Background: Americana is a subset of American roots music, best defined as "classic American music" ranging in style from and including elements of folk, country, blues, bluegrass, alternative country, rockabilly, neo traditional and roots rock.
Criteria: These Americana music albums are ranked for best identifying, inspiring and encapsulating the heart of tradition and the American experience. As with all lists, this is a subjective list and makes no claim of an official nature.
Edited By: Rick Varner
Last Updated: 2024-08-01
Newly added names are in Red
Greatest Americana Albums
1. American Music - The Blasters 2. Rear View Mirror - Townes Van Zandt 3. Honky Tonk Masquerade - Joe Ely 4. The Gilded Palace of Sin - The Flying Burrito Brothers 5. Pieces of The Sky - Emmylou Harris 6. Old #1 - Guy Clark 7. Trace - Son Volt 8. Into The Purple Valley - Ry Cooder 9. John Prine - John Prine 10. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons 11. Frisco Mabel Joy - Mickey Newberry 12. Delirium Tremolos - Ray Wylie Hubbard 13. Train a Comin' - Steve Earle 14. Car Wheels On a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams 15. Ashgrove - Dave Alvin 16. More a Legend Than a Band - The Flatlanders 17. Eats Away The Night - Butch Hancock 18. Bring The Family - John Hiatt 19. No Depression - Uncle Tupelo 20. Boomer's Story - Ry Cooder 21. Blackjack David - Dave Alvin 22. El Corazon - Steve Earle 23. King of California - Dave Alvin 24. Stangers Almanac - Whiskeytown 25.Eleven Eleven - Dave Alvin 26. Childish Things - James McMurtry 27. Songbones - Grayson Capps 28. Living With Ghosts - Patty Griffen 29. Anodyne - Uncle Tupelo 30. Full Service, No Waiting - Peter Case 31. Paradise and Lunch - Ry Cooder 32. Ain't Livin' Long Like This - Rodney Crowell 33. Okemah & The Melody of Riot - Son Volt 34. Musta Notta Gotta Lotta - Joe Ely 35. California Bloodlines - John Stewart 36. Aereo Plain - John Hartford 37. Non Fiction - The Blasters 38. Flying Saucer Blues - Peter Case 39. Lord of The Highway - Joe Ely 40. The Fantastic Expedition - Dilliard & Clark 41. Sundown - Rank & File 42. Third Down, 110 To Go - Jesse Winchester 43. Lost In The Ozone - Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen 44. Tangled In The Pines - BR5-49 45. Washington County - Arlo Guthrie 46. Snake Farm - Ray Wylie Hubbard 47. Essence - Lucinda Williams 48. Uncle Charley & His Dog Teddy - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 49. The Dark - Guy Clark 50. The Road To Ensenada - Lyle Lovett 51. A.M. - Wilco 52. Guitar Town - Steve Earle 53. Up On The Lowdown - Chris Smither 54. Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt 55. Workingman's Dead - The Grateful Dead 56. Growl - Ray Wylie Hubbard 57. The Last of The True Believers - Nanci Griffith 58. Faithless Street - Whiskeytown 59. Last Chance - Chip Taylor 60. White Light - Gene Clark 61. Hoboes Lullaby - Arlo Guthrie 62. Love and Fever - Tom Russell 63. Somebody Else's Troubles - Steve Goodman 64. Hardline - The Blasters 65. Kerosene Hat - Cracker 66. Saint Mary of The Woods - James McMurtry 67. Mr Bojangles - Jerry Jeff Walker 68. Hollywood Town Hall - The Jayhawks 69. New Riders of The Purple Sage - New Riders of The Purple Sage 70. Fate's Right Hand - Rodney Crowell 71. The Tractors - The Tractors 72. Torn Again - Peter Case 73. Stacked Deck - The Amazing Rhythm Aces 74. Lone Justice - Lone Justice 75. Ancestral Swamp - Michael Hurley 76. Wide Swing Tremelo - Son Volt 77. Slow Turning - John Hiatt 78. Big Backyard Beat Show - BR5-49 79. No Other - Gene Clark 80. Diamonds In The Rough - John Prine 81. Steve Goodman - Steve Goodman 82. Honeysuckle Dog - Chris Smither 83. Bombs Away Dream Babies - John Stewart 84. Burrito Deluxe - The Flying Burrito Brothers 85. Storms - Nanci Griffith 86. Good Times - Charlie Robison 87. Straightaways - Son Volt 88. My Name Is Buddy - Ry Cooder 89. Loco Gringo's Lament - Ray Wylie Hubbard 90. Driftin' Way of Life - Jerry Jeff Walker 91. Healing Bones - Jules Shear 92. Pretty Close To The Truth - Jim Lauderdale 93. Fair & Square - John Prine 94. Nothing But a Breeze - Jesse Winchester 95. I Feel Alright - Steve Earle 96. Sings Like Hell - Peter Case 97. Still Feel Gone - Uncle Tupelo 98. Haymaker - The Gourds 99. Jesse Winchester - Jesse Winchester 100. Safe At Home - The International Submarine Band
