10 Non Rock Albums That Rock Music Fans Love

Every single rock star always seemed to have some sort of lingering respect for Johnny Cash. Even though the man was firmly a country star for most of his life, the lifestyle that he led was much more in line with the rock star's story, from the songs that he would sing about people from the wrong side of the tracks to the turbulent life that he had at home. Rock stars were born out of outlaws like these, and when it came time for Johnny to bow out, he left us with one of the best notes he possibly could.

Although most of American IV is comprised of covers, it doesn't matter once Johnny inhabits the roles of these characters, either dusting off some of his well worn material like Send My Love To Rose or breaking new ground by covering the likes of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails in his more rustic style. Compared to the songs that he had been singing for most of his career, hearing a song like Personal Jesus in this context gives you a lot more perspective on how Johnny heard these tunes, seeing the modern outlaws underneath all of the rock clothing.

The real hard hitters are the ballads though, where Johnny tries to take accountability for a lot of the mistakes that he made in his life and hoping to have done enough good to make it to the other side when he sings songs like In My Life or Bridge Over Troubled Water. No matter how hard you may want to run, all desperados are going to have to come to rest eventually, and American IV is the sound of a man owning up to his flaws and looking death right in the face. The style might be country, but the attitude is about as rock and roll as it gets.