{"id":10592,"date":"2018-12-23T20:56:12","date_gmt":"2018-12-24T02:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=10592"},"modified":"2023-09-03T20:20:01","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T20:20:01","slug":"joshua-wallaces-top-50-albums-of-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=10592","title":{"rendered":"Joshua Wallace’s Top 50 Albums of 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Joshua Wallace<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ladies and gentlemen, it\u2019s the time of year where all music journalists put out their best of lists.  Gary Hayes will have his own list coming up soon.  This is my personal Top 50 Country Albums of 2018. I could probably double this list to 100 with all of the awesome releases that have come out in the past year.  It has been that good of a year. However, that being said, I feel like these 50 albums represent the best of what I heard over this year. I reviewed many of these during the year and you can find every one of those reviews on this website.  I will link a few of them here in this article. Every record on this list is worth your time, from number 1 to number 50. Gary Hayes will have his own separate list published later this month, check it out too. Let\u2019s kick things off with the album of the year and Top 10, and then immediately following that will be 11 – 50.<\/span><\/p>\n

**ALBUM OF THE YEAR** 01.  American Aquarium – Things Change  **ALBUM OF THE YEAR**<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This album stuck with me the most throughout the year and thus, it is my number one record of 2018.  From the heartland rock politically inspired tune \u201cThe World Is On Fire\u201d all the way to the country balladry of \u201c\u2018Till The Final Curtain Calls\u201d, this is the best album American Aquarium has ever put together.  I doubt you can find another band that can weave in and out of heartland rock and roll and country with the skill and ease this band does. I look forward to whatever comes next from BJ Barham and company. Check out my full review<\/a> of Things Change from earlier in the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

02.  Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This album had me last year with the single \u201cA Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega\u201d.  That song was out well before the album and has stuck with me ever since. The album itself ads more great tracks to Ashley\u2019s repertoire and there isn\u2019t a bad cut on this one.  I predict big things for Ashley McBryde in 2019 and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing her open for George Strait in Atlanta next year. Check out my review of this record here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

03.  Randall King – Randall King<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Randall King is a throwback to an era of country we don\u2019t have many throwbacks to.  He takes the best elements of 90\u2019s country music and brings them to modern times. His songs \u201cMirror, Mirror\u201d, \u201cTuggin\u2019 On My Heartstrings\u201d and \u201cCool Under Pressure\u201d have stuck with me and this album is often played front to back when it comes on.  Check out my review of the record here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

04.  Josh Card – With A Heavy Heart<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The sound on this record is perfect.  Everything is spot on and these are the best tracks Josh Card has ever put out.  Check out a couple of my favorites in \u201cSuffer\u201d and \u201cWon\u2019t Chase Your Love Anymore\u201d.  Read my full review of the album here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

05.  Whitey Morgan & The 78s – Hard Times & White Lines<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This is straight up the best live honky tonk band going right now.  This album is another great chapter of their music adding some killer new originals, some new Dale Watson and even ZZ Top to their live set.  Give this one a spin however you listen to music and read my review here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

06.  Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Years<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This album is punk rock outlaw country at its best.  Sarah Shook put out her best record yet with Years. It has been high on this list all year and lands at number six.  Do yourself a favor and read my review of the record here<\/a>, and then go out and buy a copy and see her live when you get a chance to.<\/span><\/p>\n

07.  Belle Plaine – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Belle Plaine has released some solid country gold right here.  I\u2019m still digging on \u201cTaxes, Death and You\u201d and \u201cIs It Cheating\u201d featuring Colter Wall.  Do yourself a favor and give this one a spin. My full review of this record is here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

08.  Colter Wall – Songs Of The Plains<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Colter Wall does not disappoint on his sophomore full length release.  This album has some great tunes with \u201cPlain To See Plainsmen\u201d, \u201cThinkin\u2019 On A Woman\u201d and the Billy Don Burns cover \u201cWild Dogs\u201d.  This album could have been number one if this year wasn\u2019t so stacked with awesome releases. Check out<\/span> my review of this one here.<\/a><\/p>\n

09.  Jamie Lin Wilson – Jumping Over Rocks<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In her follow-up to 2016\u2019s Holidays and Wedding Rings, Jamie Lin Wilson has put out her best stuff yet with tracks like \u201cThe Being Gone\u201d, \u201cEverybody\u2019s Moving Slow\u201d and a cover of Guy Clark\u2019s \u201cInstant Coffee Blues\u201d featuring Jack Ingram sticking with me in heavy rotation.  Do yourself a favor and give this record a spin, you won\u2019t regret it. Check out my full review here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

10.  Dallas Moore – Mr. Honky Tonk<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I knew when I first heard Dallas Moore\u2019s track \u201cMr. Honky Tonk\u201d that this would be a killer record.  This album represents a high mark in Dallas Moore\u2019s career and there isn\u2019t a bad track on it. I\u2019m still digging on \u201cShoot Out The Lights\u201d, \u201cKilling Me Nice and Slow\u201d and \u201cYou Know The Rest\u201d.  Do yourself a favor, check out my review<\/a> and pick up a copy of this one.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Best Of The Rest: <\/strong><\/p>\n

