As for the list itself, I think it’s an interesting concept– what songs or albums would you play for someone you were trying to convert? I don’t think all of these picks would make for strong cases to someone who isn’t already at least tangentially a fan of country music– from my experience converting a good number of my college friends, it’s best to start with alt-country acts like Neko Case, Drive-By Truckers, Ryan Adams, Nickel Creek, Patty Griffin, and Old 97s and then slowly and methodically branch out to more mainstream and traditional acts. Throw something completely schema-inconsistent at a person, and they’ll likely reject it. But start with something that has clear ties to what they already like, and they’ll be easier to bring into the fold.

Because country music is, obviously, a cult…

Some strange picks, though, as others have mentioned. Bentley’s three studio albums are all solid efforts, but Long Trip Alone is definitely his most “essential,” and I don’t think I’d ever recommend that anyone listen to Wilson’s debut for any reason. And I’m definitely a “big tent” kind of a guy, but I also think it’s a stretch to call Raising Sand a country album.

I’d like to know what you feel, objectively, makes Robert Plant a horrible vocalist? As I wrote above, I think his album with AK could be exchanged on this list for something else more appropriate. I suppose its difficult to argue what constitutes one’s opinion, but isn’t it perhaps more appropriate to say you don’t enjoy his particular vocal stylings than to dismiss one of the more iconic voices in rock music history as “horrible”?

I don’t mind the inclusion of live and greatest hits collections. Rather than VAN LEER ROSE , one of the hits collections for Loretta Lynn would have been a far better choice Even in this day most CDs are four singles and a bunch of filler, and with the emphasis of co-writes, much of the filler is mediocre to horrible (“Nothing was ever created by two men. There are no good collaborations, whether in art, in music, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy. Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man.” —John Steinbeck, East of Eden)

For instance, the latter list should include Lee Ann Womack’s “There’s More Where That Came From.” But it’s such a traditional country album that some non-country fans might think of it as too twangy and hate it.

So I’m a littel confused.

As someone who knows both Alison Krauss’ and Robert Plant’s work, I think that their album together is not representative of their best work (personal opinion) and that an AKUS record would be a better fit. No Garth (best-selling solo male and one of the biggest tourers ever if I’m not mistaken)? i would also move Lambert or Wilson for someone out of the Wynonna, Trisha, MCC, Reba group. I admit I am not as equiped as most of you to be able to name the definitive album from any of those ladies, but I have heard enough to be able to say they represent more essential country than some of the other choices.