20 Country Albums Every Rock Fan Should Listen To

Every one of these albums seemed to be about rock stars trying on the veil of country. Though many of these acts have come out of the Nashville scene, their presentation seems to be on the showmanship that comes with rock rather than the wayward traveler of country music. Whereas some of these acts are rock players that want to play country, Steve Earle is the country artist who's trying to be a rockstar.

After slogging it out in the Nashville scene for over half of his life, Earle's first smash album is full of outlaw tales, as he talks about the mistakes he's made and the road miles he's put on his guitar. Along with typical rock subjects like life on the road and the blues, there are many moments that can tug at your heartstrings, as Earle pledges his devotion on Fearless Heart and even makes a sad call back home to his estranged son on Little Rock N Roller.

As opposed to the more pop leaning country that was starting to make waves, records like this picked up where guys like Willie Nelson left off, almost like Earle is trying to find some sort of meaning behind the relentless touring life. Given that these stories aren't always on the brightest of topics, here's hoping that you have a fearless heart like Earle's before you take on something like this.