Picking just six essential country albums that all fans should listen to before they die is no easy feat. This list is not exhaustive by any means, and our picks come down to a matter of taste. Regardless, these six albums are a few of the most influential and inspiring pieces of work to ever be produced in the country music world. Let’s dive in!
1. ‘Car Wheels On A Gravel Road’ by Lucinda Williams
This treasure of an album from 1998 is by far Lucinda Williams’ very best. It’s also a beautiful example of top-notch country songwriting. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road is a country masterpiece that explores what Southern life is all about. Williams managed to take the listener on a timeless venture into the mundane, while still keeping feelings of nostalgia and excitement at the forefront.
2. ‘Coat Of Many Colors’ by Dolly Parton
Any collection of essential country albums wouldn’t be worth the shelf it’s sitting on without Coat Of Many Colors. This classic Dolly Parton album from 1971 marked a notable change in direction for her country music career as a soloist. It’s packed with memorable hits, from the title track to “My Blue Tears” to “Here I Am”.
3. ‘Serving 190 Proof’ by Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard’s 1979 album Serving 190 Proof was written when Haggard was feeling particularly low in his career. Where many artists would opt to throw in the towel, Haggard threw in what has become one of his greatest studio albums. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a midlife crisis, without overstepping into too-miserable-to-listen-to territory. You can’t beat the melodies and gospel inspirations on this album.
4. ‘Dreaming My Dreams’ by Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings could easily make this list a few times, but there’s something particularly iconic about Dreaming My Dreams from 1975. The recording process was notoriously dramatic and drawn-out for this album, but it managed to become one of his very best works. Jennings took traditional country and flipped it on its head with this genre-defining record.
5. ‘Red Headed Stranger’ by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson has produced over 100 albums during his career, but Red Headed Stranger remains his most memorable. This 1975 record is a concept album that follows the story of a man on the run after murdering his wife. The storytelling is legendary, but the instrumentation and small details on this album are also worth applauding. “Blues Eyes Crying In The Rain” is the album’s biggest hit, but the whole of the record is worth listening to in its entirety. We recommend using headphones.
[See Willie Nelson Live On Tour]
6. ‘At Folsom Prison’ by Johnny Cash
At Folsom Prison was unlike anything else out there in 1968. Johnny Cash leaned into his Man in Black outlaw persona, opting to perform his biggest hits live at Folsom Prison in California to an audience of 200 inmates. Few live albums are quite as legendary as this one, and few artists have managed to step away from “safe” country music as he did.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives
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