Saving Country Music’s Greatest Albums of All Time
So here it is ladies and gentlemen, a list of what Saving Country Music considers to be the “Greatest Country Music Albums of All Time.” Please understand numerous factors went into this list, but the most important determining factor was influence. This isn’t our “favorite” albums, but appeal factored into this as well. You may think Garth Brooks is a dunder head for example, but the man sold as many albums than the Beatles so he probably belongs here. This is taking into consideration the wide panoram of country music, not just classic or traditional country. And as always, the aim of this exercise is sharing, and so if you see a glaring omission or would do a switch-aroo on the placement of certain titles, feel free to offer your insight in the comments section below.
SCM’s Greatest Underground Country Albums of All Time
Also note this does not include greatest hits (so yeah, Hank Williams mostly released singles), compilations (so no Wanted: The Outlaws), soundtracks (no O Brother Where Art Thou), or “crossover” albums (no Stardust). It does however include live albums. And the albums need to be really country, or really influence the founding of a country subgenre.
Willie Nelson- Red Headed Stranger- Johnny Cash – Live At Folsom Prison
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will The Circle Be Unbroken
- Waylon Jennings – Honky Tonk Heroes
- Ray Charles – Modern Sounds of Country & Western Music
- The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
- Johnny Cash – American Recordings (Take Your Pick)
- Patsy Cline – Showcase
- Johnny Cash – Live at San Quentin
- Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball
Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel- Kris Kristofferson – Kristofferson (later Me & Bobby McGee)
- John Hartford – Aereo-Plain
- The Grateful Dead- Workingman’s Dead/American Beauty
- Garth Brooks – No Fences
- Dolly Parton – Coat of Many Colors
- Loretta Lynn – Coal Miner’s Daughter
- Merle Haggard – Mama Tried
- Roger Miller – The Return of Roger Miller
- Bill Monroe – Bean Blossom
- The Louvin Brothers – Satan Is Real
Jerry Jeff Walker – Viva Terlingua- Hank Williams III – Straight to Hell
- Dwight Yoakam – Guitars, Cadillacs, etc. etc.
- Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
- Bobby Bare – Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends, & Lies
- Uncle Tupelo – No Depression
- Townes Van Zandt – Live at the Old Quarter
- Lyle Lovett – Pontiac
- Marty Robbins – Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
- The Dixie Chicks – Home
- Willie Nelson – Shotgun Willie
Waylon Jennings – The Ramblin’ Man- Merle Haggard – Swinging Doors
- Wayne “The Train” Hancock – Thunderstorms & Neon Signs
- Steve Earle – Guitar Town
- Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
- Dolly Parton – The Grass Is Blue
- Waylon Jennings – Dreaming My Dreams
- George Jones – I Am What I Am
- Hank Williams Jr. – The Pressure Is On
- Johnny Paycheck – Take This Job and Shove It
Junior Brown – Guit With It- Roger Miller – Roger and Out
- Waylon Jennings – Ol’ Waylon
- Willie Nelson – Phases and Stages
- Kellie Pickler – 100 Proof
- Garth Brooks – Ropin’ the Wind
- Emmylou Harris- Roses in the Snow
- Randy Travis – Storms of Life
- Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose
- The Highwaymen – Highwaymen
Merle Haggard – Okie From Muskogee (live)- Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man
- Dale Watson – Live in London…England
- David Allan Coe –Rides Again
- Jamey Johnson – That Lonesome Song
- Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
- George Strait – Blue Clear Sky
- Guy Clark – Old No. 1
- Willis Alan Ramsey – Willis Alan Ramsey
- Ween – 12 Golden Country Classics
David Allan Coe – Penitentiary Blues- The Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces
- Clint Black – Killin’ Time
- Hank Snow – The Southern Cannonball
- Tammy Wynette – D-I-V-O-R-C-E
- Alan Jackson – A Lot About Livin’
