The Best Willie Nelson Albums of All Time

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Updated May 1, 2024 42.1K views 101 items

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4.8K votes

946 voters

Voting Rules

This list includes studio albums only, so if you add an album make sure it's a proper studio release.

When you think of country music, you can't help but think of one of the greatest outlaw country singers of all time: Willie Nelson. Throughout his decades-long career, Nelson released a long list of great albums. Here, you'll find a list of the best Willie Nelson albums, including pictures of the album covers when available. This Willie Nelson discography is ranked from best to worst, so the top Willie Nelson albums can be found at the top of the list. To make it easy for you, we haven't included Willie Nelson singles, EPs, or compilations, so everything you see here should only be studio albums. If you think the greatest Willie Nelson album isn't high enough on the list, then be sure to vote for it so it receives the credit it deserves. Make sure you don't just vote for critically acclaimed albums; if you have a favorite Willie Nelson album, then vote it up, even if it's not necessarily the most popular.

If you want to know, "What is the Best Willie Nelson album of all time?" or "What are the top Willie Nelson albums?" then this list will answer your questions. List ranges from Heroes to Red Headed Stranger, plus much more.

This list of popular Willie Nelson albums has been voted on by music fans around the world, so the order of this list isn't just one person's opinion.

Photo: Columbia
1
302 VOTES
Red Headed Stranger
1. Time of the Preacher
2. I Couldn't Believe It Was True
3. Time of the Preacher Theme
4. Blue Rock Montana" / "Red Headed Stranger (medley)
5. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
6. Red Headed Stranger
7. Time of the Preacher Theme
8. Just As I Am
8. Denver
10. O'er the Waves
11. Down Yonder
12. Can I Sleep in Your Arms
13. Remember Me
14. Hands on the Wheel
15. Bandera

Pitchfork score: 9.3

302 votes
Photo: Atlantic Records
2
162 VOTES
Phases and Stages
1. Phases and Stages (Theme) / Washing the Dishes
2. Phases and Stages (Theme) / Walkin'
3. Pretend I Never Happened
4. Sister's Coming Home / Down at the Corner Beer Joint
5. (How Will I Know) I'm Falling in Love Again
6. Bloody Mary Morning
7. Phases and Stages (Theme) / No Love Around
8. I Still Can't Believe You're Gone
9. It's Not Supposed to Be That Way
10. Heaven and Hell
11. Phases and Stages (Theme) / Pick Up the Tempo / Phases and Stages (Theme)

162 votes
Photo: Atlantic
3
171 VOTES
Shotgun Willie
1. Shotgun Willie
2. Whiskey River
3. Sad Songs and Waltzes
4. Local Memory
5. Slow Down Old World
6. Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)
7. Devil in a Sleepin' Bag
8. She's Not for You
9. Bubbles in My Beer
10. You Look Like the Devil
11. So Much to Do
12. A Song for You

171 votes
Photo: Columbia
4
237 VOTES
Stardust
1. Stardust
2. Georgia on My Mind
3. Blue Skies
4. All of Me
5. Unchained Melody
6. September Song
7. On the Sunny Side of the Street
8. Moonlight in Vermont
9. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
10. Someone to Watch Over Me

Pitchfork score: 9.3

237 votes
Photo: RCA Records
5
89 VOTES
Yesterday's Wine
1. Intro: Willie Nelson and Band" / "Medley: Where's the Show; Let Me Be a Man"
2. In God's Eyes
3. Family Bible
4. It's Not for Me to Understand
5. Medley: These Are Difficult Times" / "Remember the Good Times
6. Summer of Roses
7. December Day
8. Yesterday's Wine
9. Me and Paul
10. Goin' Home

89 votes
Photo: Island
6
101 VOTES
Spirit
1. Matador
2. She Is Gone
3. Your Memory Won't Die in My Grave
4. I'm Not Trying to Forget You
5. Too Sick to Pray
6. Mariachi
7. I'm Waiting Forever
8. We Don't Run
9. I Guess I've Come to Live Here in Your Eyes
10. It's a Dream Come True
11. I Thought About You, Lord
12. Spirit of E9
13. Matador

101 votes
Photo: Island
7
118 VOTES
Teatro
1. Ou Es-Tu, Mon Amour? (Where Are You, My Love?)
2. I Never Cared For You
3. Everywhere I Go
4. Darkness on the Face of the Earth
5. My Own Peculiar Way
6. These Lonely Nights
7. Home Motel
8. The Maker
9. I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye
10. I've Just Destroyed the World (I'm Living In)
11. Somebody Pick Up My Pieces
12. Three Days
13. I've Loved You All Over the World
14. Annie

