Reissues can be a bit tricky to keep tabs on– we’ll freely admit that this list is likely a significant under-representation of all of the music that was remastered, restored, repackaged, and/or resold in 2017.
Greatest Hits packages count in an absolute sense, though it’s considered gauche to include them among “best of” type lists. That they’re still being sold in the age of digital media– when singles vastly outsell entire albums– is something of an anachronism.
More noteworthy are the full albums that get slated for reissue in any given year. Whether they’re reaching a significant milestone anniversary– albums from Linda Ronstadt and Rosanne Cash, included below, both fall into that category– or were simply culled from a deep-dive into a label’s back catalogue– I damn near did a spit-take when I saw Robert Ellis Orrall’s Flying Colors on the release calendar, because what— it’s never a bad idea to take a look back.
Again, let us know if there’s a major reissue that didn’t ping on our radar!
| Artist | Title |
| Alan Jackson | Precious Memories Collection |
| Anne Murray | The Ultimate Collection |
| Asleep at the Wheel | Ten / Western Standard Time / Keepin’ Me Up Nights / Live & Kickin’ |
| Buck Owens | Live from Austin, TX |
| Buck Owens | The Time Warner Recordings |
| Charley Pride | Country Classics / Night Games / Power of Love / Back to the Country |
| Charlie Daniels Band | Volunteer Jam VI |
| Charlie Rich | Too Many Teardrops: The Complete Groove & RCA Recordings |
| Chris Whitley | Poison Girl |
| Connie Smith | Joy to the World |
| David Allan Coe | The Complete Hits |
| Dwight Yoakam | Live from Austin, TX |
| Eddy Arnold | When It’s Round-Up Time in Heaven: The Great Gospel Recordings |
| Eddy Raven | The Best of Eddy Raven |
| Ferlin Husky | The Singles Collection 1951 – 62 |
| Flatt & Scruggs | Foggy Mountain Banjo |
| George Strait | Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 |
| Guy Clark | Guy Clark: The Best of the Dualtone Years |
| Hank Locklin | The Hank Locklin Singles Collection 1948 – 62 |
| Hank Williams III | Greatest Hits |
| Jake Owen | Greatest Hits |
| Jim Kweskin | Relax Your Mind |
| Jo Dee Messina | All-Time Greatest Hits |
| Joey Feek | If Not for You |
| John Denver | The Windstar Greatest Hits |
| John Fogerty | Blue Moon Swamp |
| John Prine | John Prine September ’78 |
| Johnny Cash | Cash Unearthed |
| Kenny Rogers | 5 Classic Albums |
| Kris Kristofferson | The Austin Sessions Expanded Edition |
| Linda Ronstadt | Simple Dreams |
| Lydia Loveless | Boy Crazy and Single(s) |
| Lyle Lovett | Greatest Hits |
| Lynn Anderson | The Definitive Collection |
| Marty Robbins | The Complete Recordings 1952 – 60 |
| Marty Robbins | Don’t Let Me Touch You |
| Marty Robbins | Everything I’ve Always Wanted |
| Marty Stuart | Now That’s Country: The Definitive Collection Vol 1 |
| Neko Case | Live from Austin, TX |
| Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Anthology |
| Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Fishin’ in the Dark: The Best of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band |
| Old Crow Medicine Show | The Best of Old Crow Medicine Show |
| Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Ozark Mountain Daredevils |
| Patsy Cline | The Complete Recordings 1955 – 62 |
| Porter Wagoner | The Singles Collection 1952 – 62 |
| Ricky Skaggs | Love’s Gonna Get Ya! |
| Robert Ellis Orrall | Flying Colors |
| Roger Miller | Hitch-Hiker 1957 – 1962 Honky Tonk Recordings |
| Ronnie Milsap | Out Where the Bright Lights are Glowing / There’s No Gettin’ Over Me / Keyed Up / One More Try for Love |
| Rosanne Cash | King’s Record Shop |
| Roy Orbison | Black & White Night 30 |
| Ry Cooder | Paradise and Lunch |
| Shawn Colvin | A Few Small Repairs |
| Sonny James | The Singles Collection 1952 – 62 |
| Steve Earle | Jerusalem / Just an American Boy / The Revolution Starts Now |
| Steve Earle | The Mountain / Transcendental Blues / Sidetracks |
| Steve Earle | Live from Austin, TX |
| Steve Goodman | Sticks and Stones: FM Broadcast 1973 |
| Tammy Wynette | We Sure Can Love Each Other / I Still Believe in Fairy Tales |
| Tammy Wynette | Take Me To Your World / I Don’t Want to Play House |
| The Band | The Last Waltz (40th Anniversay Collector’s Edition) |
| The Black Crowes | Lost Crowes |
| The Judds | All Time Greatest Hits |
| Various Artists | Original Soundtrack: Harper Valley PTA |
| Various Artists | Stax Country |
| Vern Gosdin | Out of My Heart |
| Wilco | A.M. / Being There |
| Willie Nelson | Teatro – The Complete Sessions |
| Willie Nelson & Leon Russell | One for the Road |
Note that, in many instances, artists had several albums reissued on the same release date; in some instances– Ronnie Milsap, for one– multiple albums were combined onto a single CD for repackaging purposes. Also note that, unlike with our albums and singles master list posts, we chose images for this list of things that are actually great!
