2019 is about to come to a close, so it's time to take a look back and remember all of the great music that came our way through the year. Below you are going to find my top 10 country albums of the year. These are not necessarily the 'best' albums of the year. I'll let the music critics debate that topic. But these are the albums I enjoyed the most throughout the year.
Also, they are not in any particular order. I don't really know how to determine which I liked more than others. I'm giving them numbers just for the sake of creating a list. They're all great and hopefully you enjoy them too.
If you haven't heard any of them, I suggest you take a listen at some point. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, let me know if I missed something. Hit me up on Twitter or DM me on Instagram at @stpierreonair.
#10 Ernest - Locals Only
Ernest is on the same label as Morgan Wallen, Chris Lane, Jake Owen and Hardy. I think he fits in very well. They didn't really push him for the radio, but the record is really solid. Check out the song 'Sugar.'
#9 HARDY - Hixtape Volume 1
Since I just mentioned him, I might as well put his album in here. This one came out and totally blew my mind. I had heard a few HARDY songs and loved them. But this took things to a whole new level. He teamed up with a ton of other country stars for some of the best music of the year, in my opinion. Just some of the artists you'll hear on the album include Cole Swindell, Keith Urban, Devin Dawson, Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina and Morgan Wallen. There are quite a few I'd suggest from this record, but my personal favorite is 'He Went To Jared' featuring Morgan Wallen.
#8 Tyler Childers - Country Squire
I'll be honest, I don't know a lot about Tyler Childers. I checked this album out because I got a few emails about it. I'm so glad I did. It's hard to really describe it, but it's brilliant. I'm so glad I took a chance.
#7 Runaway June - Blue Roses
I've been waiting so long for a full album from these women. Their harmonies are some of the best I've ever heard. I hope they stay together for many years to come. Blue Roses is a fantastic introduction, but I know there's so much more inside them that I'm anxious to hear on album number 2. You probably heard 'Buy My Own Drinks' on the radio, and 'Lipstick' is starting to gain traction. My personal favorite on the album is 'I Am Too.'
#6 Luke Combs - What You See Is What You Get
It's impossible to put any country music list together and not have Luke Combs on it. He's the biggest name in the genre at the moment, and he's inspiring a whole new crop of people to listen to country radio again. Any radio station seeing an increase in ratings should send Luke Combs a thank you card. I haven't been able to spend a ton of time with this new album, that came out in the fall, but what I've heard so far has been incredible.
#5 Josh Kerr - How Do You Remember Me
This was not a major release, so it might be relatively unfamiliar to most of you. Josh has been kicking around Nashville for quite a few years now. He's even engaged to Tae from Maddie & Tae. This album surprised me. I came across 'Still Our Town' on some playlist and fell in love. When the album finally came out I spent the whole weekend listening to it over and over. My personal favorite is 'If I'm Being Honest.' It tears my heart apart every single time.
#4 Old Dominion - Old Dominion
Much like Luke Combs, everything these guys touch turns to gold. And rightfully so. They've been working in Nashville for so many years. I feel like I should have more to say about this album, but it's Old Dominion. It's just great music.
#3 Maddie & Tae - One Heart To Another and Everywhere I'm Goin' EP's
Normally I leave EP's off my end of year list. I want to reserve it for full bodies of work. But Maddie & Tae put out two EP's with 5 songs on each one. That means they put out 10 songs in 2019. That's equivalent to a full album, so they're on the list. These women have grown so much since their introduction to the country music world. The people who still don't want to give them a chance are crazy. They are straight up hit makers.
#2 Maren Morris - Girl
Since the first time I heard her voice at Sunday in the Country 2014 I have been mesmerized by Maren Morris. She is one-of-a-kind in the best way possible. This album just pushed her further into stardom. Her current single 'The Bones' has the potential to be one of the biggest hits at country radio...if program directors give her a chance of course. For some reason there are still some that don't believe in her star power.
#1 LOCASH - Brothers
I feel lucky that I've had the opportunity to get to know the guys in LOCASH. They are genuinely great human beings. From the business side of things, I know they went through some struggles and had to change labels right when they were at their biggest point of their career. That's never easy. But out of that came this album. It was well worth the wait. There are so many gems on 'Brothers.' If I had to give you a starting point, I'd say start with 'It's Only Midnight' then more on to 'Kissing A Girl' and of course 'Feels Like A Party' is a jam. These guys never get the respect they deserve. I'm hopeful that changes here soon.