Essie Country - Promoting Authentic Country Music of the 21st Century
Visit Essie Country's Blog at essie-country.com
Now available: an Essie Country book--Off The Charts
This website, its name, and its mission are dedicated, in loving memory,
to my Mom, Essie Johns, who passed away at age 93 on January 14, 2025.
Let’s stop calling today’s fake country “pop-country.” Having “pop” before “country”
implies it’s country music, when it’s not. It should be called “country-pop,” implying it is pop music
with a country flavor. Get country-pop out of country music and keep it in the pop genre, where it belongs.
Greetings to the fans of real country music, and welcome to this week's
Essie Country's 21st Century
Real Country Music Song of the Week
Midnight Cowboy by John Haywood
Please give us your thoughts (we appreciate it) about this week's song of the week: Comments
Real Country Music Song of the Week Archives for 2026, 2025, 2024
Essie Country also has a blog for
Essie Country's Song of the Week.
You are invited to visit our blog at: essie-country.com
“Off the Charts” is Gene Johns’ (Essie Country Creator) answer to today’s mainstream country scene—a review of songs and artists that never made the playlists, never topped the charts, but never abandoned what makes country music real.
Built from the Essie Country “Song of the Week” series, this book highlights music rooted in tradition—steel guitar, fiddle, storytelling, and voices that sound like country, not something borrowed from another genre.
“Off The Charts” is Available on Amazon: Off The Charts by Gene Johns
Standing Ovation Performances
If you’ve ever turned on country radio and thought, “This doesn’t sound like country music,” you’re
not alone. Essie Country was created for listeners who still believe country music should sound like
country music—steel guitar, honest storytelling, and a voice that feels real from the first note to the last.
Each week, Essie Country features a Real Country Music Song of the Week—songs that stay true to
the roots of the genre while proving that real country music is still out there… if you know where to find
it.This isn’t about trends. It’s not about what’s climbing the charts. And it’s definitely not about what
passes for country music on today’s radio.
It’s about the kind of songs that:
• Tell a story you can follow
• Carry a melody you can feel
• And sound the way country music is supposed to sound
From independent artists to overlooked releases, Essie Country is dedicated to showcasing real country
music—the kind that connects, lasts, and means something. So whether you’re a lifelong country fan or
just someone looking for something more authentic, you’re in the right place. Take a listen. You might
just find what you’ve been missing.
The Grammys still get it wrong about what even contemporary country music is.
At least they are now recognizing some real country music artists.
Read about what the Grammys are doing with country music awards by clicking the link below:
Did Beyoncé split country music in two?
EssieCountry.Com All Stars
Brandy Clark Playlist Mo Pitney Playlist Catie Offerman Playlist
William Michael Morgan Playlist Bernie Nelson Playlist Thomas Mac Playlist
Bruce Leatherwood Playlist Jenna Paulette Playlist Charlie McCabe Playlist
Zach Top Playlist Randall King Playlist Dillion Carmichael Playlist
Will Banister Playlist Ben McPeak Playlist Kalsey Kulyk Playlist Triston Marez Playlist
Essie Country Gold
This is real country music at its best!
Two Steppin' Stuck Lonely Leave Me Alone Old Time Melody
Wasted Day Be Here Now Baby I Do Leave the Lovin' I Never Lie
Wish It Was Me Through the Eyes of a Fool Liquor One Goodbye
Shot Glass Dancin' Around It Hell of a Highway Kind of LonelyMy
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Visitors since
April 21, 2024