Countless people have looked at the acts and songs that play on country radio and win big at awards shows and conclude that the genre has lost its soul. Those who refuse to look past what the major record labels in Nashville are promoting will be quick to tell anyone who will listen, “They don’t make good country music anymore.” Fortunately, those people are wrong.

Good country music is alive and well. Unfortunately, most of it doesn’t make it to the radio. At the same time, those who are recording some of the best music the genre has to offer won’t get their flowers on the CMA or ACM Awards. That being said, the artists and songs below prove that country music is alive and well.

If you’re looking for good country music, there’s a good chance you’re already listening to Turnpike Troubadours. If not, though, their surprise release from earlier this year, Price of Admission, is a good place to start. The album opener “On the Red River” is a solid introduction to their brand of Red Dirt country and the kind of songwriting fans have come to expect from the band.

Co-written by vocalist Evan Felker and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, “On the Red River” is an ode to a troubled but loving father who has passed away.

Jason Boland & The Stragglers have been one of the biggest acts in the Red Dirt sphere since they released their debut album, Pearl Snaps, in 2001. Their most recent album, The Last Kings of Babylon, is proof that they’re still committed to making good, old-fashioned country music after more than two decades. “Take Me Back to Austin” is a solid example of what to expect from the band.

If you like plenty of fiddle, pedal steel, and Telecaster twang in your country music, you’ve come to the right place. However, those who are looking for the same old lyrical themes they’ve heard a million times will be sorely disappointed. For instance, “Take Me Back to Austin” turns a well-worn genre trope on its ear to great effect. The genre has seen several songs about getting back to rural or small-town living over the years. This track, though, sees the protagonist’s lover wanting to get out of the woods and back to life in the city.

Charley Crockett is a master of bringing the country music of the good old days into the present. Sometimes, he does it with expertly crafted cover songs like his take on “Jamestown Ferry.” Other times, he channels the greats of days gone by into his original material.

Crockett included one of the best versions of “Jamestown Ferry” on his most recent album , Lonesome Drifter, and it’s only one of many highlights on the 11-track collection.

Pug Johnson may be one of the most underrated singer/songwriters in the genre today. To say that he’s making good country music would be an understatement, and his sophomore album, El Cabron, is all the proof anyone should need. The 11-track collection sees Johnson sharing several vulnerable and autobiographical songs. However, the album isn’t just his life story set to music. He also takes some time to have a little fun.

“Buy Me a Bayou” is a fun song with a Cajun beat and plenty of accordion and fiddle that harkens back to the good old days.

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