Not many musicians out there can boast that they have over 100 albums in their discography. Granted, Willie Nelson’s career started with the release of …And Then I Wrote back in 1962. But even with 60+ years to come up with material, his discography is impressively massive. Picking his best album is an almost impossible task. Just as well, Nelson has come out with a few albums that haven’t gotten as much love or enduring praise as they deserve. Let’s dive into four of the most underrated Willie Nelson albums that all fans should be familiar with!
1. ‘Good Times’ (1968)
The nostalgia of this album is enough to land it on our list of Willie Nelson’s most underrated albums.
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Good Times is a bit of a wild card for Nelson. The start of the album features all-acoustic folk tracks written with his then-wife Shirley. The rest of the record is a classic country record with an overall weird vibe. Keep in mind that “weird” isn’t necessarily bad. The album has a lot of warmth to it, and its theme is full of contradictions that are worth picking apart.
2. ‘Teatro’ (1998)
This 1998 record is another creative oddball piece of work. And it works. It’s a jazzier Nelson record with notably unique production elements. If you’re looking for interesting musical atmosphere, this is the underrated Willie Nelson album to listen to. Plus, it features Emmylou Harris.
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3. ‘Lost Highway’ (2009)
It might seem odd to add a compilation album to this list of the most underrated Willie Nelson albums. However, Lost Highway is a great example of top-notch curation and Nelson’s ability to cover virtually anything and make it sound great.
4. ‘Stardust’ (1978)
Alright, this might be Willie Nelson’s highest-selling album to date. You’ll find these LPs everywhere at varying degrees of decomposition at record stores. However, Stardust rarely gets mentioned when we talk about Willie Nelson’s best albums. Phases And Stages and Red Headed Stranger usually dominate those conversations. So, we’ll die on the hill that Stardust is underrated. It’s Nelson’s pop-iest album, but it’s fascinating listening to the man who was so well-known for outlaw country take on something new.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives
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