3 Country Albums That Flopped but Changed Songwriting Forever

Albums have flopped often over the years, including albums in the country music sphere. And while many of those commercial flops have been lost to time, others have become retrospective hits, if not retrospective masterpieces. Let’s look at a few country albums that flopped when they were first released, but have since gained legendary status among songwriters around the world.

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‘GP’ by Gram Parsons (1973)

Grievous Angel could have easily made it to this list, but I went with Gram Parsons’ debut record, GP. Despite being critically acclaimed from its release, this country rock classic failed to make it to the Billboard charts. It also didn’t get much radio play. Which is insane, considering this album is considered one of the pioneering albums of country rock. There are so many gorgeous songs on this album, from “A Song For You” to “Streets Of Baltimore” to “That’s All It Took”.

“This album remains a haunting reminder of Parsons’ talent and influence, and has only gotten better with the passing years,” wrote Mark Deming of AllMusic.

‘The Late Great Townes Van Zandt’ by Townes Van Zandt (1972)

Townes Van Zandt, as a whole, did not enjoy much commercial success while he was alive. Even his manager and producer, Kevin Eggers, bemoaned how little attention the now-legend received when he was alive.

“Townes had no commercial success,” said Eggers. “He was a blip on the radar screen. He worked very hard at being professional and had enormous exposure, but it was like we gave a party and nobody came. I never made any money on him.”

Despite the lackluster response to this 1972 album, it has since gone on to be revered by songwriters in country music and beyond.

‘No Depression’ by Uncle Tupelo (1990)

No Depression by Uncle Tupelo was a small indie release that did well commercially for an independent album. However, it did not sell nearly as well as one might think, considering it inspired alternative country music as an entire genre. Today, this early 90s alt-country album is a cult classic among fans. And it inspired a laundry list of musicians and songwriters. The record also inspired the development of the music magazine of the same name. And, honestly, I think this is one of the best albums of the 1990s, period.

Photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns