Latest Release

- 6 SEPT 2024
- 1 Song
- Copperhead Road · 1988
- Transcendental Blues · 2000
- The Sharon Shannon Collection 1990 - 2005 · 1998
- Guitar Town · 1986
- Copperhead Road · 1988
- Guitar Town (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) · 1986
- I Feel Alright · 1996
- Copperhead Road · 1988
- I Feel Alright · 1996
- Copperhead Road · 1988
Essential Albums
- A maverick to his Virginia-born bones, Earle took a long stride toward freedom on 1988's Copperhead Road. The guitars snarl and the drums slam fiercely on this fiery, take-no-prisoners song collection. The title track (a FM rock favorite) and "The Devil's Right Hand" roar with the defiance of a Confederate guerilla force, with Earle's vocals ringing with feverish desperation. Softer tunes like "Nothing but a Child" (a tender nativity song) take the edge off the anger. Another highpoint, "Johnny Come Lately," matches him with the Pogues for a galloping Irish-Appalachian romp. At this point in his career, Earle was veering away from Nashville's restrictions and reveling in his own potent country/rock/folk blend fearlessly. He's gone on to release other outstanding albums, but Copperhead Road is unmatched for its musical ferocity and fine-etched lyrical insights. There's venom and honey alike to be savored here.
- 1986
- 2022
- 2015
Music Videos
Artist Playlists
- A primer on this accomplished country music master.
- The troubadours and rockers impacted by the alt-country icon.
- An alt-country icon's social conscience emerges.
- Nashville in the ‘70s was a good place to get your start.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
Compilations
Appears On
More To Hear
- Country stars share Stones covers from 'Stoned Cold Country.'
About Steve Earle
Steve Earle is a singer-songwriter and actor known for his enduring outlaw spirit and deft musical storytelling, which incorporates country, folk, blues, and rock. ∙ He learned guitar at age 11, then moved to Nashville in 1974, playing bass and writing songs for country icon Guy Clark before eventually moving to Texas. ∙ Guitar Town, his 1986 debut, topped Billboard’s Country Albums chart and was included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. ∙ A longtime critic of the death penalty, Earle wrote “Ellis Unit One”—told from a prison guard’s perspective—for the 1995 Oscar-winning film Dead Man Walking. ∙ Earle won Grammy Awards for 2004’s The Revolution Starts Now, 2007’s Washington Square Serenade, and 2009’s Townes, honoring his musical mentor Townes Van Zandt. ∙ He had roles in acclaimed TV series The Wire and Treme—the latter earning him a 2010 Emmy nomination for his song “This City.” ∙ In 2017, he made his off-Broadway debut as the narrator in experimental playwright Richard Maxwell’s Samara, for which he also composed the score.
- FROM
- Fort Monroe, VA, United States
- BORN
- 17 January 1955
- GENRE
- Country