20 Essential Albums Every Country Music Fan Should Own

14. Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71cIYDnDZUk Key Tracks: Hands on the Wheel, Time of the Preacher, Red Headed Stranger Inspired by 50s country song Tale of the Red Headed Stranger, Nelson devloped this concept album after he was given complete creative control by record label Columbia. Execs were baffled when Nelson presented the finished product, a sparse, stripped-down affair, assuming that what they were hearing was in fact a demo. Despite initial fears regarding its content (70s mainstream country featured a much bigger sound), the album turned out to be a massive success, before critically and commercially. Commentators praised the album's concept and noted the power of Nelson's voice, agreeing that the bare instrumentation helped, not hindered. A simple but effective album.