- Let It Be Christmas · 2002
- Drive · 2002
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 · 2003
- Who I Am · 1994
- Who I Am · 1994
- Alan Jackson: 16 Biggest Hits · 1992
- Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story · 2008
- You Get What You Give (Deluxe) · 2010
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 · 2003
- 34 Number Ones · 1996
- A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'Bout Love) · 1992
- Here In the Real World · 1990
- Don't Rock the Jukebox · 1991
Essential Albums
- Drive, released early in 2002, is best known for "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," Alan Jackson’s poignant, compassionate portrait of post-9/11 America that sought comfort during a time of immense tragedy and confusion. The album also packs old-school honky-tonk tunes like the sassy "Work In Progress," as well as a fiddle-fortified George Strait duet in "Designated Drinker," and the nostalgic title track, which illustrates Jackson's knack for capturing quintessential snapshots of American family life.
- When pop production values started taking center stage in early-’90s Nashville, Alan Jackson stuck to the basics. His third album overflows with roots-conscious, roadhouse-rockin’ tunes (the Cajun-flavored “Chattahoochee,” the tear-’em-up twang of the Bakersfield-indebted “Up to My Ears In Tears”) and old-school cry-in-your-beer ballads (“(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All”). It’s a record gloriously steeped in country fundamentals and rich with tunes that sound as good decades later as they did when they dominated the country charts.
- As much of a blockbuster as Alan Jackson’s debut album was, his sophomore record was where he perfected his friendly, neo-traditional country sound (and spearheaded a whole musical movement in the process). With tunes like the rockabilly-tinged "Love's Got a Hold on You," the boot-stomping proletarian salute "Working Class Hero," and the honky-tonk–loving title track, it's easy to see why Don't Rock the Jukebox is considered a definitive country album of the ’90s.
- Country traditionalist Alan Jackson made his debut with the uncompromising Here In the Real World. Written before he’d even become a star, two of its best songs were about show business: On the title track, Jackson laments its false portrayals of romance, but on "Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow" he dreams of joining its biggest names. The rest of the LP lies somewhere in between, as the singer honors his form by trying to wrench something new—something real—from the familiar twang. Thanks to a sturdy voice and soft wit, he succeeds to an extraordinary degree.
Artist Playlists
- Classic, fun, reverent tunes from Santa’s Nashville visit.
- Preserving traditions with passion, authenticity, and liveliness.
- These hidden gems reveal his rich sense of country tradition.
- He bridged the gap between country traditionalists and pop stars.
Live Albums
Compilations
More To Hear
- The singer is "Back" with his new album 'Where Have You Gone.'
- Alan discusses the most impactful songs of his career.
More To See
About Alan Jackson
As a kid growing up in small-town Georgia, country singer Alan Jackson used to watch his father, Eugene, leave to drive the 40 or so miles up I-85 to work as a mechanic at the Ford plant just outside Atlanta. (Jackson commemorated the trip, in passing, on the 2002 single “Drive [For Daddy Gene].”) A few years after Eugene’s death, the state gave the stretch of road a new name: Alan Jackson Highway—a fitting tribute for an artist always carving the road home. Born in 1958, Jackson broke in the late ’80s, projecting a quiet, down-home persona that seemed to capture what country music was all about. Following in the footsteps of singers like George Strait and Randy Travis, he became one of the preeminent traditionalists in country, a keeper of the flame at a time when the genre was making more—and increasingly direct—appeals to pop (a shift Jackson poked gentle fun at on his 1994 single “Gone Country”). Tender, direct, and quietly funny, Jackson’s songs have often lobbied for the good old days, detailing everything from the beauty and trials of a long-term romance (“Remember When”) to September 11th (“Where Were You [When the World Stopped Turning]”) to the search for simplicity in an increasingly complex world (“I Still Like Bologna”). Despite the modesty of both his image and his music, Jackson has also been enormously successful, clearing the Country Top 10 every year between 1990 and 2004 while selling more than 80 million albums, receiving inductions into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. “My wife makes fun of me because I have a lot of songs with food,” Jackson said in a 2004 interview. “But I say write what you know, and I know about food, cars, and broken hearts.”
- HOMETOWN
- Newnan, GA, United States
- BORN
- October 17, 1958
- GENRE
- Country