10 Best Country and Americana Artists Featured on ‘Yellowstone’

March 16, 2024 6:00 am

Yellowstone packed a barn full of family drama, political intrigue, violence, and tension into its four-and-a-half seasons. It also packed some of the best country and Americana artists in the business into its soundtrack. Some well-established artists delighted viewers. Other lesser-known acts found a wider audience after having songs featured in the series.

Videos by American Songwriter

Yellowstone will take a trip to the train station after the second half of season five airs later this year. In the meantime, let’s take a look back at some of the best artists to have songs featured on the hit show.

Lainey Wilson

Lainey Wilson joined the Yellowstone cast as Abby in the first half of season five. However, her voice appeared on the show long before that. Her first contribution to the series was “Workin’ Overtime” which appeared in the season two premiere. She would go on to contribute a total of seven songs to the series.

“Workin’ Overtime”—Season 2, Episode 1 “A Thundering”
“Straight Up Sideways”—Season 3, Episode 6 “All for Nothings
“Small Town Girl”—Season 3, Episode 10 “The World Is Purple”
“Smell Like Smoke”—Season 5, Episode 3 “Tall Drink of Water”
“New Friends”—Season 5, Episode 4 “Horses in Heaven”
“Hold My Halo”—Season 5, Episode 6 “Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow, and You”
“Watermelon Moonshine”—Season 5, Episode 6 “Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow, and You”

Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton’s voice is instantly recognizable. More importantly, the use of his rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” in the series premiere let fans know what direction the show’s music department would take in future episodes. The powerhouse singer/songwriter contributed five songs to the soundtrack.

“Tennessee Whiskey”—Season 1, Episode 1 “Daybreak”
“Without Your Love”—Season 1, Episode 7 “A Monster Is Among Us”
“Up to No Good Livin’”—Season 2, Episode 3 “The Reek of Desperation”
“Whiskey and You”– Season 2, Episode 3 “The Reek of Desperation”
“Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore”—Season 2, Episode 10 “Sins of the Father”

Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan is one of the artists who found a wider audience after adding a song to the Yellowstone soundtrack. The music team wanted him on the soundtrack so badly that they paid to have him record his song “Condemned” in Nashville with legendary producer Dave Cobb. Bryan contributed a total of eight songs to the show.

“Condemned”—Season 3, Episode 2 “Freight Trains and Monsters”
“Flying or Crying”—Season 4, Episode 5 “Under a Blanket of Red”
“Whiskey Fever”—Season 5, Episode 1 “One Hundred Years Is Nothing”
“The Good I’ll Do”—Season 5, Episode 4 “Horses in Heaven”
“Motorcycle Drive By”—Season 5, Episode 7 “The Dream Is Not Me”
“Quittin’ Time”—Season 5, Episode 7 “The Dream Is Not Me”
“Summertime Blues”—Season 5, Episode 7 “The Dream Is Not Me”
“Tishomingo”—Season 5, Episode 8 “A Knife and No Coin”

Whiskey Myers

Whiskey Myers’ popularity skyrocketed after having songs featured on Yellowstone. However, the band didn’t just contribute songs to the series’ soundtrack. They also appeared in an episode as a band playing at a local bar. The soundtrack features nine of their songs.

“On the River”—Season 1, Episode 1 “Daybreak”
“Frogman”—Season 1, Episode 4 “The Long Black Train”
“Stone”—Season 1, Episode 4 “The Long Black Train
“Bar, Guitar, and Honky Tonk Crowd”—Season 1, Episode 5 “Coming Home”
“Broken Window Serenade”—Season 1, Episode 8 “The Unraveling”
“Mud”—Season 2, Episode 1 “A Thundering”
“Deep Down in the South”—Season 2, Episode 6 “Blood the Boy”
“Headstone”—Season 2, Episode 6 “Blood the Boy”
“Gasoline”—Season 3, Episode 3 “An Acceptable Surrender

Ryan Bingham

Ryan Bingham stars in Yellowstone as Walker. So, it only made sense to add some of the singer/songwriter’s tunes to the series. He contributed a whopping 15 songs to the show’s soundtrack, even singing in character sometimes.

