Michael Nesmith

Some have said that it should have been Michael Nesmith, not Gram Parsons, who deserves the honor of country-rock forefather. (If only Nesmith ran with the Stones instead of the Monkees.) That said, great songs abound on this 1968 debut. Tracks like "Calico Girlfriend" and "Joanne" get even better thanks to "Red" Rhodes' brilliant pedal steel work.