The Top 10 Greatest Ever Americana Artists: Number 10 – Drive-By Truckers

Photo: Nick Barber

Today we begin the countdown to ‘The Top 10 Greatest Ever Americana Artists’. Over the next two weeks we will reveal one each publication day, in reverse order, until we reach our number one at the end of next week.

The Number 10 spot goes to the Drive-By Truckers with 27 p0ints.  AUK’s Andy Raw place them at Number 1 in his own personal list saying this about them:

“I have wondered why I like the DBTs so much and I think it is their words that I am drawn to. Their music isn’t very catchy or particularly melodic (there’s not much chance of them having a ‘hit’) but the words on pretty much all their tracks are so interesting and compelling that they draw me into listening to the tracks. I then find myself very much liking the songs musically and wanting to listen to them repeatedly. Patterson Hood’s lyrics are dark stories of contemporary life in the US, often documenting people’s struggles in a similar vein to Willy Vlautin. I am constantly amazed by his ability to think up fresh material to write new songs about and the skilled nature of the lyrics which are never ‘clunky’. Mike Cooley’s lyrics can at times be slightly opaque, but he can come up with some brilliantly memorable lines and the songs are often very strong musically. I have put them at number 1 because of the consistently high standard of their work- they have produced 15 albums, most of which I love and still like listening to”.

Spot on Andy. With their levels of consistency, their longevity, and their undimming creativity, it would have been a major surprise if the Truckers had not made this list.

 

About Clint West 328 Articles
From buying my first record aged 10 and attending my first gig at 14, music has been a lifelong obsession. A proud native of Suffolk, I have lived in and around Manchester for the best part of 30 years. My idea of a perfect day would be a new record arriving in the post in the morning, watching Ipswich Town win in the afternoon followed by a gig and a pint with my mates at night,
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Jem Hannington

DBT are fantastic, all of their albums are strong, long may they continue. Would recommend anyone who has not got into them yet to listen through one of their albums, you will almost certainly love them. Thanks for featuring them here.

Andrew Riggs

All essential.