11.  Shooter Jennings – Shooter<\/span><\/p>\n

12.  Caitlyn Smith – Starfire<\/span><\/p>\n

13.  Cody Jinks – Lifers<\/span><\/p>\n

14.  Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel<\/span><\/p>\n

15.  Joshua Hedley – Mr. Jukebox<\/span><\/p>\n

16.  Bri Bagwell – In My Defense<\/span><\/p>\n

17.  Brent Cobb – Providence Canyon<\/span><\/p>\n

18.  Dillon Carmichael – Hell On An Angel<\/span><\/p>\n

19.  Kayla Ray – Yesterday And Me<\/span><\/p>\n

20.  Josh Ward – More Than I Deserve<\/span><\/p>\n

21.  Josh Grider – Good People<\/span><\/p>\n

22.  Brandi Carlile – By The Way, I Forgive You<\/span><\/p>\n

23.  Paul Cauthen – Have Mercy<\/span><\/p>\n

24.  Blackberry Smoke – Find A Light<\/span><\/p>\n

25.  Jason Boland & The Stragglers – Hard Times Are Relative<\/span><\/p>\n

26.  T.J. Hernandez – Who I Am<\/span><\/p>\n

27.  Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain<\/span><\/p>\n

28.  Old Crow Medicine Show – Volunteer<\/span><\/p>\n

29.  The Brother Brothers – Some People I Know<\/span><\/p>\n

30.  Ward Davis – Asunder<\/span><\/p>\n

31.  Craig Gerdes – Smokin\u2019, Drinkin\u2019 & Gamblin\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

32.  Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour<\/span><\/p>\n

33.  Courtney Patton – What It\u2019s Like To Fly Alone<\/span><\/p>\n

34.  John Prine – The Tree Of Forgiveness<\/span><\/p>\n

35.  Ashley Monroe – Sparrow<\/span><\/p>\n

36.  Pat Reedy & The Longtime Goners – That\u2019s All There Is (And There Ain\u2019t No More)<\/span><\/p>\n

37.  Kyle Park – Don\u2019t Forget Where You Come From<\/span><\/p>\n

38.  Lori McKenna – The Tree<\/span><\/p>\n

39.  James Scott Bullard – Full Tilt Boogie<\/span><\/p>\n

40.  Adam Hood – Somewhere In Between<\/span><\/p>\n

41.  Kristina Murray – Southern Ambrosia<\/span><\/p>\n

42.  Chelsea Nolan – Chelsea.<\/span><\/p>\n

43.  Abe Partridge – Cotton Fields and Blood For Days<\/span><\/p>\n

44.  Mike & The Moonpies – Steak Night At The Prairie Rose<\/span><\/p>\n

45.  Sara Morgan – Average Jane<\/span><\/p>\n

46.  Jason Sinkhorn – Junction City, Kentucky<\/span><\/p>\n

47.  Urban Pioneers – Hillbilly Swing Music<\/span><\/p>\n

48.  Joe\u2019s Truck Stop – American Dreams<\/span><\/p>\n

49.  JP Harris – Sometimes Dogs Bark At Nothing<\/span><\/p>\n

50.  Darci Carlson – Darci Carlson<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Joshua Wallace Ladies and gentlemen, it\u2019s the time of year where all music journalists put out their best of lists.  Gary Hayes will have his own list coming up soon.  This is my personal Top 50 Country Albums of 2018. I could probably double this list to 100 with all of the awesome releases […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":22750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[13,17,37,54,55,76,103,132,137,140,158,191,216,221,236,237,240,251,260,290,433,449,454,456,466,496,501,522,529,532,534,553,556,582,587,633,688,746,769,774,783,806,881,886,901,953,979,1108,1124,1142],"class_list":["post-10592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-abe-partridge","tag-adam-hood","tag-american-aquarium","tag-ashley-mcbryde","tag-ashley-monroe","tag-belle-plaine","tag-blackberry-smoke","tag-brandi-carlile","tag-brent-cobb","tag-bri-bagwell","tag-caitlyn-smith","tag-chelsea-nolan","tag-cody-jinks","tag-colter-wall","tag-courtney-marie-andrews","tag-courtney-patton","tag-craig-gerdes","tag-dallas-moore","tag-darci-carlson","tag-dillon-carmichael","tag-j-p-harris","tag-james-scott-bullard","tag-jamie-lin-wilson","tag-jason-boland-and-the-stragglers","tag-jason-sinkhorn","tag-joahua-hedley","tag-joes-truck-stop","tag-johnprine","tag-josh-card","tag-josh-grider","tag-josh-ward","tag-kasey-musgraves","tag-kayla-ray","tag-kristina-murray","tag-kyle-park","tag-lorri-mckenna","tag-mike-and-the-moonpies","tag-old-crow-medicine-show","tag-pat-reedy","tag-paul-cauthen","tag-pistol-annies","tag-randall-king","tag-sara-morgan","tag-sarah-shook-and-the-disarmers","tag-shooter-jennings","tag-t-j-hernandez","tag-the-brothers-brothers","tag-urban-pioneers","tag-ward-davis","tag-whitey-morgan-and-the-78s"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t