Twelve standout country albums that turn 30 this year

12. This is Me by Randy Travis

Not since Willie and Waylon fled Nashville had country music seen the kind of shake-up it experienced in 1986. Three young artists – Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakum, and Randy Travis – ushered in a new energized sound. Of the three, Travis was the most traditional and for a five-year stretch, the biggest. After a brilliant run in the late ‘80s, he began to lose some of the magic when the decade flipped. His 1993 album, Wind in the Wire, fell flat and fans were left wondering if he could regain his touch.

This is Me restored faith. “Honky Tonk Side of Town” got things off to a rousing start. He followed it with some solid ballads and his voice was knowing and reassuring on sentimental favorites like “Whisper My Name” and “The Box.” Country was becoming country-pop-rock in an attempt to crossover to mainstream audiences. It didn’t really matter whether it was traditional or alt. But Randy Travis was still there to sing old-school country, and on This is Me, he did it very well.

11. Viva Luckenbach! by Jerry Jeff Walker

Jerry Jeff Walker was a young hotshot songwriter in the early ‘70s who traded in his native upstate New York for the sounds of Texas. He was one of the crucial songwriters at the beginning of the outlaw country music uprising. In 1973, Jerry Jeff brought his Lost Gonzo Band to Luckenbach, Texas – the town synonymous with the Outlaws – and recorded the part-live Viva Terlingua!

Twenty years later, he revisited the concept for Viva Luckenbach! The live recording is fun and relaxed. It’s about as fun an album as you will hear. Plenty of nostalgia. Plenty of good songs. Jerry Jeff wasn’t the best of singers, but the man could write great songs the same way the sun rises in the morning. By the time he hits the final number, “Movin’ On,” you’ve gotten more than your money’s worth.