“Sunrise”—Season 1, Episode 4 “The Long Black Train”
“All Choked Up Again”—Season 1, Episode 5 “Coming Home”
“Sunrise”—Season 1, Episode 5 “Coming Home”
“Wolves”—Season 1, Episode 7 “A Monster Is Among Us”
“My Diamond Is Too Rough”—Season 2, Episode 1 “A Thundering”
“Bread and Water”—Season 2, Episode 2 “New Beginnings”
“The Weary Kind”—Season 2, Episode 10 “Sins of the Father”
“Tell My Mother I Miss Her So”—Season 3, Episode 8 “I Killed a Man Today”
“Snake Eyes”—Season 3, Episode 9 “Meaner Than Evil.”
“The Other Side”—Season 4, Episode 2 “Phantom Pain”
“Wishing Well”—Season 4, Episode 2 “Phantom Pain”
“Take It Easy Mama”—Season 4, Episode 6 “I Want to Be Him”
“The Poet”—Season 4, Episode 7 “Keep the Wolves Close”
“Hallelujah”—Season 4, Episode 9 “No Such Thing as Fair”
“Nobody Knows My Trouble”—Season 5, Episode 6 “Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow, and You”

Tyler Childers

Tyler Childers was well-established by the time Yellowstone first featured his song “Nose to the Grindstone” in season two. However, fans of the show were excited to hear another familiar voice on the soundtrack. Childers contributed a total of three songs to the series.

“Nose on the Grindstone”—Season 2, Episode 5 “Touching Your Enemy”
“Lady May”—Season 3, Episode 2 “Freight Trains and Monsters”
“Born Again”—Season 3, Episode 7 “The Beating”

Colter Wall

Colter Wall is a perfect fit for the Yellowstone soundtrack. When he’s not in the studio or on the road, he is on the prairies of Canada working cattle as a real-deal cowboy and ranch hand. He contributed four songs to the show that made half the guys in your hometown start wearing cowboy cosplay.

“Caroline” featuring Belle Plaine—Season 3, Episode 1 “You’re the Indian Now”
“Plain to See Plainsman”—Season 4, Episode 1 “Half the Money”
“Sleeping on the Blacktop”—Season 4, Episode 3 “All I See Is You”
“Cowpoke”—Season 4, Episode 5 “Under a Blanket of Red”

Blackberry Smoke

Georgia-based Southern rock stalwarts Blackberry Smoke are all over the Yellowstone soundtrack. They contributed a total of 11 songs to the soundtrack.

“What Comes Naturally”—Season 2, Episode 1 “A Thundering”
“Ain’t Much Left of Me”—Season 2, Episode 1 “A Thundering”
“Train Rollin’”—Season 3, Episode 2 “The Reek of Desperation”
“Good One Comin’ On”—Season 2, Episode 5 “Touching Your Enemy”
“Scare the Devil Outta You”—Season 2, Episode 5 “Touching Your Enemy”
“Shakin’ Hands with the Holy Ghost”—Season 2, Episode 5 “Touching Your Enemy”
“Waiting for the Thunder”—Season 2, Episode 6 “Blood the Boy”
“Lucky Seven”—Season 2, Episode 7 “Resurrection Day”
“Sleeping Dogs”—Season 3, Episode 2 “Freight Trains and Monsters
“Hey Delilah”—Season 4, Episode 2 “Phantom Pain”
“All Over the Road”—Season 4, Episode 5 “Under a Blanket of Red”

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is a country music icon and a widely-known cultural touchstone even for those who aren’t fans of the genre. He has a single song on the Yellowstone soundtrack. With a presence as big as his, sometimes all you need is one song.

“Hands on the Wheel”—Season 4, Episode 4 “Winning or Learning”

John Prine

John Prine is another legendary artist who only contributed a single song to the Yellowstone soundtrack. Unfortunately, the legendary songwriter who had the power to make listeners laugh, cry, and take a long look at their lives within the span of a single song passed away before the show used his song.