That will do it for the master lists! Over the coming weeks, the CU crew will be finalizing our ballots and prepping our final lists for the 2017 countdowns!
I have to list Anne Murray’s Ultimate Collection for no other reason than it finally includes ‘He Thinks I Still Care’ – a number one country song for her that, to my knowledge, has never been included in any of her hits packages. And of course, all the rest of her hits included here are phenomenal. I also love that her Everly Brothers’ rendition of ‘Walk Right Back’ is included on the 2nd disc.
The great Eddy Arnold with his gospel collection. This man is excellent at anything he sings, but he really shines here.
The Judds with their All Time Greatest. I’ve never purchased a Judds hits collection but I did so here because it’s the most complete collection of their songs that I’ve ever seen. It’s an amazing collection.
I already have both the Alan Jackson Precious Memories cds so I didn’t get the re-issue, but I can whole-hardily recommend those two discs to anyone who likes Jackson or traditional southern hymns.
I wasn’t aware of the Patsy Cline Complete Recordings 1955-1962, but I can only imagine it is incredible because anything she sings is incredible. I’m going to have to pick that one up.
To be fair about the Simple Dreams reissue, the three extra tracks are live versions of three of the album’s hits taken from a concert special Linda did for HBO at CBS Television City here in Los Angeles in April 1980, following the release of her then-new album Mad Love. That said, however, they do show Linda to be a huge presence in a live setting, despite her reputation for being an incredibly shy onstage performer.
I bought that Robert Ellis Orrall album when it was first released! Still have a soft spot for “Boom! It Was Over.”
Oh, I did / do, too. That song was totally a favorite of mine at the time. I’m sure my cassette of that album is still somewhere in my folks’ attic.
But how many people, present company excluded, remember that song? I just can’t fathom that there’s demand for that reissue, outside of fans of faux Native American patterned appliqué vests! I mean, can we look forward to an M.C. Potts or a John Brennan reissue in 2018?
Followed by a Stephanie Bentley box set and Daron Norwood on 180 gram vinyl.
Wow, can’t believe that album by Robert Ellis Orrall is actually being reissued. I’ve always liked “Boom! It Was Over,” but it’s the follow up single, “A Little Bit Of Her Love,” that’s still one of my favorite songs today. That one brings back so many great childhood memories, and it still makes me smile whenever I hear it. :)
Jasmine has issued a two CD set of Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (both solos & duets). This set is comprised of Roy & Dale’s 1950s RCA recordings and, for the first time digitally, the songs issued on the yellow children’s 78 rpm records for Golden Books. Although geared for children and often religious in nature, Golden Books recordings are really nice and not been available in any format in nearly 50 years
I remember Golden Books. They were a staple in classroom libraries and around the house of family members when I was young. I had no idea there were records to go with them. I wonder if they knew they were differentiating instruction for audio learners way back then?
The records did not track with any particular books (as far as I recall). They were just singers and songs suitable for children to listen to – the only ones I had has a child were some Roy Rogers/Dale Evans and maybe some Disney related ones. The ones I had were heavily played, passed down to my (five years younger) sister and then probably discarded about 55 years ago. Some of the songs on the Rogers/Evans records showed up in episodes of their television show and two of them achieved some real popularity (“Happy Trails”, The Bible tells me so.
Kevin – you have my email – contact me if you’d like me to send them to you via WeTransfer (they are mostly public domain)
It’s safe to say there is nowhere else on the entire internet where one can find a comments thread featuring references to MC Potts and Stephanie Bentley in 2017.
I’m stil checking this list every year to see if the deluxe edtion of Regina Regina is out yet.