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The Allmusic 2020

Year In Review

Our favorite country albums of the year include Waylon Payne's latest set of outlaw storytelling, Ashley McBryde's sharp and heartfelt second record, and Dierks Bentley's note-perfect parody of '90s country.

Ashley McBryde

Never Will

Ashley McBryde gets bold and empathetic on her excellent second album.

Brandy Clark

Your Life Is a Record

Brandy Clark gets warm and intimate on the soulful Your Life Is a Record.

Brothers Osborne

Skeletons

On their third album, the duo ratchet up both the rock and disco without losing their down-home identity.

Chris Stapleton

Starting Over

Teaming up with two members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, the neo-outlaw digs further into his funky Southern groove.

Garth Brooks

Fun

A conscious bit of 1990s traditionalism that lives up to its title's pledge.

Hot Country Knights

The K Is Silent

Dierks Bentley's parody of 1990s country is a stupid good time.

John Anderson

Years

With the assistance of producer Dan Auerbach, the hardcore country singer explores his mortality.

Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea

The country singer gets personal and poppy on her third album.

Kenny Chesney

Here and Now

A breezy good time that finds Kenny Chesney squarely in his musical wheelhouse while stretching himself emotionally.

Kip Moore

Wild World

Kip Moore wears his heart on his sleeve for this brawny yet vulnerable album.

Little Big Town

Nightfall

A hushed and delicate collection that finds Little Big Town settling into a subdued but not necessarily settled middle age.

Mike and the Moonpies

Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart

The Austin-based country band unearths ten unheard songs from Gary Stewart, the king of the honky tonks.

Pam Tillis

Looking for a Feeling

After 13 years, Pam Tillis returns with a soulful, nuanced, and reflective record.

Sam Hunt

Southside

Hunt stays in his country-R&B wheelhouse on his long-awaited second album.

Steve Earle / Steve Earle & the Dukes

Ghosts of West Virginia

The Texas singer/songwriter creates an eloquent song cycle about the lives and risks of West Virginia coal miners.

Tenille Townes

The Lemonade Stand

A smart, splashy, stylish country-pop debut.

The Cadillac Three

Country Fuzz

The greasy Southern rockers expand their musical horizons on this rowdy record.

The Chicks

Gaslighter

The Chicks leave country and the past behind on this richly emotional and defiant album.

Waylon Payne

Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the Queer, the Pusher & Me

A bracing, soulful, and literary semi-autobiographical song cycle.

Zephaniah OHora

Listening to the Music

Working with producer Neal Casal, the Merle Haggard disciple makes a great leap forward on his sophomore set.

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The Chicks