Country Music’s Top Dogs: The Best Mainstream Country Albums of 2023

Summary of key points:

• Honey, there’s a new sheriff in town: The Saving Country Music website has just released its list of the best mainstream country albums of 2023.
• Swinging open the saloon doors at number one is none other than our boy Luke Bryan with his album “Sweet Tea and Tears”. Seems like the boy’s painful breakup was a blessing in disguise, giving us some sweet, soulful tunes.
• Lady A packed a powerful punch, too. Their album “Home Sweet Home” offered a beautifully blended mix of country, rock, and gospel, proving, as I always say, why mess with perfection?
• Dear Dolly Parton, the Queen of Country herself, showed us why she’s still the reigning queen at 77. Her album “Heartsongs and Hardships” is a nod to her roots, filled with heart-tugging stories and lessons we can all learn from.
• Carrie Underwood’s “Southern Belle” slid into third place – y’all know how much we love a strong woman with a powerhouse voice. A series of anthems doesn’t hurt either.
• Rounding out the top five is Eric Church’s “Outlaw Deluxe.” If you like your country with a hint of rock-n-roll and a dash of grit, Eric’s your man.

Hot Take:

Hon, 2023 has been a boot scootin’, tractor-riding, fence-jumping year for country music if I’ve ever seen one! Luke Bryan turned his heartache into an anthem, and it seems he set the tone for the year – heartbreak with a side of sweet tea. Lady A proved once again that combining styles is like adding a pinch of this and a splash of that to granny’s secret recipe – it just makes it better.

Ah, Dolly Parton, our ever-resilient queen. Her album was like a goodly woven quilt—comforting, inspiring, and filled with stories our souls can cozy into. Carrie Underwood. Bless her heart, that woman can sing! And can I say it’s about time that an outlaw like Eric Church made the top five? His album was the perfect mix of rock-n-roll rowdiness and country charm. But darlin’, with Dolly still making the list, it’s clear as day the old guard isn’t ready to hang up their boots yet. So, here’s to another year of country music that warms our hearts, stirs our souls, and gives us reasons to keep our boots dancing. Yeehaw!

Original article: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/the-best-mainstream-country-albums-of-2023/