20 Country Albums Every Rock Fan Should Listen To

Eric Church has a bit of an interesting career trajectory in Nashville to say the least. At a time when most other country frontmen were settling into the bro country mold for the next few years, Church packed up his band and settled into a groove that was much more in line with his rock and roll heroes. It was a noble effort for sure, but transitions like this should never really be this good.

Across every single track on Chief, Church basically becomes a heartland rocker, embracing his inner Tom Petty as he combs through everything from boozy rockers on Drink In My Hand to the elemental stomp of Creepin. It's not like Church is unaware of his cribbing either, with Springsteen being a shameless pastiche to how enduring some of those great songwriters can be for those fans who try to make a career of their own.

As opposed to country artists who try to wear other genres like a hat in the hopes that the public won't notice, Eric Church gave his career a second wind with this album, almost like he were reborn as a rocker who just happened to be born in the South. The country sound may still be accounted for, but there's no way to ignore the raw power behind these tunes.