spot of multiple charts, and “Guy For That” featuring Luke Combs, a critically acclaimed tune that has racked up over 27 million Spotify streams to date. As it F-1 Trillion wasn’t exciting enough on its own, Malone then decided to surprise fans with an extended version of the project titled, F-1 Trillion: Long Bed, offering nine additional solo tracks. The unexpected releases gave the genre-bending hitmaker a chance to share deeply personal stories, relying solely on his own voice to bring them to life. While Malone has already made great strides in his new venture into country music, 2025 is destined to bring even more success (and if we’re lucky, more collaborations).
Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
One of the biggest success stories of 2024 has come from Shaboozey and his historic breakout hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” On Monday, June 8, it was announced that the 2X RIAA-certified platinum anthem has earned the singer his first-ever No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and top 10 breakthrough on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart. The song that has continued to dominate country radio appears on Shaboozey’s genre-bending debut major-label studio album and third album overall, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. While fans got a taste of the Virginia native’s swagger-filled style with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” they got an even deeper look into his artistry across these 12 songs. On several of the tracks like the late-night anthem, “Drink Don’t No Mix,” he delivers fun and confidence within his twangy-rap tracks while offering a sonic blend of pedal steel, acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle alongside modernized production elements. However, he also shows off immense lyrical depth with emotional illustrations of deep-rooted pain and heartache in songs like “Steal Her From Me” and “My Fault” feat. Noah Cyrus. This album proves that this is clearly just the beginning of Shaboozey’s success and that there is much more of his sound left to explore.
George Strait, Cowboys and Dreamers
George Strait – Cowboys And Dreamers
George Strait once again proves his status as the “King Of Country Music” with his 31st studio album for MCA, Cowboys And Dreamers. Drawing from his years of unwavering dedication to the genre, Strait celebrates his journey with 13 new tracks featuring a mix of classic honky-tonk anthems and heartfelt ballads. Fans got an early preview with songs like “Three Drinks Behind,” “MIA Down in MIA,” “The Little Things,” “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” featuring Chris Stapleton, and Strait’s rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues.” Each of these songs have already made it into the country legend’s live shows and never fail to get the crowd singing along as well as several others from the project. Whether you’re listening to the pure depiction of love in “To The Moon,” the impending heartbreak in “People Get Hurt Sometimes,” the sentimental delivery of valuable life lessons on “The Journey of Your Life,” or the toe-tapping spirit of “The Book,” Cowboys And Dreamers is clear proof that Strait’s timeless country sound is just as alive and thriving as ever. Adding to the emotional depth of the project, the Texan dedicated his latest piece of work to several of his longtime friends and collaborates who he lost earlier this year, including his manager Erv Woolsey, road manager Tom Foote and fiddler Gene Elders who plays on four tracks on this album.
Carly Pearce – hummingbird Album Cover; Courtesy of Big Machine Records
Carly Pearce – Hummingbird
Carly Pearce discovered her most authentic sound and voice on her previous album, 29: Written in Stone, and she continued to lean into that on her latest project, hummingbird. For years, Pearce has voiced her desire to remain a traditional country artist, similar to those she grew up listening to, and this project more than fulfills that promise. From the clever, yet sassy, “truck on fire” and “rock paper scissors” to the deeply honest and emotional “oklahoma” and “pretty please” to the instant country classic “fault line,” Pearce proves she has found her lane, and she’s staying in it (as they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”). With its heartfelt lyrics and authentic country sound, hummingbird reaffirms Carly Pearce’s place in the genre.
Koe Wetzel, 9 Lives; Photo by John Park/ Design by Dalton Latham, Courtesy of Columbia Records
Koe Wetzel – 9 Lives
Koe Wetzel spent years grinding it out in Texas before his career took a major leap forward in 2024, bringing his music to the masses. Now breaking beyond the Southwest, Wetzel is solidifying his place as a country radio mainstay with the release of his latest album, 9 Lives. The project perfectly captures the rebellious spirit that defines his career through tracks like “Bar Song” and “9 Lives (Black Cat),” while also revealing a more vulnerable and introspective side with songs like “Damn Near Normal” and “Sweet Dreams.” This album has truly been a game-changer, marking a transformative year for Koe Wetzel’s career.
Riley Green – Don’t Mind If I Do Album Cover Art
Riley Green – Don’t Mind If I Do
2024 saw Riley Green’s career climbing to new heights, confirming what we’ve known for years: he’s a bonafide superstar. Fueled by hits like “You Look Like You Love Me” with Ella Langley and his chart-climbing single “Damn Good Day To Leave,” Green’s fan base grew exponentially throughout the year. On October 18, he released his third studio album, Don’t Mind If I Do, a masterful blend of classic country sounds brought to life through his signature Alabama-bred vocals. Spanning 18 tracks, the album offers something for everyone, from humorous tunes and heartbreak ballads to drinking songs. Among the standout moments is “Jesus Saves,” a heartfelt, self-penned track that tells the story of a powerful encounter with a homeless man. This song alone cements the album’s place as one of the best of the year.
Megan Moroney – Am I Okay Cover
Megan Moroney – Am I Okay?
Just 14 months after releasing her debut LP, Megan Moroney returned with her stellar sophomore project, Am I Okay?, giving fans another dose of her relatable and honest storytelling. This album is packed with emo-cowgirl anthems, feel-good girl jams, and somber moments that create one of the year’s most cohesive projects. From top to bottom, Am I Okay? delivers a seamless blend of vulnerability and empowerment, showcasing Megan Moroney’s growth as both a songwriter and artist.