101. Arlo Guthrie - Arlo Guthrie 102. Down On The Drag - Joe Ely 103. Tomorrow The Green Grass - The Jayhawks 104. American Central Dust - Son Volt 105. The Dirty South - Drive By Truckers 106. Walk On - John Hiatt 107. Man With The Blue Post Modern Guitar - Peter Case 108. 1000 Kisses - Patty Griffin 109. My Baby Don't Tolerate - Lyle Lovett 110. The Houston Kid - Rodney Crowell 111. Dangerous Spirits - Ray Wylie Hubbard 112. Sweet Revenge - John Prine 113. Got No Breeding - Jules and The Polar Bears 114. Too Long In The Wasteland - James McMurtry 115. Electric Blue Watermelon - The North Mississippi All-Stars 116. Being There - Wilco 117. Van Go - The Beat Farmers 118. Chicken Skin Music - Ry Cooder 119. Pickin' On Nashville - The Kentucky Headhunters 120. West Texas Waltzes & Dust Blown Tractor Tunes - Butch Hancock 121. Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams 122. Weird Tales - Golden Smog 123. It Aint Easy - Chris Smither 124. Stolen Moments - John Hiatt 125. The Grifter's Hymnal - Ray Wylie Hubbard 126. Rodney Crowell - Rodney Crowell 127. Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams - BoDeans 128. Texas Tornados - Texas Tornados 129. Bradley's Barn - The Beau Brummels 130. Hell of a Spell - Doug Sahm 131. Crusades of The Restless Knights - Ray Wylie Hubbard 132. Hell Among The Yearlings - Gillian Welch 133. Train Home - Chris Smither 134. Come On Back - Jimmie Dale Gilmore 135. Sky Blue Sky - Wilco 136. March 16-20, 1992 - Uncle Tupelo 137. The South Coast of Texas - Guy Clark 138. Spinning Round The Sun - Jimmie Dale Gilmore 139. Too Far To Care - Old 97's 140. Dog Days - BR5-49 141. Wail & Ride - Grayson Capps 142. Buddy & Julie - Miller Buddy & Julie Miller 143. Mermaid Avenue - Billy Bragg 144. Hotwalker - Tom Russell 145. Love & Danger - Joe Ely 146. The Doug Sahm Band - Doug Sahm 147. Home - BoDeans 148. Furnace Room Lullaby - Neko Case 149. Kingfish - Kingfish 150. The End Is Not In Sight - Russell Smith 151. Sex and Gasoline - Rodney Crowell 152. Full Western Dress - The Derailers 153. Original Recordings - Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks 154. Borderland - Tom Russell 155. Blue Blvd - Dave Alvin 156. Now Again - The Flatlanders 157. Jacksonville City Nights - Ryan Adams 158. Letter To Laredo - Joe Ely 159. Down By The Old Mainstream - Golden Smog 160. Dirt Farmer - Levon Helm 161. If You Knew My Mind - Grayson Capps 162. Freedom and Weep - The Waco Brothers 163. Alive On Arrival - Steve Forbert 164. Juke Box Music - Doug Sahm 165. Rural Free Delivery - Whiskeytown 166. Boats To Build - Guy Clark 167. Wrecking Ball - Emmylou Harris 168. J.D. Crowe & The New South - J.D. Crowe 169. Shake Hands With Shorty - North Mississippi All-Stars 170. Bottle Rockets - Bottle Rockets 171. Quarter Moon In a Ten Cent Town - Emmylou Harris 172. Sweet Old World - Lucinda Williams 173. Streets of Sin - Joe Ely 174. Zone of Our Own - Texas Tornados 175. The Adventures of Panama Red - New Riders of The Purple Sage 176. Dog Days - Blue Mountain 177. The Notorious Cherry Bombs - Rodney Crowell 178. After Awhile - Jimmie Dale Gilmore 179. Transcendental Blues - Steve Earle 180. Born Again In The U.S.A. - Loose Fur 181. Positive Friction - Donna The Buffalo 182. The Long Way Around - Tom Russell 183. Deeper Well - David Olney 184. Kevin Welch - Kevin Welch 185. Wreck Your Life - Old 97's 186. Cracker - Cracker 187. Flash, Crash and Thunder - Farmer Boys 188. Jackrabbit Slim - Steve Forbert 189. Copperopolis - Grant Lee Buffalo 190. The Desert Rose Band - The Desert Rose Band 191. Y2Kow - Kudzu Kings 192. Amigo - Arlo Guthrie 193. Gentleman's Blues - Cracker 194. Old Friends - Guy Clark 195. Modern Art - Tom Russell 196. Native Sons - The Long Ryders 197. Harlan County - Jim Ford 198. Wacoworld - The Waco Brothers 199. Everything You Thought Was Wrong - Slobberbone 200. Stray Cats - The Stray Cats
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Great New Americana Albums 2000-Present
