100 Best Country Albums of the 2000s: Part Four (39–20)

We’re really getting down to the best now. This is where I found the decisions of which album belonged where to be especially difficult. So here we go…

39.) Goodbye Normal Street
Artist: Turnpike Troubadours
Producers: Turnpike Troubadours and Wes Sharon
2012

Let’s get this out of the way. Every Turnpike album is included in the top 39. You’ll just have to wait and see where the others fall. They’re the best damn band in modern music, and Goodbye Normal Street solidified their status as kings of Red Dirt and modern alt-country. “ Well I’ve had all I can handle/hope you’re happy now, goodnight…”

38.) Spark
Artist: Drake White
Producers: Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover, and Drake White (“Waitin’ On The Whiskey To Work” produced by Andrew Petroff and Adam Schwind”)
2016

This is country soul. One of the best live acts you can find. One of the most genuine, down-to-Earth artists in country music. Spark is soulful Appalachian stew. Every song on the album has *feeling.* What else do you expect from an artist who has opened for Zac Brown Band, Kip Moore, and Eric Church?

37.) Humble Folks
Artist: Flatland Calvary
Producer: Scott Faris
2016

Flatland Calvary is a Turnpike disciple. They’re more interested in small-town vignettes and character sketches than most of the Texas scene. The album opens with “One I Want,” a simply beautiful love song. It’s a warm, inviting feeling for the listener. Sure, there are rollicking moments along the way like “Coyote,” but for the most part, the band sticks to laid-back, cozy textures.

36.) Dwight Sings Buck
Artist: Dwight Yoakam
Producer: Dwight Yoakam
2007

Many tributes can go awry real quick. Mostly due to the cover artist not fully appreciating or understanding the original. That’s not a problem here. Buck Owens was the biggest influence on Dwight’s career, and Dwight does every single song justice on the album. It’s understated and revelatory.

35.) Trouble In Mind
Artist: Hayes Carll
Producer: Brad Jones
2008

Hayes is one of the most talented songwriters of our generation, but it’s a song written by someone else that may be the best song on the record. “Bad Liver and A Broken Heart,” written by Scot Nolan, is foot-stomping rocker with just a tinge of regret for the singer’s lifestyle. No-holds-barred. “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” a Hayes’ co-write with Ray Wylie Hubbard kicks off the album masterfully and really sets the tone for what’s to come.

34.) Man with a Memory
Artist: Joe Nichols
Producer: Brent Rowan
2002

Take a look at the first three singles released from Man with a Memory- “The Impossible,” “Brokenheartsville,” and “She Only Smokes When She Drinks.” Songs like that, even in the early 2000s, were hard-core country. Today, most of those would be deep cuts on most mainstream records. The title track is especially wonderful. It captures the story both of lost love and new beginnings in a beautiful five minute vignette. One of my personal favorite songs of all-time.

33.) On the Rocks
Artist: Midland
Producers: Josh Osborne, Dann Huff, and Shane McAnally
2017

There may not be a more exciting new act in country music than Midland. The harmonies, the influence of both the Eagles and Gary Stewart. Their debut album put all their best attributes on display. “Drinkin’ Problem” was an instant smash. “At Least You Cried” is a great nod to Dwight Yoakam’s sound. And “More Than a Fever,” no exaggeration, could’ve been included on one of the Eagles’ first albums and not sounded out of place. Fantastic stuff.

32.) Tenderheart
Artist: Sam Outlaw
Producer: Martin Pradler
2017

I’ll be honest, I still have no idea what kind of artist Sam Outlaw wants to be or how he sees his career. Formerly a successful career man in the advertising business, Sam took his mother’s maiden name and undertook a music career. Yet outlaw is no descriptor of his music. It’s breezy, lush, and relaxed. More mimosa than Jack and coke. More SoCal than Texas. Tenderheart is the perfect album for a relaxed day at the beach or a Sunday afternoon. “Trouble” is a lot of fun, and “All My Life” is the most honky-tonk moment on the record. Meanwhile, the title-track drifts along like a late evening on the Pacific Coast. A beautiful record.

31.) Whitey Morgan and the 78s
Artist: Whitey Morgan and the 78s
Producer: Whitey Morgan
2010

It’s rare that an artist can be so talented at writing his or her own songs but also make covers sound like an original. Outlaw to the core, Whitey shines on loser’s laments and driving back-beats. His self-titled album includes covers like Paycheck’s “Meanest Jukebox In Town” and stand-out originals like “Hard Scratch Pride,” “Bad News,” and “I Ain’t Drunk.” So turn up the bottle, bartender, and turn up the Jones…

30.) Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions
Artist: Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
Producer: Marty Stuart
2010

Possibly the most interesting artist in music, and a true renaissance man, Marty Stuart combs the depths of country music to record unique, captivating albums. On Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions, Marty and his fantastic band lean into some neo-traditional and rockabilly. The instrumentation is first-rate as is to be expected. “Crazy Arms,” allows Ralph Mooney, the original writer of the song and long-time member of Waylon’s band, to really shine on steel guitar. The railroading songs are some of the album’s standouts, but the best track is “Porter Wagoner’s Grave.” It’s impossible to hear the song without getting chills. Half-spoken, half-sung, it’s one of the best songs of the decade.

