Monday, August 31, 2026
Monday, December 29, 2025
Sunny Sweeney's Rhinestone Requiem Leads That Nashville Sound’s Top Albums of 2025
In an era where singles dominate algorithms and attention spans are short, albums still matter deeply to artists and listeners who value cohesion, narrative, and emotional arc. The best records of 2025 were not just collections of songs, but complete statements. They rewarded listeners who pressed play and stayed put, albums that unfolded slowly and revealed more with every listen.
Country music, at its core, has always been about truth. Not perfection, not polish, but truth. This year’s strongest releases leaned into that ethos. Whether rooted in honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, or modern Americana, the albums that rose to the top carried a sense of purpose and authenticity that could not be manufactured.
Before naming this year’s top album, it is worth reflecting on the records that have previously earned That Nashville Sound’s Album of the Year distinction. These winners represent moments when artistry, timing, and storytelling aligned in a way that left a lasting mark.
Previous That Nashville Sound Album of the Year winners
2006: Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways
2007: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant – Raising Sand
2008: Lee Ann Womack – Call Me Crazy
2009: Eric Church – Carolina
2010: Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give
2011: Pistol Annies – Hell on Heels
2012: Marty Stuart – Nashville Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down
2013: Brandy Clark – 12 Stories
2014: Don Williams – Reflections
2015: Chris Stapleton – Traveller
2016: Ryan Beaver – RX
2017: Jason Eady – Jason Eady
2018: Ashley McBryde – Girl Goin’ Nowhere
2019: Erin Enderlin – Faulkner County
2020: Hailey Whitters – The Dream
2021: Mike and the Moonpies – One to Grow On
2022: Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottom Country
2023: Cody Johnson – Leather
2024: Three Times A Lady – Live at 3rd and Lindsley
Each of these albums captured something essential about its moment, while still standing the test of time. That lineage makes the 2025 winner all the more meaningful.
Sunny Sweeney – Rhinestone Requiem
Rhinestone Requiem is not just a return to form for Sunny Sweeney, it is a reaffirmation of who she has always been as an artist. Honest to a fault, rooted in classic country tradition, and delivered with grit, humor, and heart, this album feels like the most complete statement of her career.
From its opening moments, Rhinestone Requiem establishes its tone. These are songs shaped by real experiences, sung by someone who has lived them. The record balances sharp wit with vulnerability, heartbreak with resilience, and traditional country sounds with modern clarity. Sweeney’s voice carries the weight of the stories effortlessly, never over-singing, never hiding behind production.
Lyrically, the album shines in its specificity. These are not generic tales of love and loss. They are detailed, personal, and emotionally grounded, which makes them universally relatable. Musically, the record embraces honky-tonk roots, tasteful instrumentation, and arrangements that serve the song first and foremost.
Rhinestone Requiem stands out because it feels timeless without feeling dated. It respects country music’s past while confidently existing in the present. In a year filled with excellent albums, this one lingered the longest and left the deepest impression.
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Honorable mentions for 2025
Hailey Whitters – Corn Queen
A confident, joyful, and grounded album that continues Whitters’ rise as one of the most important voices of her generation.
Courtney Patton – Carry You With Me
Warm, reflective, and deeply human, this record showcases Patton’s gift for emotional storytelling.
The Steeldrivers – Outrun
A powerful blend of bluegrass tradition and forward momentum, filled with masterful musicianship.
Alison Krauss and Union Station – Arcadia
Elegant, restrained, and beautifully crafted, a reminder of the enduring power of harmony and subtlety.
Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
Poetic and introspective, an album that rewards careful listening and emotional investment.
The Wilder Blue – Still in the Runnin’
Rich harmonies and thoughtful songwriting anchored in classic Americana influences.
Drew Kennedy – Drew Kennedy
A self-titled album that feels personal, honest, and quietly confident.
Trisha Yearwood – The Mirror
A reflective and mature album that highlights Yearwood’s timeless voice and interpretive strength.
The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road
A seasoned band delivering thoughtful songs rooted in experience and musical craftsmanship.
The Castellows – Homecoming EP
An impressive and intimate collection that signals a bright future.
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Personal History
Graceful, literate songwriting from one of Americana’s most respected voices.
Turnpike Troubadours – Price of Admission
A powerful addition to the Red Dirt canon, filled with grit, heart, and authenticity.
Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World
Another reminder that Willie Nelson’s voice and perspective remain as vital as ever.
Cody Jinks – In My Blood
Raw, direct, and emotionally grounded, continuing Jinks’ outlaw legacy.
Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter
Bold and uncompromising, rooted in Appalachian tradition and fearless expression.
Waylon Jennings – Songbird
A remarkable archival/postumous release that underscores Waylon’s enduring influence.
Jake Owen – Dream to Dream
A reflective and melodic independent album that hints at a new career direction for Owen.
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Final thoughts
The best albums of 2025 shared one thing in common: they told the truth. In different voices and from different places, these artists reminded us why albums still matter and why country and Americana continue to resonate so deeply.
Sunny Sweeney’s Rhinestone Requiem leads the way this year, but the strength of the field speaks volumes about where the music is headed. Honest. Grounded. And built to last.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Monday, October 2, 2023
Sunday, February 7, 2021
Hear It Here: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash & The War and Treaty Collaborate On "The Times They Are A-Changin'"
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash and The War and Treaty collaborate on the old 1964 Bob Dylan classic, "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
All proceeds from the song will support Feeding America. Their mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. Just $1 can help provide at least 10 meals to kids, families and individuals facing hunger.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band lead singer Hanna begins and ends the song on lead vocals, but each guest adds their own vocal approach to their respective verse. Isbell’s brings a country-folk drawl while Cash takes an elegant ballad approach, all before Michael and Tanya Blount Trotter of the War and Treaty bring home the song’s fourth verse.
“I’ve been a fan of Bob Dylan’s since I was a teenager, living in California,” said Hanna. “I was fortunate enough to see him sing ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ in concert the year the song was released.”
“It moved me deeply then and that hasn’t changed,” Hanna said of the song upon its release. “The lyrics are as relevant today as they were when Dylan wrote it. Maybe even more so.”
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Bee Gees' Barry Gibb Collaborates With With Isbell, Carlile, Urban, Dolly, Miranda, Little Big Town & More On Upcoming Country Album
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
New Music Video From Sheryl Crow with Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris & More (CMT Crossroads)
In this latest episode of CMT Crossroads, Sheryl Crow collaborates with fellow musicians to perform songs from her criminally underrated and terrific album, Threads. The performance includes duet performances with Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Lucius.
Thursday, October 8, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes: New Albums From Clint Black & Will Hoge + New Music Videos
~ That Nashville Sound favorite Will Hoge will release his new self-produced project, Tiny Little Movies, on June 26 via Thirty Tigers. It is "a throwback rock and roll splendor, setting the tone well for an album in which Hoge chose to highlight the raw chemistry of his road band. After tackling the arrangements over four days in an East Nashville rehearsal space, Hoge, guitarist Thom Donovan, drummer Allen Jones, and bassist Christopher Griffiths headed into Trace Horse Studio and tracked each song live, together and inspired. “There’s a classic, rock & roll centerpiece to everything this band does, but it’s still a group of four different people, and we all bring different influences to the table,” says Hoge, who turned to Grammy-winning producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Lori McKenna) to mix the album at Sam Phillips Recording. “We’ve got a metalhead in the group. We’ve got a Motown fan. We’ve got a guitarist who loves Johnny Marr. It’s a unique hodgepodge of sounds coming together, and we tried to accentuate that.”"
~ Clint Black will release his 23rd album called Out of Sane on June 19. "Out of Sane is made up of all original songs, except for one cover. I recorded it with a varied collection of musicians; some from my band and some with session players. I believe it’s one of my best albums ever and I think my fans will love it. They’ve been asking for new music for a while and I’m thrilled to finally be able to deliver after five years since the last studio album,” said Black.
New music videos:
Hot Country Knights (feat Terri Clark) - "You Make It Hard"
Keith Urban - "Polaroid"
American Aquarium - "Six Years Come September"
Clint Black - "America (Still In Love With You)"
Tracy Lawrence - "When The Cowboy's Gone"
April 26
Adam Hambrick
Time: 9 a.m.
What: Coffee and a Hymn
Where: YouTube
Tara Thompson
Time: 11 a.m.
Where: Facebook
Chris Young
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: Facebook
Hailey Whitters
Time: 2 p.m.
What: Performance as part of Stagecoach’s “StageCouch” weekend
Where: Instagram
Tyler Rich
Time: 3 p.m.
What: “Leave Her Wild Sunday Brunch” With Tyler, Sabina and Friends
Where: Instagram
The Lone Bellow
Time: 3 p.m.
What: Pickathon’s “ A Concert A Day”, an initiative to help musicians and artist communities through the to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
Where: Facebook, YouTube and Twitch
Song Suffragettes
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: YouTube
Jon Pardi
Time: 7 p.m.
