Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash's catalogue spans more than four decades and several genuinely distinct creative periods — the spare, guitar-and-bass Sun Records sound that made his name, the more polished Nashville country stardom of the 1960s and 70s, and the stark, late-career reinvention of the American Recordings series, produced by Rick Rubin, which introduced him to an entirely new generation of listeners. His live prison albums, recorded for real inmate audiences, remain some of the most electric performances ever captured on record, and his willingness to keep reinventing his sound into his final years makes his catalogue unusually rewarding to explore in full rather than just via a greatest-hits collection.
Reviewed by Callum Ashworth, 247 Album Verdict · Last updated · How we rank
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1At Folsom PrisonJohnny CashStart here
At Folsom Prison
Recorded live for an audience of inmates, it captures Cash at his most charismatic and human. Raw, funny and moving. One of the great live albums.
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2At San QuentinJohnny CashClassic
At San Quentin
A raw, charismatic prison live record, home to 'A Boy Named Sue'. Electric and beloved. A live landmark.
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3American RecordingsJohnny CashClassic
American Recordings
A stark, voice-and-guitar comeback produced by Rick Rubin. Raw and beloved. A late-career landmark.
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4American IV: The Man Comes AroundJohnny CashClassic
American IV: The Man Comes Around
A devastating late peak, home to a definitive cover of 'Hurt'. Raw and beloved. A profound farewell.
- Folsom Prison Blues from At Folsom Prison · on Best Songs of the 1960s, Best Country Songs of All Time, Best 1960s Folk & Singer-Songwriter Songs
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