Well, actually 21 albums…

This was a pretty good year for music, but as usual you had to do a little bit of poking around to find the stuff that mainstream radio isn’t playing. This year’s list has a bunch of classic country artists (including several Country Music Hall of Famers), a dash of Red Dirt and even a little mainstream country. Let’s dig right in:

#21 Take the High Road by the Blind Boys of Alabama
Produced by Jamey Johnson, this album combines southern gosepel with country gospel with guest vocalists Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Lee Ann Womack and more.

#20 Neon by Chris Young
One of the better neo-neo-traditionalists out there, a little closer to George Strait than he is to Jason Aldean.

#19 Blessed by Lucinda Williams
Probably her best album since Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. In fact, it might be better than that.

#18 Rare Bird Alert by Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers
The Rangers are the perfect complement to Steve’s picking. Great talent here.

#17 Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss & Union Station
Sweet vocals and some really good material on this album.

#16 Lady and Gentlemen by LeAnn Rimes
Country covers of songs by male artists, but it’s not karaoke. LeAnn gives each song an arrangement that you might not have thought would work, but it does.

#15 Beyond the Sun by Chris Isaak
Chris sings the music he grew up with from Elvis, Cash, Orbison and Jerry Lee. The Elvis stuff might sound a little too much like Elvis.

#14 Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns by John Hiatt
His unique vocals work through a variety of really good material.

#13 Good Luck and True Love by Reckless Kelly
A little more traditional country than some of their more recent efforts, but quite nice.

#12 Your Money and My Good Looks by Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent
Hardcore country doesn’t get better than this. One of the great vocalists of all time and one of the best female talents out there.

#11 Hard Bargain by Emmylou Harris
This album harkens back to the Emmylou of 15 years ago as she transitioned from mainstream country to Americana icon.

#10 I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive by Steve Earle
How does Steve Earle keep getting better and better? he does it somehow.

#9 Chief by Eric Church
Eric pushes the envelope of country music without pushing completely out of the framework. Innovative. I liked a lot of stuff on this album, and the stuff I didn’t like I still respected the effort.

#8 Ronnie Dunn by Ronnie Dunn
The better half of Brooks & Dunn goes a little more rootsy than when he was in the duo and put out two of the finest songs of the year — Bleed Red and Cost of Living.

#7 Ghost On the Canvas by Glen Campbell
What’s billed as Glen’s final studio album is a gem. It harkens back to his late 1960s heyday without sounding dated.

#6 Working In Tennessee by Merle Haggard
The guy’s still got it. Hard working country at its best.

#5 Guitar Slinger by Vince Gill
No one moves as seamlessly from country to bluegrass to gospel to funky rock. It’s all compressed into one album.

#4 Hell On Heels by The Pistol Annies
Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe put a lot of sass back into country.

#3 Country Again by Ronnie Milsap
Everyone is overlooking this great disc from Ronnie. After trying to get radio airplay on the last album or two, Ronnie goes all out with his classic 1980s sound.

#2 Rancho Alto by Jason Boland & The Stragglers
Why can’t mainstream country be like this? Rock solid arrangements and material. Let’s kick modern country out of Nashville and replace it with Red Dirt.

#1 Here For A Good Time by George Strait
Some 30 years in the business and he hasn’t missed a beat — and somehow mainstream radio still plays him. One of the best albums ever from King George.

Biggest Surprise – Chief by Eric Church. I was all set to hate this album, but Eric’s innovation won me over.
Worst Album — Outlaws Like Me by Justin Moore. Bland, bland album. If Sugarland hadn’t released The Incredible Machine last year, Outlaws could have been the worst album in the last few years.
Biggest Disappointment – Old Mad Joy by the Gourds. After the rollicking Haymaker! from last year, this one just seemed to bog down.

Songs That Made Me Stop and Listen (in no particular order):
A Cold, Rainy Morning In London In June by Matraca Berg
False Accuser’s Lament by Jason Boland & The Stragglers
Springsteen by Eric Church
A Better Place by Glen Campbell
Weatherbeaten Soul by Reckless Kelly
Bleed Red by Ronnie Dunn
The Gulf of Mexico by Steve Earle
The Road by Emmylou Harris
You’ve Been Lonesome, Too by Alan Jackson
and especially
Drinking Man by George Strait