What: Happy Hour as part of Stagecoach’s “StageCouch” weekend
Where: Instagram
Zac Brown Band
Time: 7 p.m.
What: Sunday Night Live
Where: Instagram
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Facebook
Hot Country Knights and Terri Clark
Time: 3 p.m.
Where: Instagram
Temecula Road
Time: 3:30 p.m.
What: Performance
Where: Facebook
Chris Bandi
Time: 7 p.m.
What: Performance
Where: Facebook
Sara Evans
Time: 7:30 p.m.
What: “Closet Chaos” Co-hosted with daughters, Olivia & Audrey. They sing, talk beauty products, tv/film, and host one special guest.
Where: Instagram
Mitchell Tenpenny
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: Instagram
Caitlyn Smith
Time: 8:00 p.m.
What: Country Music Hall of Fame Songwriter Sessions
Where: Instagram
Tyler Rich
Time: 8:30 p.m.
What: “Sing Behind the Scene”: Showcasing the Writer’s and Stories Behind your Favorite Songs.
Where: Instagram
Clay Walker
Time: 4:00 p.m.
What: Wrangler “Can’t Stop Country” livestream
Where: Facebook
Steve Wariner
Time: 7:00 p.m.
What: Wariner Wednesday
Sara Evans
Time: 7:30 p.m.
What: “Closet Chaos” Co-hosted with daughters, Olivia & Audrey. They sing, talk beauty products, tv/film, and host one special guest.
Where: Instagram
Saturday, March 14, 2020
That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes - New Albums & Music Videos Galore
~ Lee Ann Womack, Jason Isbell and Brett Eldredge are among the ten different artists that have contributed to the new album Music Moments, which will raise money and awareness for the
Alzheimer’s Association, a health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. The songs "honor the personal, emotional connection between music and the most important moments in life that we never want to lose."
~ Country music vlogger Grady Smith discusses the impact that Covid-19 is having on the country music scene and interviews Jamie Lin Wilson about real world hits that country artists are taking with event cancellations.
~ New music videos:
Sunday, February 9, 2020
That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes: New Albums From Jason Isbell, Corb Lund, Ingrid Andress & More
Lots of news on new albums from around the countrysphere...
- Jason Isbell and the 400 will be releasing their highly anticipated next project on May 15th called Reunions. Details coming out tomorrow.
- Lucinda Williams’ next album, Good Souls Better Angels, will be out on April 24th via Highway 20/Thirty Tigers. “Ray (Kennedy) was getting these great sounds. He has all this vintage equipment,” Williams told Rolling Stone of the Nashville sessions. “It really rocks … a lot of stuff that is blues-rocky, edgy, grungy, and political.”
- Maddie and Tae will be releasing their sophomore album titled The Way It Feels on Mercury Nashville on April 10. "It has been four years since we've released an album. For us, this is a lot more than just an album release," Marlow shared. "This sophomore album will always be a reminder that no matter the setbacks and struggles, we will come out stronger and better. We are so proud of this 15-song story. We wrote these songs during the most vulnerable times and our hope is that people hear that and connect."
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Friday, July 19, 2019
Monday, April 1, 2019
Dave Cobb Produces Upcoming 5/31 Release For Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Album: Brighter Days
The first three songs of Brighter Days are a full dive back to Randolph’s gospel roots, starting with lead track “Baptise Me”, a joyous romp of a song that makes a direct connection between religious and musical ecstasy and salvation. “We wrote ‘Baptize Me’ the first day in the studio. It’s really a love story, about an all-round love: for each other, for our audience, for our church background, for the music we love and for our fans. All of these songs kind of harken back to how we started, to being known as this musical family band that comes from the church and appeals to rock, blues, gospel and soul music audiences. We wanted that good gospel, blues, R&B feel, because that’s where we started and it’s good to not only remind people of that but to actively remember it ourselves.”
“Dave Cobb is just a guy who likes to record good music and good songs,” says Randolph. “He wanted to do something that was fun but it also gives you a gospel feeling. He knows the history of our band, coming from church and giving that fun church feeling to people.
“The Family Band” Is not just a name meant to evoke connections of togetherness. They are an actual family; the group that supports Randolph is anchored by his cousins, bassist Danyel Morgan and drummer Marcus Randolph and his sister, vocalist Lenesha Randolph. Given his goals for the album, it’s fitting that the lone cover song Robert selected for the collection comes from Pops Staples and the Staples Singers, one of gospel’s greatest musical families, who seamlessly crossed over to secular R&B success with inspirational songs like “Respect Yourself” and “I’ll Take You There.” Their “Simple Man” is a deep, contemplative blues, its pensive nature amplified by Randolph’s signature weeping pedal steel guitar lines.