- Dwight Yoakam – Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
- Billy Joe Shaver – Old Five & Dimers Like Me
- Hank Williams III – Lovesick, Broke & Driftin’
- Ray Price – Night Life
Johnny Paycheck – 11 Months, 29 Days- Bob Willis & His Texas Playboys – For The Last Time
- Garth Brooks – In Pieces
- LeAnn Rimes – Blue
- Miranda Lambert – Revolution
- Brooks & Dunn – Brand New Man
- Kris Kristofferson – The Silver Tongued Devil And I
- Hank Williams Jr. – Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound
- Flying Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin
- Terry Allen – Lubbock
- Son Volt – Trace
- Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt – Trio
- Hellbound Glory – Old Highs and New Lows
- Vern Gosdin – Chiseled in Stone
- Keith Whitley – Don’t Close Your Eyes
- Buck Owens – Live At Carnegie Hall
- Patty Loveless – Mountain Soul
- Robert Earl Keen – West Textures
- 357 String Band – Fire & Hail
- James Hand – The Truth Will Set You Free
- Randy Travis – 8 x 10
- Jerry Reed – When You’re Hot You’re Hot
- Unknown Hinson – The Future Is Unknown
- Hayes Carll – Trouble In Mind
- Jason Boland & The Stragglers – Comal County Blue
- Marty Stuart – The Ghost Train Studio ‘B’ Sessions
April 5, 2013 @ 1:27 pm
would’ve loved to see Corb Lund make an appearance
April 30, 2013 @ 8:12 pm
If we are talking influence then we really need a Chet Adkins album on there.
May 19, 2013 @ 2:30 am
I plan to eventually check out any of these I have never listened to and I am extremely pleased to see Kellie Pickler’s 100 Proof on here. It is one of the best CDs I have ever purchased.
May 21, 2013 @ 11:30 pm
I really loved The Steeldrivers self titled album, Chris Knights Trailor Tapes, Ashton Shepherds Sounds So Good, Chris Thile and Michal Dave’s Sleep With One Eye Open, and Ryan Binghams Mescalito.
May 31, 2013 @ 6:48 pm
Pat Green’s Live at Billy Bob’s brought a lot of people over to non-mainstream country, and it was a dang good album to boot. Unfortunately it all went downhill for his music shortly after that album.
October 28, 2013 @ 3:17 am
Del Rio 1959 by Radney Foster should be included here somewhere in the middle.
Jason Eady’s AM Country Heaven and a Turnpike Troubadour’s album would be could be good examples of a milestone turnaround (hopefully) from today’s shiot.
November 25, 2013 @ 12:08 pm
Hank 3?twice?? ween? garth brooks?
yet no buddy miller? Hank Senior? Jimmie rodgers? carter family?
this is an embarassing list – for shame
November 25, 2013 @ 12:12 pm
Hank Sr., Jimmie Rodgers, and the Carter Family did not release albums in the traditional sense, they released singles, and Jimmy Rodgers and The Carter Family didn’t even really do that. Later their songs were made into compilations, but as the ground rules of this list stated, those were not considered.
This is not a list of artists, it is a list of albums.
December 5, 2013 @ 8:48 am
I don’t mean to be argumentative but Garth Brooks is a legend. Listen to No Fences or Ropin the Wind they are both in the top ten country releases in the 90’s. Also there has always been an issue with pop music in country. Ex. Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold. Eddy Arnold was even quoted saying that he didn’t care if the music was country or not he wanted a hit. I love Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold but Garth Brooks Made Country music’s popularity increase. I’m so sick of people saying he ruined traditional country music when essentially there have been numerous artists who have added a lot of pop in their style of country. Ronnie Milsap, Eddy Arnold, Shania Twain, Reba, Dolly Parton, Slyvia, Earl Thomas Conley, Lee Greenwood, Kenny Rodgers, Jim Reeves, Skeeter Davis, Alabama.
December 7, 2013 @ 7:53 am
Where’s Gary Stewart’s Out of hand album??? That one of the greatest country albums of all time or Joe Ely’s Honky Tonk Masquerade. Two essential Honky Tonk records
December 23, 2019 @ 3:16 pm
Ditto on Honky Tonk Masquerade.
