3 Country Albums That Were Considered “Too Different” When They Dropped

Some of the greatest country albums of all time sounded “too different” or “too out there” for many mainstream country music fans and/or record labels. Some, though, went on to become legendary pieces of work anyway, including the following three groundbreaking albums.

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‘Red Headed Stranger’ by Willie Nelson (1975)

Red Headed Stranger was the album that put Willie Nelson back on the map after a bit of a career downturn. In fact, out of his enormous discography of records, this is the one that most people can name, including non-fans of outlaw country. And it might just be one of the most important country outlaw country concept albums of the 20th century. And yet, when this album was first served up to Columbia executives, they thought it was a demo. That’s how stripped-down and raw it was. They weren’t hopeful for its success, but they were ultimately proved wrong. Red Headed Stranger topped the Top Country Albums chart and hit No. 28 on the Billboard 200.

‘Sweetheart Of The Rodeo’ by The Byrds (1968)

The Byrds had been toying with country music in a smaller capacity for a while before they dove headfirst into progressive country rock with Sweetheart Of The Rodeo from 1968. The result was a totally groundbreaking piece of work a la the creative power of country rock icon Gram Parsons. To country fans, it was a strange divergence into unwalked musical territory. As a result, its success varied based on location. The album was a No. 77 hit on the Top LPs chart in the US. However, it didn’t chart at all in the UK.

‘The Gilded Palace Of Sin’ by The Flying Burrito Brothers (1969)

This groundbreaking album from The Flying Burrito Brothers was too country for rock fans and too rock for country fans at the time. And, overall, the ahead-of-its-time blend of gospel and psychedelia was too weird for most listeners. As a result, The Gilded Palace Of Sin was not particularly successful, only peaking at No. 164 on the Billboard 200. In retrospect, though, this country rock record is considered a pioneering one in the development of country rock music in the 1970s. It’s among many albums of similar ilk that were considered “too different” for country, but maybe that’s exactly what country music needed.

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