20 Country Albums Every Rock Fan Should Listen To

The world of heartland rock hasn't been all that far removed from the country sounds of the South. Whereas someone like John Mellencamp might fit comfortably in the country mold, those records are still rock albums but with a country twist. No, if you want to truly transition into country, you need someone like the Boss at the helm.

Being a pure Springsteen affair, this solo album without the help of his trademark E Street Band has a much grander scope than just rock and roll. From front to back, Western Stars seems to be full of characters that would have fit like a glove in country songs, from the patrons that occupy Sleepy Joe's Cafe to the worker who wakes up glad his boots are on in the title track. With the help of fantastic session musicians like Jon Brion, Bruce produced one of his most rustic group of songs in ages, as every song tells a story of someone up against the odds.

Even though you could see people like this occupying the same stage as Born to Run, the instrumentation is what really sells this album, which sits somewhere between sounding like a grand orchestra and the house band that you see sipping whiskey at the end of the bar. Country and rock musicians might be two very different people, but everyone will know what it's like to be down on their luck and throwing caution to the wind regardless.