118 votes
Photo: Columbia
8
77 VOTES
Sings Kristofferson
1. Me and Bobby McGee
2. Help Me Make It Through the Night
3. The Pilgrim, Chapter 33
4. Why Me
5. For the Good Times
6. You Show Me Yours (And I'll Show You Mine)
7. Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
8. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
9. Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends

77 votes
Photo: RCA Victor
9
104 VOTES
Waylon & Willie
1. Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
2. The Year 2003 Minus 25
3. Pick Up the Tempo
4. If You Can Touch Her at All
5. Lookin' for a Feeling
6. It's Not Supposed to Be That Way
7. I Can Get Off on You
8. Don't Cuss the Fiddle
9. Gold Dust Woman
10. A Couple More Years
11. The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You)

104 votes
Photo: Columbia
10
98 VOTES
Across the Borderline
1. American Tune
2. Getting Over You
3. (The) Most Unoriginal Sin
4. Don't Give Up
5. Heartland
6. Across the Borderline
7. Graceland
8. Farther Down the Line
9. Valentine
10. What Was It You Wanted
11. I Love the Life I Live
12. If I Were the Man You Wanted
13. She's Not for You"
14. Still Is Still Moving to Me

98 votes

Photo: Columbia
11
59 VOTES
The Sound in Your Mind
1. That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)
2. If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time
3. A Penny for Your Thoughts
4. The Healing Hands of Time
5. Thanks Again
6. I'd Have to Be Crazy
7. Amazing Grace
8. The Sound in Your Mind
9. Medley: Funny How Time Slips Away / Crazy / Night Life

59 votes
Photo: Columbia
12
59 VOTES
To Lefty From Willie
1. Mom and Dad's Waltz
2. Look What Thoughts Will Do
3. I Love You a Thousand Ways
4. Always Late (With Your Kisses)
5. I Want to Be With You Always
6. She's Gone, Gone, Gone
7. A Little Unfair
8. I Never Go Around Mirrors
9. That's the Way Love Goes
10. Railroad Lady

59 votes
Photo: Legacy Recordings
13
47 VOTES
Band of Brothers
1. Bring it On
2. Guitar in the Corner
3. The Wall
4. Whenever You Come Around
5. Wives and Girlfriends
6. I Thought I Left You
7. Send Me a Picture
8. Used to Her
9. The Git Go (feat. Jamey Johnson)
10. Band of Brothers
11. Hard to Be an Outlaw
12. Crazy Like Me
13. The Songwriters
14. I've Got a Lot of Traveling to Do

Pitchfork score: 7.4

47 votes
Photo: Columbia
14
53 VOTES
The Troublemaker
1. Uncloudy Day
2. When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder
3. Whispering Hope
4. There Is a Fountain
5. Will the Circle Be Unbroken
6. The Troublemaker
7. In the Garden
8. Where the Soul Never Dies
9. Sweet Bye and Bye
10. Shall We Gather
11. Precious Memories

53 votes
Photo: Columbia Records
15
31 VOTES
One for the Road
1. Detour
2. I Saw the Light
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Let the Rest of the World Go By
5. Trouble in Mind
6. Don't Fence Me In
7. The Wild Side of Life
8. Ridin' Down the Canyon
9. Sioux City Sue
10. You Are My Sunshine
11. Danny Boy
12. Always
13. Summertime
14. Because of You
15. Am I Blue
16. Tenderly
17. Far Away Places
18. That Lucky Old Sun
19. Stormy Weather
20. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)

31 votes
Photo: Columbia
16
51 VOTES
City of New Orleans
1. City of New Orleans
2. Just Out of Reach
3. Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
4. Why Are You Pickin' On Me
5. She's Out of My Life
6. Cry
7. Please Come to Boston
8. It Turns Me Inside Out
9. Wind Beneath My Wings
10. Until It's Time for You to Go

51 votes
Photo: Columbia
17
98 VOTES
Always on My Mind
1. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
2. Always on My Mind
3. A Whiter Shade of Pale
4. Let It Be Me
5. Staring Each Other Down
6. Bridge over Troubled Water
7. Old Fords and a Natural Stone
8. Permanently Lonely
9. Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning
10. The Party’s Over
11. The Man Who Owes Everyone
12. I'm a Memory

98 votes
Photo: Columbia / flickr / CC0
18
44 VOTES
Honeysuckle Rose
1. On the Road Again
2. Pick Up the Tempo
3. Heaven or Hell
4. Fiddlin' Around
5. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
6. Working Man Blues
7. Jumpin' Cotton Eyed Joe (Gimble)
8. Whiskey River" (Nelson)
9. Bloody Mary Morning
10. Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
11. I Don't Do Windows
12. Coming Back to Texas

