3 Iconic Country Albums That Are Better if You Listen to Them All the Way Through

Popular albums are usually built around one or two songs that rise quickly on the charts. Those songs are the initial spark, but what about the other 10-12 on the tracklist? The three records below have massively successful singles, but their real strength lies in the big picture. These country albums are better if you listen to them all the way through. They are more than worth the time it takes to get through them.

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‘Red Headed Stranger’ — Willie Nelson

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Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger is largely considered the definitive country concept record. The storyline is so well written that it was adapted into a screenplay with minimal changes. Because of the narrative nature of this album, it’s best to listen to the tracklist all the way through.

This outlaw country album tells the story of a preacher who murders his cheating wife and her lover. The themes of lost morals and grief weigh heavily, but Nelson’s tender voice shoulders a lot of it. There’s too much emotion and context not to enjoy the big picture of this album, as opposed to its individual parts.

‘Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs’ — Marty Robbins

In the late 50s, many people were obsessed with romanticized versions of the Old West. Westerns were familiar faces on TV, and musicians started to play with sounds that evoked that antiquated setting. Few musicians did this as well as Marty Robbins did on Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs.  

This country album is chock-full of songs that paint a vivid, idealistic picture of what life must have been like on the old frontier. From gunslingers to ill-fated loves, every song on this record has a purpose within the larger story. If you’re only familiar with “El Paso” or “Big Iron” on this album, it’s worth a deeper listen.

‘Golden Hour’ — Kacey Musgraves

While Kacey Musgraves’ “Golden Hour” isn’t exactly a concept record, it has themes that run throughout the tracklist. Musgraves was very much in love while writing this record—in the golden hour of her life. She used that honeymoon phase to great appeal, delivering an album that’s an undisputed upper.

Every song on this record is strong on its own, but when listened to in tandem, the listener can walk away with an optimism that long outlasts the record’s runtime.

(Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Shock Ink)