1968
Johnny Cash: At Folsom Prison
I really thought I'd have to do a few more entries of albums I didn't learn to appreciate until later in life, but not for this year. I've been listening to this record for as long as I can remember and with good reason. It started before I could even walk.
I'm probably not fully aware of how much this album shaped my musical tastes. Certainly Johnny Cash was a unique individual with an inimitable sound. I've never heard anything else like him, so it's not like I can point to him as the reason I love any of the specific sounds that I do. But my other favorite musicians and bands - from Willie Nelson and David Bowie to U2 and Duran Duran - all have this in common: they're all innovators, but they're also easily approachable ones. All of them may not owe those traits specifically to Johnny Cash, but they almost certainly owe my appreciation of them to him.
No runners up from this year. Not by a long shot.
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