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Chris Young <\/a>is ready to reveal the new music he’s been working on. The “‘Til the Last One Dies” singer has announced his next studio album is coming this fall.<\/p>\n I Didn’t Come Here\u00a0to Leave<\/em> will be his 10th career album and first on Black River Entertainment.<\/p>\n Related<\/strong><\/em>: The Top 10 Country Songs of 2025 (So Far)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Fans can expect Young’s new album to drop on Oct. 17. It will include 14 songs, 11 of which he helped write.<\/p>\n Earlier this year he mentioned he was considering a couple of collaborations for the project, but stopped short of spilling any details.\u00a0Young has been very successful with collaborations in the past.<\/p>\n In 2021, he released a pair of chart-topping duets with friends Kane Brown<\/a> and Mitchell Tenpenny.<\/a> Prior to that he had No. 1 songs with Vince Gill <\/a>(“Sober Saturday Night”) and\u00a0Cassadee\u00a0Pope<\/a> (“Think of You”).<\/p>\n Lifetime, Young has 11 No. 1 hits on the Billboard<\/em> Country Airplay chart.<\/p>\n “I had been at Sony for almost 19 years,” Young said this spring. “My deal was actually up, so I was like, ‘I get to play free agent for once.'”<\/p>\n “I was just gonna take a whole bunch of meetings. My very first meeting was with Black River Entertainment. Sat with them for three hours. Played the new music, they loved all the songs. They gave me everything I asked for and more.”<\/p>\n Oct. 17 is already a special day for Young, as that’s the anniversary of his induction into the Grand Ole Opry. He joined in 2017.<\/p>\n Without these 26 artists, country music would sound very different in 2025. They’re not all steady hitmakers, and in fact, some of the biggest stars of the 2000s aren’t included.<\/p>\n This list of the 25 most important<\/em> artists of the last 25 years relies on men, women, duos and groups that either changed the genre in a tangible way, or were undeniably influential.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The best country songs of the last 25 years were felt and heard. Commercial impact was a factor, but emotional impact is what separates these songs from others released in the 2000s.<\/p>\n Technically the century began in 2001, but we reached back to 2000 to summarize this list of top songs. Alan Jackson is the only artist with two songs, but you’ll find 11 Entertainer of the Year winners scattered across a playlist the required several stunning exclusions.<\/p>\n Curious as to why your favorite song missed the cut? Well, there are only 25 spots for the best of 25,000 country song releases. Hard decisions needed to be made!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
26 Most Important Artists of the Last 25 Years<\/h2>\n
The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years (2000-2024)<\/h2>\n