Country music fans who favor Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard might think there is a lack of musical connection between the 20th and 21st-century country music scenes. When it comes to certain artists and certain sounds, that is the case, on the surface at least. However, if it weren’t for the country music of the 20th century, the current country music climate would sound, feel, and look entirely different. Also, using influence from the past is inevitable. So, an artist might try to rid themselves of the past, but it will always come out in their work in some fashion.

When one talks about major country influences, they typically talk about Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn. Though what about the forgotten artists? What did they do for the future of the country music genre? On that thought, here are three forgotten albums from 1969 that influenced the country music scene as we know it.

‘The Gilded Palace of Sin’ by The Flying Burrito Brothers

Released on February 6, 1969, The Flying Burrito Brothers‘ debut album is a pivotal work in the development of Americana. The album itself garnered little commercial success, but the work of Gram Parsons and the band showed the world of country music that traditional tactics weren’t needed to make an authentic-sounding country album.

Thanks to the Burrito Brothers’ debut album, fans became acquainted with a sound they didn’t even think was possible. A sound that defied all of the artistic framework the country music industry was built.

‘Our Mother the Mountain’ by Townes Van Zandt

The masses rarely recognize Townes Van Zandt‘s contributions to country music. However, those who are familiar with Van Zandt and his work know just how invaluable he is to the genre and its subcategories.

Van Zandt set a standard amongst country singer/songwriters. A standard that came to be when he released his 1969 album, Our Mother The Mountain. At the time of the album’s release, country artists were writing intellectually stimulating and nuanced lyrics. Although Townes Van Zandt stepped onto the scene and set a new bar. A bar that, to this day, many musicians still try to reach with their pen.

‘Wherever You Are’ by Johnny Paycheck

Johnny Paycheck is one of the most divisive figures in country music history, and he further introduced his polarizing persona on his 1969 album, ‘Wherever You Are’. Musically, Paycheck’s album contrasted the polished Nashville sound of the decade, but the everlasting influence of this album resides in its cultural impact.

Paycheck himself was a real outlaw, and he sang about his nefarious and low-down experiences in the album. Consequently, the momentum behind the outlaw country music movement was put into motion. Paycheck is certainly not the sole individual who set this musical wave in motion, but his album’s gritty transparency and subversive ways definitely got the ball rolling. And as of today, many musicians still try to emulate that same attitude.