December 28, 2013 @ 10:33 pm
Trigger, what edition of “Live at Folsom Prison” would you recommend to a first-time listener? I’ve wanted to explore the album as I’m familiar with most of Cash’s live singles, but the sheer number of editions of the album baffles me. I’m sure that you listen to vinyl, but what CD edition would you recommend (assuming that you’re familiar with any of them)?
Also, as an addition to the list, perhaps “Hank Williams Jr. & Friends” deserves a spot? It’s not “Red Headed Stranger”, but I think that it’s a great album in its own right.
December 28, 2013 @ 10:55 pm
Honestly, beyond the original release, which I have always owned on vinyl, I am not too familiar on the particulars of the re-releases or special editions. I would probably look for the one with the most content because the entire concert is unbeatable. Cash is one of these guys they’ve release and re-released so many times you need a road map to navigate it all.
December 28, 2013 @ 10:43 pm
I was loving the list until I came across a name that damn near made me vomit. Miranda Lambert. You can’t be serious. If I hear one more bitching song out of her, I might just go crazy. How many times can she re-release Gunpowder and Lead with a different title?
Aside from that, she’s topped out. She’ll never release a song as good as “All Kinds of Kinds” again. And she didn’t write it.
March 3, 2014 @ 12:26 pm
Among the top 3 should be Hank Wilson is back with Leon Russell
October 30, 2014 @ 12:23 pm
I know this list is old but I just found this site not long ago and stumbled upon this article.
I am surprised that if you were going to choose a Miranda Lambert album that you would pick “Revolution” over “Kerosene.” While I enjoyed them both I didn’t think the follow-up packed the same punch.
Also very surprised to see Kellie Pickler on the list. Might have to give her a 2nd chance if the album is really that good.
November 9, 2014 @ 8:59 pm
Just came across this. As a 50+ year listener to country music, I commend you for a great list. You obviously know your country music quite well (I didn’t think anyone but me remembered “The Southern Cannonball” by Hank Snow).
Might I also suggest “Diamonds and Dirt” by Rodney Crowell? One of the definitive country albums of the 80s.
January 18, 2015 @ 10:42 am
Crowell’s album is definitely worthy of at least a mention. Not only was “Diamonds and Dirt” an excellent album, D&D also spawned five number one hits in a row.
December 24, 2014 @ 9:30 am
Waylon Live…. Expanded edition. Awesome.
April 14, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
no Alabama?
June 8, 2015 @ 10:28 am
Perhaps it’s time for an update to this list? At the very least Metamodern Sounds in Country Music deserves a spot, along with perhaps Traveller.
July 7, 2017 @ 3:32 pm
would also add Southeastern
July 29, 2016 @ 8:57 am
Nice list, but you really need Rattlin’ Bones by Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson. Also, no Shania Twain, Kasey Musgraves, or Alison Krauss?
March 25, 2017 @ 6:36 pm
This is a joke.
August 26, 2017 @ 1:47 pm
Prine?
December 9, 2020 @ 10:57 pm
We need an update!!!
January 15, 2021 @ 6:23 pm
Kelly pickler #47 yeah right!
April 1, 2021 @ 9:24 pm
Frisco Mabel Joy.
December 27, 2021 @ 6:30 am
I think it’s time for an update. Not sure why Diamonds and Gasoline didn’t make the list the first time round but it definitely deserves to be here and towards the top. And I think number one needs to change to Purgatory. If anyone was to see this comment I’d probably get blasted and ran out of town but Tyler Childers has brought country music to people who never even thought about listening to country music and it’s still outselling mainstream acts 4 years after the release speaks for itself. And it’s an absolutely fantastic album. It’s number 1 in my mind
July 22, 2024 @ 10:53 pm
Finally took the time to really listen to Marty Stuart’s The Pilgrim, and it has become one of my favorite albums of all-time. It is transcendent, and deserves to be on this list. Btw, read Marty’s book, The Pilgrim: A Wall to Wall Odyssey, which he just released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the record, and it will give you historical insight into it’s artistic significance (it also includes a remastered version of the album.