117) Sweetheart of the Rodeo : Rolling Stone

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On release, this bold experiment in Nashville classicism was shunned by rock fans and country purists alike. But rural American song had been central to the Byrds' folk-rock sound; here, driven by junior Byrd Gram Parsons, the band highlighted that connection, dressing Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard songs in steel guitar and rock & roll drive, setting the stage for country rock. Legal hassles forced the removal of most of Parsons' lead vocals from the '68 LP (they're restored on CD), and he quit before it came out. But he left signs of his short, glorious future in his originals "Hickory Wind" and "One Hundred Years From Now."

Total album sales: Under 500,000

Peak chart position: 77

Next: Sly and the Family Stone

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