Sometimes non-country artists going country isn’t the worst thing in the world.
There’s been a whole lot of talk about artists outside the genre of country music trying to strike the iron while it’s hot in recent years. Country music has been and still is in the middle of a moment (just look at Ella Langley’s historical run on the charts with “Choosin’ Texas”), and the likes of Post Malone and Beyoncé, among others, have all tried their hand at country music.
Though it might seem like a recent phenomenon, artists from outside of country music have been taking the genre for a spin for decades. Which made me think… what are some of those must-listen country albums that didn’t actually come from country music artists?
I’ve gathered five below (and included a couple of songs from each) that I think are well worth your time:
Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
As the story goes, folk singer-songwriter Bob Dylan traveled to Nashville to record his 1969 album Nashville Skyline. It was a departure from his regular sound (he went country before it was cool), and Dylan was attempting to adopt the Nashville style while he was in town for the recordings.
He did that rather successfully, and even convinced Johnny Cash to join him on the album.
All in all, Nashville Skyline is a very pleasant record to listen to front-to-back, and acts as a tip of the cap from Dylan to the southern sound. Pedal steel is abundant, and if you listen closely, you’ll even hear the late, great Charlie Daniels playing the bass on the record.
“Girl from the North Country (ft. Johnny Cash)”
“Lay, Lady, Lay”
Post Malone – F-1 Trillion
The world was waiting for Post Malone to test the water of country music, and when he finally did with F-1 Trillion in 2024, it didn’t disappoint.
Post Malone tapping into his country music abilities – something he’s long had and seldom utilized – and pairing him with some of the biggest names in the country genre worked wonders. The featured artists list is a real who’s who, and speaks to the respect that Post Malone draws from other music makers
However, as I listened through the album (the “Long Bed” version to be exact), I couldn’t help but think that the songs that didn’t have features really stood out. Not only did they allow for Post to really flex his vocals and his country-pop-southern-rock-rap-bluegrass fusion (a lot of genres, I know), they also happened to be some of his most heartfelt and vulnerable out of the track list.
I know I don’t really need to guide you to listen to Posty’s country record. Chances are you’ve heard it plenty… but if you didn’t check out his solo work outside the features, you absolutely should.
“I Had Some Help (ft. Morgan Wallen)”
“Fallin’ In Love”
Ray Charles – Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
You simply can’t leave this Ray Charles record out of a list of country records by non-country artists.
Granted, the incomparable Ray Charles didn’t change his sound all that much for these 1962 recordings. Rather, he took some of the most famous country songs at the time and made them his own. From Jimmie Davis’ “You Are My Sunshine” to his exceptional rendition of Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker’s “You Don’t Know Me,” Charles shined a light on country music and, in doing so, brought people together.
That’s actually why it’s considered to be one of the most important records ever made.
“You Are My Sunshine”
“You Don’t Know Me”
Brandon Flowers – THRASHER
There might be some recency bias to this 2026 release, but Brandon Flowers showcased how to successfully drop into a different genre with THRASHER.
The frontman for The Killers – a Las Vegas based band formed in 2001 with countless hits like “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” – got an itch to craft and record some country songs. As strange as that premise might seem for the alternative hitmaker, it worked.
Throughout the record, you can hear all of the influences from every corner of country music (“The Red Ground” has a little Marty Robbins element to it). But the most notable way Flowers honored the country genre was through the album’s vivid storytelling.
“The Red Ground”
“An American Dream”
John Mayer – Born and Raised
Hear me out… I know this might not be considered a country record, but it is as country as John Mayer has ever gotten.
The uberly talented guitarist and songwriter decided to dip into the western sound with two straight records: 2012’s Born and Raised and 2013’s Paradise Valley. The former is often coined as “cowboy rock,” and though it might not have been categorized as country a decade ago, it certainly could be under the Americana umbrella retrospect.
Both Born and Raised and Paradise Valley stand out from Mayer’s catalogue as different than anything else he’s done – both aesthetically and sonically. There’s no doubt he leaned Americana and folk with the back-t0-back projects, and Born and Raised boasts a lot of great “that sounds like country to me” moments.
“Queen of California”
“Born and Raised”
