Talk about a mixed bag of songs.
Last night, November 18th, the 73rd annual Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Country Awards took place in Nashville. On a star-studded night that featured well-over a hundred different songwriters and publishers being honored for their work throughout the year both on country radio and on streaming services alike.
The night was headlined by none other than ’90s country legend, Clint Black, being honored with the 2025 BMI Icon Award, celebrating his career accomplishments that include 22 #1 singles since joining BMI in 1993, selling over 20 million records, 20 career BMI Awards and a laundry list of influential hits such as “Killin’ Time,” “A Better Man” and “Like the Rain.”
With his Icon Award, Black joins the likes of legendary artists and songwriters including but not limited to Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Dolly Parton, Toby Keith, Loretty Lynn, Merle Haggard, Dean Dillon, Kris Kirstofferson, Vince Gill and many more.
Additionally, Post Malone and Morgan Wallen were honored in a big way with their all-genre #1 and smash hit, “I Had Some Help” winning Country Song of the Year. Given that BMI gives awards to songwriters and publishers, Wallen and Post, along with ERNEST, Charlie Handsome and Hoskin, took home the award along with publishers, Big Loud Mountain, Ernest Money Music, Erns Cadillac Music, Honey Hole Publishing, Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Notably, BMI awarded the songwriters and publishers to the Top 50 most-performed songs of the year, tracking songs that have received the most performances across terrestrial radio, satellite radio and digital streaming services throughout 2025. In other words, BMI listed the most popular songs of 2025 across both streaming platforms and radio.
And to no one’s surprise, there’s a wide variety of songs from both a quality and sonic perspective.
Unsurprisingly, Wallen dominates this list, scoring four of the Top 50 songs with “I Had Some Help,” “Spin You Around (1/24),” “Lies Lies Lies” and “Love Somebody” all being awarded. Surprisngly, Jelly Roll tied Wallen with the lead with an additional four entries in the Top 50.
As previously mentioned, there is a huge discrepancy when it comes to song quality on this list. As for the lows, Dasha’s viral hit, “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” Dustin Lynch and Jelly Roll’s disastrous remix of “Drift Away” on “Chevrolet,” Dylan Marlowe and Dylan Scott’s bro-country bore, “Boys Back Home,” Marshmello and Kane Brown’s EDM-inspired, “Miles On It” and Chase Matthew’s “Love You Again” round out the worst the Top 50 most-played country songs of 2025 has to offer.
Thankfully, there are plenty of bright spots throughout the list. In addition to Zach Bryan scoring three seperate entries for “28,” “Tourniquet” and “Pink Skies,” fan-favorites in both the traditional and alternative country scene also make the list. Notably, Cody Johnson scored two entries for “Dirt Cheap” and “I’m Gonna Love You” while Riley Green scored one for “Worst Way.”
Finally (and arguably most exciting), The Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Koe Wetzel and Ella Langley all received their first career nods inside BMI’s Top 50 most-played country songs of the year with their respective smash hits, “Wondering Why,” “I Never Lie,” “High Road” and “you look like you love me.”
BMI’s Top 50 most-played country songs of 2025 is as follows:
- “28” – Zach Bryan
- “4X4XU” – Lainey Wilson
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
- “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” – Luke Combs
- “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney
- “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” – Dasha
- “Back Then Right Now” – Tyler Hubbard
- “Beautiful As You” – Thomas Rhett
- “Bigger Houses” – Dan + Shay
- “Boys Back Home” – Dylan Marlowe & Dylan Scott
- “Bulletproof” – Nate Smith
- “Cab in a Solo” – Scotty McCreery
- “Chevrolet” – Dustin Lynch ft. Jelly Roll
- “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson
- “Gonna Love You” – Parmalee
- “Guy for That” – Post Malone ft. Luke Combs
- “Halfway to Hell” – Jelly Roll
- “High Road” – Koe Wetzel
- “Holy Smokes” – Bailey Zimmerman
- “I Ain’t Sayin'” – Jordan Davis
- “I Am Not Okay” – Jelly Roll
- “I Can Feel It” – Kane Brown
- “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen
- “I Never Lie” – Zach Top
- “I’m Gonna Love You” – Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood
- “I’m Not Pretty” – Megan Moroney
- “Let Your Boys Be Country” – Jason Aldean
- “Liar” – Jelly Roll
- “Lies, Lies, Lies” – Morgan Wallen
- “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
- “Love You Again” – Chase Matthew
- “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” – Luke Bryan
- “Miles On It” – Marshmello & Kane Brown
- “Mind On You” – George Birge
- “Pink Skies” – Zach Bryan
- “Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton
- “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined)” – Drew Baldridge
- “Spin You Around (1/24)” – Morgan Wallen
- “Take Her Home” – Kenny Chesney
- “This Is My Dirt” – Justin Moore
- “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us” – Dylan Scott
- “Tourniquet” – Zach Bryan
- “We Ride” – Bryan Martin
- “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” – Lainey Wilson
- “Wind Up Missin’ You” – Tucker Wetmore
- “Wondering Why” – The Red Clay Strays
- “Worst Way” – Riley Green
- “you look like you love me” – Ella Langley
- “Young Love & Saturday Nights” – Chris Young
- “Your Place” – Ashley Cooke