“When you think about Stax music and a lot of music from the 70s, especially like the Staples Singers, it was inspirational and you danced you had a good time. That’s what we really wanted to hone in on here: let’s sound good and have a natural good time that will bring listeners along. All of the music that we played in the beginning was what we would play in church. We just turned it into long jams.
Producer Cobb is renowned for his vocal work and has often said that the voice comes first for him so it’s no surprise that he helped coax out some of Randolph’s best, deepest, most nuanced singing on the nine songs where he takes the lead. It is a little surprising, however just how simple Cobb’s “secret” really was: just be yourself.
“Over the years I’ve learned how to write these songs that make you feel kind of spiritual and have the gospel roots, just like the great music of people like the Four Tops, Temptations and Ray Charles. It all comes from the same place. We don’t want to sound like them – or like anybody – but that’s the feeling we want to evoke.”
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
New Live Performance Music Video From Jason Isbell - "If We Were Vampires"
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Cash, Kristofferson, Presley, Church, Swift, Isbell and Daniels Among Country Artists Releasing Special Record Store Day Projects On April 21
Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. Today there are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica. This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records, and on and on. In 2008 a small list of titles was released on Record Store Day and that list has grown to include artists and labels both large and small, in every genre and price point. The list continues to include a wide range of artists, covering the diverse taste of record stores and their customers.
While there’s only one Record Store Day a year, the organization works with both independent and and major labels throughout the year to create contests, special releases and promotions in order to spotlight the benefits of supporting these independent, locally owned stores with music purchases throughout the year. This year, the event will be held on April 21, 2018 and there are a number of country music releases including the following:
Live At The Atlanta Pop Festival, July 3 & 5, 1970 - The Allman Brothers Band Legacy - 4 x LP 'RSD First' - 3000 qty
Things Change - Bobby Bare - BFD LP RSD Exclusive - 1500
At Folsom Prison: 50th Anniversary Elegacy Edition - Johnny Cash - Legacy - 5 x LP - RSD Exclusive - 2500
I Love You Because / You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven - Johnny Cash - Charly - 7" Vinyl '- RSD First'
61 Days In Church - Covers - Eric Church - EMI Nashville - LP RSD Exclusive - 2500
Memories, Memoirs & Miles: Songs Of A Lifetime - Charlie Daniels - CDC Records - 2 x LP RSD Exclusive - 1500
Live at Twist & Shout - Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - New West Records - Vinyl 'RSD First' - 3000
Heart Break - Lady Antebellum - Capitol Nashville - 7" Vinyl RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus - 500
The King In the Ring - Elvis Presley - Legacy - 2 x LP RSD Exclusive - 3000
The Bottom Line Archive Series: In Their Own Words: With Vin Scelsa - Lou Reed and Kris
Kristofferson - The Bottom Line Records - 12" Picture Disc RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus - 1000
Starfire - Caitlyn Smith - Monument - LP 'RSD First' - 1000
Way Out West - Desert Suite (Trip One) - Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives- Superlatone Recordings - 12" Vinyl RSD Exclusive - 1200
Fearless Platinum Edition - Taylor Swift - Big Machine - 2 x LP 'RSD First' - 2500
1989 - Taylor Swift - Big Machine - LP 'RSD First' - 2500
Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift - Big Machine - LP 'RSD First' - 2500
Saturday, January 27, 2018
That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes - Chris Stapleton, Chris Roberts, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Michael Peterson & More
- For the better part of a decade, I have been privileged to be included in an illustrious group of music critics whom I admire more than they know- and contribute to Nashville Scene's Music Critic's Poll. The 18th annual issue came out this week and as it has done in previous years, highlighted the truly great in country music more so than any awards show. Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton and Lee Ann Womack were among the top vote-getters. It's a really solid read and I'd encourage you to check out the links below.
The results:
http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/20990053/18th-annual-country-music-critics-poll-the-results
The essay:
http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/20990006/18th-annual-country-music-critics-poll-jason-isbell-changed-that-nashville-sound
The interview:
http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/20990013/18th-annual-country-music-critics-poll-lee-ann-womacks-lonely-at-the-top
The data analysis:
http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/20990072/18th-annual-country-music-critics-poll-selected-factoids
The comments:
http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/20990080/18th-annual-country-music-critics-poll-the-comments