Eagles or Kid Rock, they're equally awesome Eta: forgot about Hootie, he's up there with the Eagles too
That's high praise for Kid Rock. I was listening to his music yesterday and thought of this thread, so I can't say I disagree.
Byrds The Band Flying Burrito Brothers Gram Parsons Grateful Dead Mavericks Marshall Tucker Band early Charlie Daniels Band Sturgill Simpson Waylon Band of Heathens Flatlanders Ryan Bingham
That Sturgill Simpson rock album is as good as anything Black Keys have EVER DONE. Do not @ me. Also. Lucero.
Gram Parsons should always be #1 whether solo, with the Byrds or with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Does The Band count? Joe Ely's first LP is outstanding. Early Gary Stewart. Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown from the 90s. I think Jason Isbell and Nathaniel Rateliff are the best of the current bunch.
That electric slide guitar at 1:03 and other points in the song is probably the single best moment in country rock.
Country had always been part of the rock and roll sound, Gram Parsons just made that clear after the British had exorcized it…
My favorite Alt-Country album of all time is Son Volt's Trace. It was like the perfect crossover album for someone like me who was pretty much only into rock/metal/grunge. As a Texas teenager who absolutely disdained the pop country that was shoved in my face all throughout childhood, it was probably my first realization that country music can actually be pretty good when done the old way. Of course The over-driven alt-rock guitar helped bring me in.
I usually go for the harder stuff, but today will go for mellow stuff that is in the middle. Won't claim that they were ever strongly rock or country or any specific genre.