4 Country Debut Albums That Changed the Genre

All it takes is one good debut album to turn a genre on its head. The music industry is aways looking for the next best thing and a great first album can not only put an artist on the fast track to fame, but prompt other artists to follow their lead. Find four country debut albums that did just that, below.

4 Country Debut Albums That Changed the Genre

1. Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar – Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash’s influence on country music cannot be denied. On top of his unique sound, his weighty lyrical themes transfixed and related to audiences in a way few of his peers had previously accomplished. That reputation all started with his debut album, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar.

I lie awake at night to wait till you come in
You stay a little while and then you’re gone again
Every question that I ask I get a lie, lie, lie
For every lie you tell you’re gonna cry, cry, cry

2. Why Not Me – The Judds

Next up on our list of country debut albums, we have The Judds’ Why Not Me. Similarly The Judds were endlessly transformative on country music. They started a new era for female artists in the genre. Moreover, they looked to the past to influence their classic sound. Their debut album is host to some of their most memorable hits, including the perennial “Mama He’s Crazy.” It was a powerful first effort from a duo that proved to be an enduring force in the genre.

Mama, he’s crazy, crazy over me
And in my life is where he says
He always wants to be

I’ve never been so in love
He beats all I’ve ever seen
And mama, he’s crazy, he’s crazy over me

3.  Wide Open Spaces – The Chicks

No one needs to explain how The Chicks have influence country music. Their career turned on its head in 2003 when they dared to speak on President Bush and his decision to send the U.S. into Iraq. Though they received a lot of backlash, it set in motion an entire generation of country artists that were more outspoken about their beliefs. But, long before that fateful moment, their debut album helped to establish a classic sound that would inspire a generation of musicians in a different, yet equally as consequential way.

She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes

4. Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift

Lastly on our list of country debut albums, we have Taylor Swift‘s. Her self-titled record likely incited envy in her peers. It was deeply successful and brought listeners into the genre that previously hadn’t been familiar with it. Her pop-leaning sound was fodder for crossover success. And, clearly, it was enough to set her on a path for unstoppable fame.

Our song is the slamming screen door
Sneakin’ out late, tapping on your window
When we’re on the phone, and you talk real slow
‘Cause it’s late, and your mama don’t know
Our song is the way you laugh
The first date, “Man, I didn’t kiss her, and I should have”
And when I got home, ‘fore I said, “Amen”
Asking God if he could play it again

[RELATED: Taylor Swift Shatters 35-Year-Old Record Previously Held By Michael Jackson]

(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)