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There have been many times throughout the history of country music when an artist or producer took a new step down a new path. With each one of these forks in the road, a different sound would emerge and eventually work its way into the fabric of what we recognize as the country music of today.

Beginning in the late 1950's, these sounds of country were recorded, pressed onto vinyl, and sold as albums. Undeniably, the music of the pioneers of the country sound and the recording artists in the eras of the old 78's and 45's were the foundation of what we call country music. However, this assessment of the most influential albums only took into account original recordings from 1960 to today.

With that criteria, what was the most influential event that brought country music from the "hillbilly" sound of Jimmie Rogers to the multi-genre fusion sound of a Garth Brooks? What was the force and at what point did country music change forever? If you dig into the roots of today's country sound, you might be surprised to discover that a country artist did not record the most influential country album of all time. The Byrd's "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", released in 1968, was the seminal recording of what we have come to recognize as "Country-Rock". This fork in the road grabbed country music by its throat and one wild ride later put it down in the sounds of some of our greatest country stars of 2009.

This genre-bending sound was due, mainly, to two of the Byrd's members, Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman. The Byrd's already had a unique sound in the world of rock-n-roll but Hillman and Parsons wanted to take it one step further by expanding the country influenced side of their music. Although a blend of American folk, soul and rock-n-roll, the sound leaned more towards "honky-tonk country" than any other genre. This fusion between rock and country was evident in the tracks of the album, which included two country songs by Bob Dylan, a few covers of classic and contemporary country recordings and several original works by Gram Parsons.

The Byrd's went to Nashville to record "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", which, at the time, was a significant departure from the L.A. recording scene. What came from these Nashville sessions were the crossbred genre and a album that would change country music forever. Despite its lack of commercial success at the time, the influence of 'Sweetheart', heard every time you tune to a country music radio station, runs deep. Without the Byrd's creative departure from traditional rock-n-roll into country, there would be no Southern Rock, no Eagles, and no Alabama or Shania Twain. Willie and Waylon would have had a tougher hill to climb and Garth might still be singing in Oklahoma bars.

Proud, stubborn independence has always been at the heart of country music. There is no better example of that desire for freedom than the most influential country album of all time, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo".

Learn more about this author, Kate Kennedy.
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