44 votes
Photo: RCA Victor
19
66 VOTES
Wanted! The Outlaws
1. My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
2. Honky Tonk Heroes
3. I'm Looking For Blue Eyes
4. You Mean to Say"
5. Suspicious Minds
6. Good Hearted Woman
7. Heaven or Hell
8. Me and Paul
9. Yesterday's Wine
10. T for Texas
11. Put Another Log on the Fire

66 votes
Photo: Liberty
20
32 VOTES
... And Then I Wrote
1. Touch Me
2. Wake Me When It's Over
3. Hello Walls
4. Funny How Time Slips Away
5. Crazy
6. The Part Where I Cry
7. Mr. Record Man
8. Three Days
9. One Step Beyond
10. Undo the Right
11. Darkness on the Face of the Earth
12. Where My House Lives

32 votes

Photo: Columbia Records
21
56 VOTES
Me & Paul
1. I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train
2. Forgiving You Was Easy
3. I Let My Mind Wander
4. I'm a Memory
5. She's Gone
6. Old Five & Dimers Like Me
7. I Never Cared For You
8. You Wouldn't Cross the Street (To Say Goodbye)
9. Me and Paul
10. One Day at a Time
11. Pretend I Never Happened
12. Black Rose

56 votes
Photo: Capitol
22
28 VOTES
Healing Hands of Time
1. Funny How Time Slips Away
2. Crazy
3. Night Life
4. Healing Hands of Time
5. (How Will I Know) I'm Falling in Love Again
6. All the Things You Are
7. Oh, What It Seemed to Be
8. If I Had My Way
9. I'll Be Seeing You
10. There Are Worse Things Than Being Alone

28 votes
Photo: Decca
23
42 VOTES
Milk Cow Blues
1. Milk Cow Blues
2. Outskirts of Town
3. Black Night
4. Funny How Time Slips Away
5. Rainy Day Blues
6. Crazy
7. The Thrill Is Gone
8. Wake Me When It's Over
9. Kansas City
10. Fool's Paradise
11. Ain't Nobody's Business
12. Night Life
13. Sittin' on Top of the World
14. Lonely Street
15. Texas Flood

42 votes
Photo: Justice Records
24
25 VOTES
Moonlight Becomes You
1. December Day
2. Moonlight Becomes You
3. Afraid
4. The Heart of a Clown
5. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
6. Everywhere You Go
7. Have I Stayed Away Too Long
8. Sentimental Journey
9. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
10. You'll Never Know
11. I'll Keep On Loving You
12. You Just Can't Play a Sad Song on a Banjo
13. You Always Hurt the One You Love
14. Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
15. In God's Eyes

25 votes
Photo: Columbia
25
41 VOTES
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
1. Mona Lisa
2. Exactly Like You
3. Who's Sorry Now?
4. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
5. Won't You Ride in My Little Red Wagon
6. Over the Rainbow
7. In My Mother's Eyes
8. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
9. It Wouldn't Be the Same (Without You)
10. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

41 votes
Photo: user uploaded image
26
15 VOTES
Run That by Me One More Time
15 votes
Photo: RCA Victor
27
21 VOTES
The Party's Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs
1. Suffer in Silence
2. Hold Me Tighter
3. Go Away
4. Ghost
5. To Make a Long Story Short (She's Gone)
6. A Moment Isn't Very Long
7. The Party's Over
8. There Goes a Man
9. Once Alone
10. No Tomorrow in Sight
11. I'll Stay Around
12. End of Understanding

21 votes
Photo: Columbia
28
43 VOTES
A Horse Called Music
1. Nothing I Can Do About It Now
2. The Highway
3. I Never Cared For You
4. If I Were a Painting
5. Spirit
6. There You Are
7. Mr. Record Man
8. If My World Didn't Have You
9. A Horse Called Music
10. Is the Better Part Over

43 votes
Photo: Lost Highway
29
40 VOTES
Songbird
1. Rainy Day Blues
2. Songbird
3. Blue Hotel
4. Back to Earth
5. Stella Blue
6. Hallelujah
7. $1000 Wedding
8. We Don't Run
9. Yours Love
10. Sad Songs and Waltzes
11. Amazing Grace

40 votes
Photo: Columbia
30
42 VOTES
San Antonio Rose
1. San Antonio Rose
2. I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)
3. I Fall to Pieces
4. Crazy Arms
5. Release Me
6. Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)
7. This Cold War with You
8. Funny How Time Slips Away
9. Night Life
10. Deep Water
11. Faded Love
12. Just Call Me Lonesome
13. My Life's Been a Pleasure

42 votes