29.) A Long Way From Your Heart
Artist: Turnpike Troubadours
Producer: Ryan Hewitt and Turnpike Troubadours
2017

The diversity yet familiarity of sounds included the album here are what makes this album so special. Their rootsy, folksy sound found on Turnpike’s first couple albums can be found on “Pay No Rent” and “The Housefire” while some rockin’, alt-country is shown off on tracks like “The Winding Stair Mountain Blues” and “A Tornado Warning.” But this also may be Turnpike’s most accessible album to the casual fan. “Oklahoma Stars” is a particularly warm song.

28.) Mr. Misunderstood
Artist: Eric Church
Producer: Jay Joyce
2015

Mr. Misunderstood was the album that launched Eric Church from respected and admired country star to an artist who transcends the genre. “Knives of New Orleans” is Springsteen-esque with its storytelling, and the title-track is a rollicking alt-country tale that’s at least semi-autobiographical. “Mistress Named Music” is a beautiful composition. And the singles were so well chosen, with “Record Year,” “Kill A Word,” and “Round Here Buzz” following “Mr. Misunderstood.” Leaving no doubt Chief is a step-above everyone else.

27.) Slowheart
Artist: Kip Moore
Producer: Kip Moore, David Garcia, and Luke Dick
2017

My feelings on Kip Moore’s music have been made very clear. His music has been there for me so much over the past couple years. I just feel such a strong personal connection to his spirit as an artist and what he’s singing about. Slowheart was culmination of all that. I wrote extensively on the album when it was released, but suffice to say, Slowheart is an album full of both moody, contemplative cuts and optimistic, care-free tracks. Sonically, it’s as good as Wild Ones, and lyrically it’s even better than Up All Night.

26.) The Suffering Stage
Artist: Joseph Huber
Producer: Joseph Huber
2017

With all due respect to most of the great artists residing in the Americana genre today, Joseph Huber is the definition of Americana music. He’s not playing rock ’n’ roll or country that doesn’t fit on the radio. He’s playing traditional American roots music. The title track is one of the best songs of the century thus far, with the tempo changes proving so effective. “16–10” is a wildly fun fiddle-driven tune. And Huber’s songwriting can’t be ignored either. He’s *the* artist I really wish more people knew.

25.) Straight To Hell
Artist: Hank Williams III
Producer: Hank Williams III, Joe Buck, and Andy Gibson
2006

There would be no modern underground country movement without Hank Williams III. That’s a simple fact. Straight To Hell is Hank III’s magnum opus. He mixes songs about heartache, drifting, and loneliness in such a masterful way. I’ve always thought Hank III is the culmination of the best of Hank Sr. and Dwight Yoakam with an extra side of punk. He’s a legend. Plain and simple.

24.) Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Artist: Sturgill Simpson
Producer: Dave Cobb
2014

Sturgill’s second album is certainly one of the most important works to come out of the 2000s. Metamodern Sounds in Country Music was far removed from his debut in terms of scope, instrumentation, and songwriting. There was still a hint of the outlaw neo-traditionalist, but listeners could tell Sturgill wasn’t planning on being pigeon-holed. “Turtles All The Way Down” announced right off the bat that this album would be different. The Americana world ate this album up, and it signaled a shift toward more recognition of non-mainstream country music.

23.) The Bluegrass Album
Artist: Alan Jackson
Producers: Keith Stegall and Adam Wright
2013

Alan Jackson didn’t just record a bluegrass album to be done with it. He recorded a bluegrass album because he’s a badass. The Bluegrass Album is straight-ahead bluegrass- not progressive bluegrass, not country with a mandolin thrown in. It’s something even a purist like Bill Monroe would have found no fault with. From literally the first notes of the opening song, the listener knows he or she is bound for a ride through the Appalachian Mountains. “Blacktop” is a particularly strong moment on the song, subtly reminding all the bro-country artists that dirt roads aren’t always filled with nostalgia and good times.

22.) Fear and Saturday Night
Artist: Ryan Bingham
Producers: Ryan Bingham and Jim Scott
2015

Mr. Ryan Bingham has lived a tough life. He lost his mother to alcoholism and his father to suicide, two deaths that strongly shaped the path Bingham’s music would take. I firmly believe Bingham is the best songwriter in modern music and one of the best artists of this generation. The title-track recalls some of Bingham’s earliest material while “Nobody Knows My Trouble” is a bit more hopeful than what Bingham’s fans may be used to. In fact, there’s a hint of optimism scattered across the album. But when all is said and done, Bingham is at his best when looking inward to the darkest spots of the human condition.

21.) Sinner
Artist: Aaron Lewis
Producer: Buddy Cannon
2016

Take away “That Ain’t Country” (which is still a great country protest song) and “Northern Redneck,” and Sinner is truly a bummer of an album for the listener’s mood. I remember listening to the album for the first time. I was in a decent mood, but by the last track, all I wanted to do was slide into some corner bar stool and order a shot of whiskey and a beer. “Sunday Every Saturday Night” is truly a great honky-tonk lament, and “I Lost It All” will tear you apart. “Lost and Lonely” and “Story of My Life” back-to-back wreck you. By the time “Travelin’ Soldier” finishes the album, you’re swamped on 100% pure-country heartache.

20.) The Foundation
Artist: Zac Brown Band
Producer: Zac Brown and Keith Stegall
2008

Such a breath of fresh air for the country music world. Zac Brown Band took the genre by storm with their debut album. The band didn’t just knock on the door, they tore it off its hinges. The extensive amount of influences on The Foundation blend together seamlessly. I can’t think of many other albums that bring to mind such warm and nostalgic feelings.

Part Five will finish up this series! Coming soon.