1. Something More Than Free - (2015) Jason Isbell 2. Sighs No More - (2009) Mumford & Sons 3. Evening Moods - (2000) RatDog 4. Rest in Chaos - (2014) Hard Working Americans 5. Barton Hollow - (2011) The Civil Wars 6. The Lumineers - (2012) The Lumineers 7. Mescalito - (2007) Ryan Bingham 8. Trouble In Mind - (2008) Hayes Caryll 9. True Sadness - (2016) The Avett Brothers 10. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables - (2012) Todd Snider 11. Single Mothers - (2014) Justin Townes Earle 12. Blackbirds - (2015) Gretchen Peters 13. Southeastern - (2013) Jason Isbell 14. The Very Last Day - (2016) Parker Milsap 15. The Pirate Gospels - (2004) Alela Diane 16. Remedy - (2014) Old Crow Medicine Show 17. Honky Tonk - (2013) Son Volt 18. Absent Fathers - (2015) Justin Townes Earle 19. Metamodern Sounds in Country Music - (2014) Sturgill Simpson 20. Lovers and Leavers - (2016) Hayes Carll 21. Born to Be Wilder - (2006) Webb Wilder 22. A Sailors Guide To Earth - (2016) Sturgill Simpson 23. Magic Fire - (2016) The Stray Birds 24. This is The Year - (2016) Yarn
10 Best Americana Albums of 2023
1. Weathervanes - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 2. Stories From a Rock N Roll Heart - Lucinda Williams 3. The Chicago Sessions - Rodney Crowell 4. Simple Things - The Band of Heathens 5. Day of the Doug - Son Volt 6. Sticks and Stones - Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real 7. Heart is the Hero - The Wood Brothers 8. You're the One - Rhiannon Giddens 9. Haunted Mountain - Buck Meek 10. Coyote - Dylan LeBlanc
10 Best Americana Albums of 2022
1. Cruel Country - Wilco 2. Take It Like a Man - Amanda Shires 3. I Ran Down Every Dream - Tommy McLain 4. Teeth Marks - S.G. Goodman 5. Still Life - Carson McHone 6. River Fools & Mountain Saints - Ian Noe 7. Kingmaker - Tami Nielsen 8. Feel Like Going Home - Miko Marks & the Resurrectors 9. Now and the Evermore - Colin Hay 10. Loose Future - Courtney Marie Andrews
10 Best Americana Albums of 2021
1. Leftover Feelings - John Hiatt 2. Electro Melodier - Son Volt 3. In These Silent Days - Brandi Carlile 4. The Horses and the Hounds - James McMurtry 5. From Dreams to Dust - The Felice Brothers 6. These 13 - Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird 7. In Heaven - Strand of Oaks 8. Raise the Roof - Alison Krauss and Robert Plant 9. J.T. - Steve Earle & The Dukes 10. In the Blossom of Their Shade - Pokey LaFarge
10 Best Americana Albums of 2020
1. Good Souls Better Angels - Lucinda William 2. Reunions - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 3. Ghosts of West Virginia - Steve Earle & the Dukes 4. Love Is the King - Jeff Tweedy 5. Co-Starring - Ray Wylie Hubbard 6. World on the Ground - Sarah Jarosz 7. The Highwomen - The Highwomen 8. LP5 - John Moreland 9. The Third Gleam - The Avett Brothers 10. Local Honey - Brian Fallon
10 Best Americana Albums of 2019
1. The Saint of Lost Causes - Justin Townes Earle 2. Years to Burn - Calexico And Iron & Wine 3. Union - Son Volt 4. Texas - Rodney Crowell 5. American Love Song - Ryan Bingham 6. Closer Than Together - The Avett Brothers 7. Blood - Allison Moorer 8. Sunset Kids - Jesse Malin 9. Up On High - Vetiver 10. Undress - The Felice Brothers
10 Best Americana Albums of 2018
1. The Tree of Forgiveness - John Prine 2. By the Way, I Forgive You - Brandi Carlile 3. Back Roads and Abandoned Motels - The Jayhawks 4. Volunteer - Old Crow Medicine Show 5. To the Sunset - Amanda Shires 6. The Eclipse Sessions - John Hiatt 7. Years - Sarah Shook & the Disarmers 8. Rifles & Rosary Beads - Mary Gauthier 9. The Last American - Ryan Culwell 10. One Drop of Truth - The Wood Brothers
10 Best Americana Albums of 2017
1. The Nashville Sound - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 2. Beast Epic - Iron & Wine 3. Kids in the Street - Justin Townes Earle 4. Notes of Blue - Son Volt 5. Freedom Highway - Rhiannon Giddens 6. Big Bad Luv - John Moreland 7. The Soul & the Heal - Gurf Morlix 8. Brand New Day - The Mavericks 9. Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights - The White Buffalo 10. Hallelujah Anyhow - Hiss Golden Messenger
