If You Start These Country Songs At The Right Time, You’ll Ring In The New Year Singing At The Top Of Your Lungs

Looking for some country music to send you into 2026? You’ve come to the right place.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve really appreciated the recent trend of “get this piece of media started at (insert time here) if you want to ring in the New Year the right way.” Surely you’ve seen it, right? Whether it be a movie, or a song (I’ve seen “Feel It In The Air Tonight” recommended a lot), people are figuring out when to get something going so that it perfectly times up with the clock striking midnight.

If you are interested, here you’ll find a list of country music songs, and when to start them, so that the chorus kicks in just as the 2026 does.

Obviously, you can do the math and figure out how to do this with whatever song of your choosing. But since it’s the weird week between Christmas and New Year’s, and you are probably off work, it never hurts to let someone else do the math for you. So here’s some songs that I think are worthy of cueing up to welcome in 2026.

“I Never Lie” by Zach Top

This is an easy one. Zach Top’s breakout hit has one of the catchiest country music choruses in recent memory. It’s been stuck in my head ever since it came out, and if you start this one at exactly 11:59:16, you can scream “I SLEEP LIKE A BABY” right at midnight:

“Friends In Low Places” by Garth Brooks

While you are hanging out with friends for New Year’s Eve, might as well give this Garth Brooks classic a shot. Everyone will know it, and from my experience, everyone loves it (even those not so crazy about country people). Press play on this Garth hit at 11:59:15 and the chorus will kick in right when you need it to:

“Neon Moon” by Brooks & Dunn

Is it really a country music listical without Brooks & Dunn? With this 1991 smash hit, you could really start it whenever you want. But if you want to wait for the chorus to come around, get this one going at 11:59:13:

“Good Time” by Alan Jackson

Here’s an easy one for you. Alan Jackson has countless hits that would be worthy of sending you from one year to the next. However, I’d argue that “Good Time” is the most fitting. Who doesn’t want to be having a good time that stretches from one year to the next? If you want to have a “Good Time” going into 2026, line this one up to start right from the beginning, right at midnight:

“Drink In My Hand” by Eric Church

Never hurts to go to Church on New Year’s Eve, eh? I can’t think of a better way to get the year started off the right than by sipping on a good drink and singing along to the Chief. “Drink In My Hand” is my ideal choice here, and with a drink in one hand and your finger on the play button, get this started 11:59:40:

“Family Tradition” by Hank Williams Jr.

Finally, the country music sing-along of all sing-alongs: “Family Tradition” by Hank Williams Jr.. Like the Garth Brooks track that I mentioned earlier, everyone should know this one. And this song will work perfectly if you happen to be spending New Year’s Eve with the family. Press play at 11:59:20 and get ready to sing at the top of your lungs: