10 Bands That Ended Their Careers On A High Note
3. American IV - Johnny Cash
No one in their right mind in the '00s was expecting a new album by Johnny Cash to really set the world on fire. The Man In Black had been doing fine on Rick Rubin's American Recordings, but his days of outlaw country weren't really going to be spending that much time on the charts or anything. And while that might be true, American IV is the kind of epitaph that reminded us of the giant that was living among us.
Comprised largely of cover songs, this is the last album Johnny released before his death, and you can really tell he's at the end of the line by the songs that he chooses on here. Being used to covering old material, the difference here is the amount of rock and roll present, flipping songs like Personal Jesus and In My Life into acoustic ballads that he could have easily just dreamed up alongside his other classics. There are still moments where he revisits his old songbook as well, making songs like Give My Love to Rose that feel that much more heartwrenching when you realize how short his time is.
After passing away a few months after the album was released, songs like Nine Inch Nails' Hurt became more than just another rock cover for Johnny to lend his vocals to. Here was a man that was face to face with mortality and wondering whether he could atone for his sins when he makes it to the other side.