Merle Haggard Albums Ranked

Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, during the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled after the death of his father, and he was incarcerated several times in his youth. After being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960, he managed to turn his life around and launch a successful country music career. He gained popularity with his songs about the working class that occasionally contained themes contrary to the prevailing anti-Vietnam War sentiment of much popular music of the time. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the US country charts, several of which also made the Billboard all-genre singles chart. Haggard continued to release successful albums into the 2000s. He received many honors and awards for his music, including a Kennedy Center Honor (2010), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), a BMI Icon Award (2006),^[1] and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977),  Country Music Hall of Fame (1994)^[3] and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (1997).^[4] He died on April 6, 2016 — his 79th birthday — at his ranch in Shasta County, California, having recently suffered from double pneumonia. Here are all of Merle Haggard albums ranked.

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10. Going Where The Lonely Go (1982)

“The album works as an album, not just a random collection of songs, thanks to its dark and bluesy atmosphere. The lyrics too give this album a sense of cohesion: it’s virtually a concept album about loneliness. Lots of wonderful instrumental details enhance the overall mood. Check out the wonderful electric guitar solos on the title track (which also has a great sax solo) and “I Won’t Give Up My Train” (one of Hag’s best ever performances), the fiddles on “For All I Know”, or the acoustic guitars on “Half a Man” and “Nobody’s Darling But Mine”. The album should be recommended as therapy for anyone struggling with loneliness and heartbreak.”

9. Same Train, A Different Time: Merle Haggard Sings The Great Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers (1969)

“It’s that empathy and affection that comes through here and makes these renditions so memorable Haggard shares Rodgers’ attitude toward the poor but it’s also clear that he has a tremendous affection for Jimmie Rodgers himself, and I don’t think the album would be nearly as good as it is if it weren’t for that love.”

8. Hag (1971)

“Hag was one of his biggest successes, charting four hits and featuring some of his absolute best songs. “Soldier’s Last Letter” is an absolute country masterpiece and maybe Haggard’s best track, though it may even be outdone here by the heartbreaking “I Can’t Be Myself.”

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7. Swinging Doors (1966)

“Clean steel guitar riffs, poignant Telecaster stabs, and sharp songwriting that juxtaposes happy melodies and sad lyrics (or vice versa) in the way that only classic country can; all of this conspires to create tidy songs that combine simple ideas with profound truths. From the second the needle drops until the end of Side B, there is an uncommon cohesiveness and control across the tracklisting that characterizes the albums that we should own on vinyl to listen to from cover-to-cover with a glass of whiskey and some high fidelity speakers.”

6. Big City (1981)

“This may well be the finest of many excellent albums that Merle has recorded. The album yielded three major country hits – the title track (about a man in the city yearning to return to the country), My favorite memory (a very romantic song) and Are the good times really over (remembering the fifties).”

5. I Am What I Am (2010)

“Just when I thought Merle was beginning to show his age he come out with this. I’ve been a fan of his from the beginning and “I Am What I Am” is up there with his best work. He lives each song and probably has. There’s so much feeling in each piece. The musical accompaniment almost equals the vocals. They say things get better with age, well, Merle sure reinforces that statement.”

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4. Down Every Road 1962-1994 (1996)

“This four-CD set covers everything Merle Haggard, and I’ve never heard most of this music before. I’d call some of these songs blues, rather than country. In `I’m Bringing Home Good News’, Merle gets out of his own way, and he lets the individual musicians have their time in the spotlight, giving huge respect to the whole blues genre by acknowledging the singer is only one part of the musical experience. Some of these songs (in particular, Skid Row) would be impossible to identify as modern recordings if the listener heard the individual songs without knowing the singer was Merle Haggard.”

3. If I Could Only Fly (2000)

“If I Could Only Fly” perhaps follows the path set by Johnny Cash in his recent work, but the result is hardly imitative. Haggard has been much appreciated in recent years but, truth be told, its been a long while since he recorded a solid album of new material. Haggard wrote almost everything here, and they mark a return to the plainspoken but heartfelt songs of his younger days.”

2. I’m A Lonesome Fugitive (1967)

“This one really only has one hit on it, but is still my favorite of all of his original albums. The title song, All of Me Belongs To You, Life In Prison, Whatever Happened to Me, Mixed Up Mess of A Heart, and especially, House of Memories are great country songs and fit together better than most other singers concept albums. He made 7-8 of the best country albums ever made right in a row from 1967 through 1971. From Swinging Doors through Someday We’ll Look Back and Say, he didn’t really make one single clinker.”

1. Mama Tried (1968)

“Mama Tried starts off with the classic title track–Merle always does well with semi-autobiographical material about prison life and disappointment, and the lively background singing is one of those golden elements to Merle’s sound. “Green Green Grass of Home” is another well-interpreted cover from Merle which far outshines Tom Jones’ version for its authenticity and emotion. The joyride feel of “Little Ol’ Wine Drinker Me” is another great cover, as is Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” “I’ll Always Know” is interesting–sounds somewhat like a 50’s pop rock and roll song more than characteristic Haggard. “Sunny Side of My Life” and “Too Many Bridges” are great up-tempo tunes, and the back-porch sound of “Run ’em Off” is another classic. Basically, on Mama Tried, Merle takes his classic formula of pedal steel, high-energy vocal arrangements, and excellent material to turn in one of the best albums of his early career, chock full of classics.”