Top 10 Outlaws Albums

Outlaws Albums

Our Top 10 Outlaws Albums takes a look at a 1970s great rock and roll southern rock band that was easily one of the top southern rock bands to come out of the 1970s classic rock and roll southern music scene. Like we noted in our just recently published Marshall Tucker Band albums article, the Outlaws were one of the top five southern rock bands of the 1970s along with Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band and the group that set the genre up we all knew as The Allman Brothers Band. Every single one of those bands had there signature songs and more. For the Outlaws there signature song was “Green Grass and High Tides Forever,” which was released in both studio and live versions similar to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free bird.”

The Outlaws released their first studio album in 1975 simply titled Outlaws. The band’s fantastic debut album was bookend with what would become two of the band’s most famous songs entitled “There Goes Another Love Song,” and “Green Grass And High Tides Forever.” The Outlaws legendary lineup on the album included Hughie Thomasson on lead guitar,and vocals, Billy Jones on lead guitar and vocals, Henry Paul on electric and acoustic guitar and vocals, Frank O’Keefe on bass and Monte Yoho on drums. The band’s three guitar players and three lead vocalists made for a very original sounding lineup.

During the 1970s the Outlaws released five studio albums and one great live two record set. The band released some great music in the 1980s trying to keep that 70s southern rock genre alive. They continued on into the 90s with many lineup changes. During their glory days, the Outlaws like the other top five southern rock bands were an exciting concert favorite that drew large crows to their roaring shows, This writer was one of them having seen the Outlaws many times on Long Island in the 1970s.

Top 10 Outlaws Albums

# 10 – Soldiers of Fortune

We open up our top 10 Albums List with the groups eighth studio album entitled entitled Soldiers of Fortune. The album was released in 1986. This album was very much a product of the time period. The group sounds more like 38 Special than they do the 70s Outlaws. Yet, these songs are really well written and incredibly addictive to listen to adding up to a really good rock record for the times. It’s far from their best, but it’s an interesting addition to their history. The album hit number one hundred and sixty on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.

# 9 – Diablo Canyon

Continuing with our top 10 Outlaws Albums List we move on to the energetic album entitled Diablo Canyon. Like The Marshall Tucker Band and The Allman Brothers Band, the Outlaws stayed true to their southern rock roots in the face of the Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden grunge scene that had taken over rock and roll in the early to mid 90s. The album was released in 1994. Diablo Canyon was the first Outlaws album to not break into the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.

# 8 – Ghost Riders

In the number eight spot on our top 10 Albums List we present the album entitled Ghost Riders. The album was released in 1980. The popularity of the Ghost Riders album was fueled by the success of the hit single “Ghost Riders In The Sky.” The album hit number twenty five the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. It was the Outlaws highest charting album on the Billboard charts since their debut album in 1975.

# 7 – In the Eye of the Storm

In the number seven position on our top 10 Albums List is the spirited album entitled In the Eye of the Storm. The album was released in 1979. It was the Outlaws final album of the decade of the 1970s. One of the most interesting aspects of this album was that they covered the Elvis Costello song called “Miracle Man,” while giving it that famous Outlaws sound. The album hit number fifty five on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.

# 6 – Playing To Win

The Outlaws album Playing To Win was a pretty slick affair for the group. Music was changing dramatically in 1977 and 1978 and the Outlaws were balancing it out between staying true to there original sound while also staying on top of new production techniques and slicker arrangements. The result were a pop rock album that worked for some and not for others. I remember buying this album when it was first released and playing it quite often. It’s a great rock record that with some killer songs on it including “A Real Good Feelin'” as the standout track.

# 5 – Lady In Waiting

At the halfway point on our top 10 Outlaws Albums List is the album entitled Lady In Waiting. The album was released in 1976. Lady In Waiting was the band’s second album. The highlight f the album was the killer version of the Paul Revere & the Raiders song “Freeborn Man.”  Another standout track was the album opener “Breaker-Breaker. The Lady In Waiting album hit number thirty six on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.

# 4 – Dixie Highway

At the number four spot on our top 10 Outlaws Albums List we present the album entitled Dixie Highway. The album was released in 2020. Unlike most of the albums on this Outlaws list that were released in the 1970s, this one was released less than two years ago in 2020. While only a few members from the original 70s band are still with the group, the album was a a return to their glorious early 70s sound times ten. A hard rocking southern rock album for 2020 that seemed to come out of a time machine.

# 3 – Hurry Sundown

Out celebration of the Outlaws southern rock sound continues in the number three spot as we present the album entitled Hurry Sundown.  The album was released in 1977. Hughie Thomasson’s title track “Hurry Sundown,” would become one of the band’s most loved songs. Henry Paul, and Monte Yoho ‘s killer album opener  “Gunsmoke” would become another fan favorite. The Hurry Sundown album hit number fifty one on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.

# 2 – Outlaws

While we wound up picking a live album for the number one spot, we can say that the number one studio album by the Outlaws was easily the band’s debut album simply titled Outlaws. The album was released in 1975. The album was highlighted by songs that would become Outlaws classics like “Green Grass And High Tides Forever,” “There Goes Another Love Song,” and “Song For You.” Their debut album would also become the highest charting studio album of their career. The album hit number sixteen on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts.

# 1 –Bring It Back Alive

Not to often do we ever post a live album in the number one spot on a band’s top 10 albums list, but we will definitely make an exception with this one. In the tradition of the great southern rock live albums like The Allman Brothers Band’s Live At The Fillmore East and Eat A Peach records along with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s One More from the Road and the Marshall Tucker Band’s Where We All Belong, the Outlaws released their own gem entitled Bring It Back Alive. The centerpiece of the album was the twenty minute version of “Green Grass and High Tides Forever.” Can you believe that they actually used to play the entire version on fm radio back in the 1970s quite often. Oh the good old days of rock and roll. This album was a huge part of that wonderful time in classic rock history.

Photo: Carl Lender, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Outlaws Albums article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021

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  1. Avatar Tim Jaworski January 11, 2022

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